Whether you plan to leave academia, are nearing retirement, or are considering consulting on the side, this conversation is a refreshing take on how telling your story may shift with Jennifer van Alstyne, Paulina Cossette, PhD, and Jen Polk, PhD.
What happens with your online presence when you leave academia? Whether you’re in academia for the long haul or looking for an exit ramp for you or your grad students, how we shape our stories matters. Career coach, Dr. Jen Polk, and academic editor, Dr. Paulina Cossette, join me to talk about how their own stories shifted after leaving academia. They also work with lots of folks who’ve made an academic exit. I’m excited to share their perspectives with you.
This is The Social Academic, a blog about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students.
Hi, I’m Jennifer van Alstyne. I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let’s build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.
P.S. Come join me and Jen Polk for the IMPACT2026 live summit hosted by Carole Chabries, PhD. Four hours. Six Speakers. Register to join us on March 5, 2026 on Zoom.
A full text transcript of this interview is coming for you soon. Thank you!
Bios
Paulina S. Cossette, PhD
Paulina S. Cossette, PhD, has 15+ years of experience as an educator, researcher, and writer. As a copy editor, she has revised 70+ books and countless research papers and dissertations. Her areas of expertise are in the social sciences and statistics. She previously worked as a political science professor, focusing on US politics, Congress, elections and campaigns, and qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Paulina specializes in academic editing. Her experience includes revising and formatting research articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, dissertations and theses, and book manuscripts. She primarily works with scholars in the social sciences, humanities, and education. Paulina also enjoys coaching scholars in how to get published faster, how to leave the academy and become and academic editor, and how to achieve work-life balance.
In 2024, Paulina launched her online course and group coaching program, Becoming an Academic Editor (BAE). Over 60 academics enrolled in the first year, and the program continues to grow quickly. In BAE, members discover how to use their existing skills and experience to build a profitable and rewarding academic editing or coaching business that brings them true flexibility and joy. If you’re burned out in academia, know this: You DO have options. If you’re unhappy in academia, the issue isn’t that you’re not good enough, it’s that you are meant for more.
Jen Polk, PhD
Jennifer Polk, PhD, is a career coach, educator, and recognized expert in PhD careers. She regularly facilitates professional development workshops and delivers keynote presentations at institutions across the US, Canada, and internationally. Jen created her PhD Career Clarity Program to help PhDs navigate their career paths with confidence.
Jen’s writing is published in University Affairs, Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Globe and Mail, Academic Matters, and in three books. More recently, she was an expert panelist for the 2021 Canadian Council of Academies report, Degrees of Success, on the challenges PhDs face transitioning to employment. Jen served on the board of directors for the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, and was part of the management committee for a multi-year transborder project about PhD career paths. She earned her PhD in history from the University of Toronto. Find Jen online at From PhD to Life.
