Name: Elaine Massung (she/her)
PhD: Archaeology/Computer Science, University of Bristol, 2010
What was your main area of research?
My PhD project investigated the use of location-based media to provide interpretation at archaeological and heritage sites. This involved programming and user experience research. My postdoctoral research positions looked at 1) gamification, and 2) how to encourage household retrofitting. Underpinning everything was how best to use technology to enhance the user's experience.
What is your current job?
I am a business owner in Chippenham, UK. I run Academic Smartcuts.
As a business owner, I do everything necessary to ensure the business runs smoothly, e.g. strategy, marketing, and administration. The core part of my work is delivery for clients, which involves developing/delivering courses, providing feedback on grant proposals, and serving as a sounding board for course participants.
From a purely selfish perspective, I love the freedom that comes with being my own boss. With regards to the job itself, I enjoy that I can genuinely help people while using the creative skills I was unable to employ in academia (e.g. informal writing, design, and activity creation).
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I created it: after a number of years working in and around academia, I could see that there were gaps that needed to be filled with regards to improved communication in general and understanding of the funding system in particular. My research has always been about interpretation – how you can take dry facts and figures and turn them into a narrative that is understandable by a given audience. I've used that experience to make academic training more interesting and approachable for course participants.
PhD graduate ➡️ post-doctoral research assistant ➡️ research council employee (i.e. funding agency) ➡️ running my own business
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
My reason for pursuing a PhD was to be able to take my education as far as I could, and I was very interested in the topic. I never planned to pursue a career in academia, so the decision to leave was easy. In fact, I stayed longer than intended because there were very few jobs available in the heritage sector when I graduated. Carrying out postdoc positions for three years helped me realise that working inside academia was a poor fit for me.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
What do you want your life to look like? Getting clear on this question is incredibly helpful because it helps set a direction and removes the pressure of finding the "perfect" job. Know what it is you want to move towards, rather than just move away from.
Research your way out. I read A LOT of books about starting a business during the years I worked at the research council, and this helped me better understand what I needed to do to make the leap into self-employment. Beyond the practical side of things, it's often necessary to change your mindset and attitude, e.g. to get over limiting beliefs and societal conditioning. Some books I recommend include Marianne Cantwell's How to Be a Free-Range Human, Susan Jeffers' Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, and Jen Sincero's series of books.
Do a play project. With whatever you plan to pursue, can you pilot it? It's better to spend a month or two figuring out if something is right for you rather than switching blindly. If you're interested in running your own business, this could mean starting a side hustle and seeing if you can sell your product or service to 5 people before you attempt to scale. If you're interested in another sector, can you shadow someone to see their job?