Senior Associate Left Academia After 6+ Years

Name: Gabrielle Filip-Crawford (she/her)

PhD: Social Psychology, Arizona State University, 2015

What was your main area of research?

My research focused on prejudice and stereotyping of the LGBTQ+ community. I studied the emotions central to anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice and how those connected to discriminatory behaviors and hate crimes.

What is your current job?

I am a Senior Associate at Social Policy Research Associates in Oakland, CA. Though, I am fully remote, based in Roseville, MN.

I do program evaluation and policy research. I work on contracts with state and federal government agencies and foundations to evaluate programs, conduct research, and make policy recommendations. I design research methods based on client RFPs (requests for proposals); design, administer, and analyze surveys; analyze administrative data (e.g., data collected by an agency); conduct interviews and site visits; provide guidance to partners on the implementation of a program or research study; and much more.

The best part is that I have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of topics, ranging from youth apprenticeship, to housing voucher programs, to developing career pathways. I like learning new subject matter and exploring how to find the best research method for a given project. I also have the opportunity to learn qualitative research methods to complement my existing quantitative expertise, so that's been a huge bonus.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

The position was advertised on LinkedIn. I applied directly and also reached out to one of my connections who knew the hiring manager. My connection reached out on my behalf and facilitated an introduction, which certainly helped get eyes on my resume.

PhD graduate ➡️ postdoctoral scholar ➡️ assistant professor of psychology ➡️ research manager ➡️ senior associate

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

I did pursue a career in academia. I was a professor on the tenure-track for six years, and leaving was initially a very difficult decision.

I left for a number of reasons, including conflict between administration and faculty, feeling undervalued, being severely underpaid, and feeling like the values of my university and higher ed writ large no longer matched my own values.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

For PhDs considering a career outside academia, I would suggest:

Explore options and consciously practice transferable skills as early as you can. Take internships, learn project management, practice writing for a general audience, build up a portfolio, complete volunteer projects for non-profits, etc. The more concrete experience you get, the more marketable you are. The more you learn about what you do and don't like doing, the more you know where to market yourself.
Talk to people. Tell people what you're thinking about, in terms of careers. Ask questions. Leaving academia can be incredibly isolating, but odds are good that other students in your program have the same questions. There are tons of PhDs out there who left and are eager to give back. Look for them and connect with them.
I built a peer support group for people leaving academia (Recovering Academics) to help support my own transition. My group and others like it are a fantastic resource for any PhD.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

I'm a parent to a young child, and that definitely affected my decision to leave academia. I needed to make enough money to support my family, and I needed a career that let me put more of my time and energy toward family. Even though academia has flexible hours, the stress and pressure are always there, even during supposed downtimes.