Navigating the P.I.V.O.T: A Handbook for Phds and Academics Looking to Thrive in Careers Beyond the Ivory Tower

Got a Ph.D. but feel invisible in the job market outside academia? You don‘t need more credentials. You need a strategy. If you‘ve ever said: "I don‘t know how to explain what I‘ve done to people outside academia..." "I feel like I‘m starting from scratch." "I apply to dozens of jobs and hear nothing back..." You‘re not alone. And you‘re not the problem. The system is. Navigating the P.I.V.O.T. is your roadmap out. In 2020 after struggling for months to find a job outside academia, even with a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology and postdoc experience at top public universities in the US, I realized something: we weren‘t trained for this. Academia taught us research, rigor, and resilience. But it never taught us how to pivot to career paths we weren‘t directly trained for. That‘s why I wrote Navigating the P.I.V.O.T. Here‘s what you‘ll learn in this practical guide: P - Prepare Your Mindset Before the job hunt begins, you need to rewire your thinking. You are more than your PhD dissertation topic. I - Identify Target Roles Stop spraying and hoping something sticks. Learn how to research roles that align with your strengths, values, and interests. V - Validate Your Skills You already have skills employers need. I‘ll show you how to translate them into industry language that gets attention. O - Optimize Your Application Materials Learn how to build a powerful resume and create a compelling portfolio that helps you stand out. T - Talk to People Master the art of strategic networking and informational interviews without feeling fake or desperate. You‘ll also learn how to use mentorship and a personal opportunity engine after your pivot to build a career that can withstand the winds of the ever-changing job market, and which never leaves you at the mercy of one particular employer. Written for PhDs, by a PhD. This book is not motivational fluff. It‘s a practical guide with tested strategies, frameworks, real stories, and insights from interviews with 100+ PhDs and academics who have successfully made the pivot. Who this is for: PhDs who feel stuck, ignored, or invisible in the job market Postdocs, grad students or faculty preparing to leave academia Anyone ready to take control of their future on their own terms You did the hard part when you earned the degree. Now it‘s time to earn the life and career that comes with it. Scroll up and click "Buy Now" to start navigating your pivot. About the Author Dr. Gertrude Nonterah knows the journey from academic achievement to career reinvention, because she‘s lived it. After earning her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and completing postdoctoral research at top institutions, she found herself lost in the job market, facing months of rejection and silence. Rather than settle, she found a way to thrive. As the founder of The Bold PhD Consulting and host of The Bold PhD Podcast (streamed in over 50 countries) she helps fellow PhDs navigate life beyond the ivory tower. Her practical, story-driven advice through keynote talks and workshops on personal branding, networking, and career has reached audiences at over 30 universities and professional organizations. Her mission is simple: to empower PhDs to and build careers they control without losing their identity or impact along the way.