Have you found yourself considering grad school after leaving academia behind? I graduated with my master’s degree in 2018 and was exhausted. I’m sure many people can agree with the exhaustion of a grad degree! I had also landed a full- time gig working at a consulting firm that I really enjoyed and I never thought I’d be going back to get a PhD… Well low and behold here I am two years into my PhD program and couldn’t be happier with my decision. So, if you’re like me and thinking about returning to academia after leaving for a while I’ve got some tips! 

1. Start reaching out to potential advisors early! 

I learned quickly that grad school applications are a full-time job and although I had gone through this applying for a master’s program, working full time from 8-5 presented new challenges. I had obvious work obligations that needed to be taken care of first and by the time I got home from work, I didn’t want to think about writing essays or filling out applications. Additionally, it was difficult to find postings of graduate programs so I needed to search them out myself and was more difficult in my limited time. I highly recommend signing yourself up for a listserv such as Ecolog-L. I found my current program through this! As referenced in our August post by Anjali, you want to reach out early given the length of the process, but I’d argue this is even more important as a working individual because of the limited time you may have to apply. You need to give yourself the time to research and find an advisor, as well as the application process while maintaining your current work situation. 

2. Don’t limit yourself to the city/state you work in currently

This probably goes for those of you considering grad school straight out from undergrad/ masters also, but limiting yourself to where you currently are can greatly limit your grad school choices. I know that many people have certain situations that preclude them from moving out of state, but, if you can afford to expand your search you should! I moved from New York state to Missouri for my PhD and was terrified! I had always lived in New York and was scared about being far from family and friends. I quickly learned that it wasn’t as big of an issue as I made it and I have really enjoyed living in Missouri! With today’s technology, its also easier than ever to stay in touch with family and friends! I think I’ve also grown more independent and confident as a researcher because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone.

3. Do include your current job/ occupation on your resume 

I think many people are in the situation of needing a job / income after finishing school and may take a job that doesn’t directly apply to what you may want to go to grad school for. However, I think all professional jobs can be useful for preparing you for graduate school! Do you manage several tasks at work in the same day? Great because you’ll do that in grad school too. Work well with others? Great! Grad school is a lot of collaboration! These are just highlights of important skills that you can learn in any job and use on your resume for grad school! 

4. Volunteer/ stay engaged with the local science community in your area

This one is especially important if you feel your job isn’t giving you the experience you may need to get into grad school. Reach out to state agencies and see if they need volunteers to help with surveys of any sort. Volunteer at a local nature center leading nature walks or providing seminars! There are many volunteer opportunities that can allow you to stay engaged with the scientific community and hone your skills for grad school. Plus, you might find something you never thought you’d be interested in! 

5. Stay in contact with your professors

I was super fortunate to have a job in the same city that I received my masters in. This helped me enormously to stay in contact with my advisor and members of my graduate committee. These people are super important mentors for me and I had each of them write letters of recommendation for my grad school applications. You certainly can have folks at your current place of work write letters, but academics always value other academics opinion, plus many jobs can’t specifically comment on your research abilities. If you can meet with your advisor that’s even better! I was fortunate that my master’s advisor was willing to sit down with me and discuss my thoughts on a PhD program and give me sound advice. If you’ve got a relationship like this you absolutely should use it to your advantage!

These tips that I’ve outlined highlight situations that I encountered while attempting to go back to grad school after working for a while. Many of you will have similar situations and many of you will have different ones, but above all else you should know that it is possible to go back and totally worth it! 

For more information about the specific application process, check out our August blog post by Anjali! 

Jon Podoliak is a PhD student at the University of Missouri studying restored Wetland Reserve Program easements in Western Tennessee and Kentucky. His work looks at how bird and other biotic communities are responding to restoration of bottomland hardwood forests. He is also the chair of the education committee for the Student Section of the Society of Wetland Scientists. In his spare time he enjoys bird watching and other outdoor activities.