Do you ever feel like...
+ You have become aware of the misalignment between your dream of academia versus the reality
+ You’re ready to align your work with your values, so you can have meaningful or fulfilling work most days
+ You have come to terms with not fitting in academia - that the systems don’t seem to cater for your needs or your strengths
+ You’re done attempting to get a permanent academic job/ tenure track/ reliable work
+ You have had it with witnessing the exploitation of workers
+ You have a hard time seeing the benefits of academia anymore
+ You no longer feel academia is a place for innovation, bold exploration, and discovery
+ You have ambitions to make a societal impact that is not possible within academia
+ You feel you deserve more joy, balance, and meaning and you believe it’s NOT possible to have those within academia
+ You can’t unsee the structural issues that need to be addressed for women and POC to thrive (colonial values such as "lone genius", status, elitism, specialist experts, independence, leadership (defined narrowly), and productivity in numbers not quality)
Scroll down for a new reality...
Does the following sound like joyful and fulfilling living?
✔️ Live free of other people's markers of "success", and be able to do the things that fulfill you
✔️Have a career that is aligned with your values, and that values your unique skills and experiences, without burning out
✔️Have a career and life that absolutely lights you up, challenges you, and makes you feel you're making a contribution - making the world a better, more sustainable place.
✔️Take a holiday without curating emails because you don't want to come back to the slog of 100s waiting for you
✔️Take a holiday without combining it with work or a conference!
If so, read on...
Before translating your skills
You need to transform your mindset
If you're applying for All. The. Jobs. Yet not getting interviews...
If you feel confused about how to market yourself for leadership roles in industry, so you're using a "throw spaghetti at the wall" approach...
If you're unsure which industry would even value your skills and how to write a non-academic CV...
If it's been a minute since you've applied for jobs outside of academia...
If the whole thing both terrifies you and tires you out...
Then you need to work on the following:
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Career Clarity - knowing what you want, what you have to offer and how to sell it
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Strengths & Experiences - knowing what your most valuable skills are and the nexus between that and your core values
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Lifestyle Mapping - a holistic assessment of what lifestyle will give you balance and less stress, so you don't regret leaving
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Job Search Strategy - knowing how to match your skills to the market and having the confidence to advocate for you!
This is what you can expect...
A Career Clarity Compass: you get empowerment and inspiration with clarity in what you want, what skills you value, and what lifestyle you want (narrowing your focus)
Discovery-Driven Career Solutions: clarity is achieved through taking action. You will explore new possibilities, trying new things, and reflecting on your experiences, so you break free from limiting thought patterns and gain insights into your professional goals and desires
A Strengths-Based Success System: you will re-discover your values, your strengths, and understand how to translate and leverage your strongest assets
360-Degree Job Accelerator: a comprehensive and purposeful system that gives you a well-rounded approach to job searching
This programme will help you identify the contribution you want to make and your core needs so you can align your chosen career to this purpose.
By the end of the program, you'll have:
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Explored your motivations, values, and goals related to leaving academia and transitioning to a new career.
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Identified potential career paths and opportunities outside of academia.
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Developed a plan and strategy for transitioning out of academia.
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Built skills and confidence in networking, job searching, and transitioning to a new career.
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Received support and guidance throughout the transition process.
Why choose Life After Academia?
Many career courses are not made with academics in mind, especially mid-career academics who have done a post-doc, achieved tenure, or spent a decade in the mindset of academia. We have unique challenges in...
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Identity
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Grief
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Imposter syndrome
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Self-worth
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Survivor's guilt
Also, many career coaches fail to acknowledge the recovery and empowerment process that many women, first-gen, and people of color need, since we have felt this oppression keenly.
It takes more than getting help in how to translate our skills for another market and how to network, though of course, that is a central component.
I focus on hope and light, in the whole process. My middle name is Clara so of course I bring light rather than clouds to the pivot process!
Testimonial from Shannon:
So what brought me to Luna was that she provided a lot of light as opposed to clouds when navigating the decision to leave academia as well as everything from what do I say.
All of those micro decisions in addition to just the big overall… “Should I stay or should I go?” as well as having … I'm going to say Luna's light. Because I always think of light when I think of you, Luna!
Having that light helping pull me forward….
…Instead of frustration and clouds and intensity making me somewhat paralyzed, what made all the difference
Who is this for?
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Academics who are thinking about leaving academia but are not sure what they want to do, how to repackage their skills, which jobs match their skills, and what tasks will ultimately fulfill them.
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Academics who need to stop drinking the Kool Aid, ditching the narratives that made them doubt their worth & feeling "not good enough", while they molded their values and priorities to fit the university's mission.
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Those who want to be intentional and strategic in their pivot rather than reactive and panicky.
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Those who want to join a cohort of people on the same journey with fun weekly tasks to complete together.
Who is this not for?
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Academics who know what industry/ non-academic jobs they want to apply for.
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Those who know their strengths and have clarity on what they need.
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Academics who prefer to work 1:1 with a coach (I offer full 1:1 support but only take on 1-2 clients - contact me for a Discovery Call to find out).
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Those who simply need a CV conversion with job support and empowerment in interviewing. There are packages including hypnotherapy too!
Investment, inclusions, information
Find a job that is intellectually stimulating and allows for continued challenges and growth, which is why you became an academic in the first place -- the love of learning!
Investment: $1653 or choose monthly payment plans. Transactions will be processed in your own home currency as long as you pay in USD or GBP. Otherwise, you may be charged a foreign transaction fee by your bank.
Terms and conditions: https://www.lunaleadership.com/policy-laa
What is the backbone of the programme?
Acceptance - have knowledge of who you and where you want to be, what your needs are, and learn to accept yourself, see your strengths and assets, and realize your purpose.
Action-oriented Clarity - have an open mind and work toward being open to new paths and opportunities, having an attitude of exploration.
Authenticity - be bold to seek out and be the person you want to be. You may have lost sight of that along the way but it's never too late. Commit to be that person!
More Kind Words
Alexandra came to me thinking she would simply apply to junior roles because she didn't have faith in her abilities. She had had many senior level roles, influencing policies across government, community organisations, and worked for equality and equity across multiple countries, but she only focused on her short time in academia when she brainstormed on her skills.
We worked on re-discovering her many, many talents, planned strategically, translated her senior-level skills for different markets, and worked on applying for senior roles.
She got the job she wanted after applying to two roles, making more money!
Theresa* was a post-doc interested in making a pivot toward charitable organisations with an environmental impact.
She was disillusioned with academia even though she gave it a shot for a few years following her PhD. The system killed any kind of joy she'd had.
So, she joined my program and found inspiration to devote her time to a pivot, scheduled informational interviews, identified relevant people in policy work who were academia-adjacent, and is feeling a great level of clarity on her future direction, her skills, her strengths, and her purpose.
What did you find useful in Pivot with Purpose with me [Luna]?
"You can tell that you have thought about [translating skills from academia] a lot longer than I have and you know how to frame them and how to package them! It's really useful... There needs to be a lot more work beforehand to know what you're repackaging [or translating]."
What has changed in the way you now think of pivoting from academia?
"In the beginning, I'd seen so many job adverts where I'd think 'oooh that's super interesting' but then 'hmmm actually...' in that way, the course has helped as well because I can exclude a lot of them much more quickly than I could before. Now, when I look at job adverts, in the last 2 months, there have just been 1 or 2 that I've been really excited about! We can begin to notice those things and figure out what it is that really excites us about a job"
CW was an assistant professor in humanities who joined the program and 3 months later got tenured. So, she is looking to stay in academia, but now has greater clarity for what she wants so she can pivot when she's ready.
The biggest transformation was in her identity, which she felt was always tied to academia. She also re-discovered her priorities and developed her boundaries.
What’s your time in Pivot with Purpose been like?
"I've really enjoyed the [Pivot with Purpose] program and it's been important to me."
What were your big AHA moments?
"I think probably in week three or four … [the exercises] were pretty telling for me because I'm very kind of career focused, but I don't have much satisfaction. So looking at it, it was definitely a good visual to kind of think about the situation."
Have you had opportunities while in Pivot with Purpose to put some lessons into practice?
"A very cool opportunity has come up and it's on me to follow up with them. It could be considered networking, but it just happened organically through family friends.
I mean, most of your exercises have confirmed for me that teaching and research and writing and sharing knowledge are my passions and that's what I do in my job."
What were the best parts of Pivot with Purpose that attracted you… that set it apart from others?
"It was kind of a vibe thing, I just felt (which turned out to be confirmed) that you were someone who you were just kind of relatable to me because … you weren't like some slick, professional, corporate looking person.
I already worked with one career counsellor, but they weren't focused on people coming out of academia, so I knew I wanted to find someone who works specifically on that issue.
[In your group], I thought it was really cool to get to chat with women in other countries and just hear about their experiences and there's of course differences but then there's also commonalities.
I appreciate it kind of created a little sense of community… I enjoyed the experience of talking about stuff together in a small group."
FAQ
01
Do I have to be 100% ready to leave my job to do this?
You don't need to be mentally ready. We work on your mindset because part of the program is clarity, confidence, and decolonizing your mind! You might choose to stay in your job but you will have new leadership, negotiating, and boundary-setting skills in the process!
02
What if I'm still unsure what I want to do next?
No, you can find your purpose and your mission within the program. I help you to find your values and to understand what lifestyle is best for you and your needs. As a psychologist, I help you to do the deep dive into your specific needs. My clients come from diverse backgrounds with diverse needs.
03
What if I'm too old to change my career?
You are the correct age to be the VIP in your own life! You can invest in your own growth as a person! Life is too short to be unhappy and unfulfilled in an exploitative system. It's tiring and it strains your integrity. Instead, you can create your own story with the impact you want to make!
04
What if I have no time to devote to the program?
I get it! As a single mom and academic, I had no time! I have a Plan Your Exit free resource I'd recommend to try. Your vision and your future are important, so there comes a time you need to put yourself first - when will you be a VIP in your own life! I should also say you can complete the lessons in your own time since the weeks' plans are self-guided. And you have indefinite access to the lessons/ group coaching meetings. We will complete Accountability Workbooks periodically so you can see your progress! AND CELEBRATE! The 1:1 sessions should be completed within 10 weeks, however. Yet, if you need to suspend your "studies" for personal reasons, I'm happy to extend that time. Just email me!
05
What if I get a job before completing the monthly payments?
You may get a job offer within weeks of joining this program! AWESOME! This sometimes happens because we make a full investment in ourselves (beyond the monetary) when we invest financially. You make a commitment that transcends into the job market! So, your payments will continue until the end of the contract period. This means you can work on your mindset, your leadership skills, and your identity and confidence, so you fully recover before you start your job. You have indefinite access to the program content/ templates/ group coaching meetings. And you can always come back for a refresh!
06
What if I don't find a job within the time I'm investing?
You may not get a job offer within months of joining this program! We can't guarantee your results, that's for sure! The job market is difficult to predict. What I can predict and control is my investment in you! I will be your Jiminy Cricket. Once I know you and what you're looking for, I'm your advocate and guide to the job search. So, if you invest, I invest and want to see you succeed. People say I'm like the Energizer bunny (if you're a child of the 80s). You also have indefinite access to the program, so you can complete the sessions as often as you want. You also become more confident and self-assured about networking with robust self-efficacy, so you step into positive energy and belief. This counts as gold dust for job searches!
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What if I don't like the program? Can I get a refund?
You can get a refund within 2 weeks of investing. However, I am very open to feedback, requests, and I love growing with you in my practice! I read about new coaching practices, I share my growth vulnerably, and I take pride in developing my practice with continuing professional development programs, e.g., social/ racial justice in coaching.