The PhD Pivot Playbook
You may not know which job titles to search for, let alone whether you’d enjoy the work.
This self-guided Playbook helps PhDs and postdocs explore career options, understand where their experience fits and test a direction before committing.
PDF + editable Word companion. No subscription.
Start with the questions you have
Exploring another career doesn’t commit you to leaving academia.
Explore what people actually do in different roles, and what interests you about the work.
Find examples of what you can contribute, and identify what you still need to learn.
Test a possibility through a conversation, practical task or small project before committing.
Practical activities, worked examples and optional AI prompts guide you through Reflect, Explore, Experiment and Leap.
The examples show the kind of detail to consider, so you’re not left with a question and a blank page.
What I’ve learned.
What I want to explore.
What I’ll try next.
Keep your notes, evidence and decisions together as your thinking develops. Edit the document and return to it as often as you need.
Use your record when comparing options, preparing for conversations or explaining your next move.
Read the guidance in the Playbook. Keep what matters in your own words.
See the actual pagesTry a page before you decide
Read actual activities and worked examples. Choose a phase and open the sample.
Examples you can use to explain your experience beyond your research topic.
Worked examples featuring Maya are fictional illustrations.
$49 USD introductory price, plus applicable tax. No subscription.
Fit it around your life
You might discover a better fit, find something you need to learn or rule out an option. That is useful progress.
Go back and forth between Explore and Experiment as you learn. Begin Leap when you have a direction worth pursuing.
No classes to attend. No fixed schedule. Your record stays yours.
The person behind the Playbook
The Playbook draws on Brian’s career transitions and nearly a decade of mentoring PhDs exploring what comes next beyond academia.
Meet BrianNo. The Playbook helps you investigate that question. You can begin while you’re still considering whether a move beyond academia is right for you.
Yes. It is for PhD researchers, graduates and postdocs exploring a career transition. You apply the activities to your own experience and circumstances.
The Snapshot helps you reflect on where you are now and what needs attention. The Playbook helps you work on what comes next: exploring roles, gathering evidence, testing possibilities and preparing your move. You don’t have to complete the Snapshot first.
Two digital downloads: the 94-page PhD Pivot Playbook as a PDF and My Pivot Record as an editable Word document. Read the guide and keep your own notes, evidence and decisions in the companion document.
No. It is self-guided, with no classes or individual coaching included. You work through the guidance and activities at your own pace.
There is no fixed schedule. Reading an activity and investigating a career option take different amounts of time. Return to the guidance as you learn.
No. The AI prompts are optional. You can complete the activities without AI or a paid AI subscription.
No. It gives you a process for investigating your options and making your own decision. It does not promise a particular career outcome or job offer.
Your next step
Start by understanding your experience
and investigating where it could lead.
Introductory price · Both documents
One-time payment. No subscription.
Plus applicable tax.