Sometimes the thing you're looking for is right in front of you. This is a lesson I've learned again and again in both research and in other aspects of life. There I was, in my 4th year of graduate school, having looked into every available post-Ph.D. career, discovering that a career in higher education administration and policy would suit my strengths while allowing me to pursue an issue I was passionate about. In my initial skills assessment, I determined that I would like to do something that required strong communication skills and would allow me to work with undergraduates. This, coupled with my involvement with mentoring undergraduates and working to increase diversity in the graduate and faculty populations at Stanford, turned my focus toward positions in higher education administration with a heavy emphasis on diversity.

I will say that I had a couple of advantages in this realm. First, my leadership with graduate diversity put me in close contact with administrators throughout the university who had a stake in this issue. As a consequence, I developed sort of mentor/mentee relationships with a few people and, because of this, I had an "ear to the ground" on what positions might come available in the coming years. Secondly, I was working closely with those who were dedicated to increasing diversity, so I was able to gain some experience in doing things like recruiting and designing programs to support current graduate students. These advantages helped me identify a position in the Department of Genetics that was a great fit for me.

There was one small catch: the position was posted during my 4th year of graduate school, so I wouldn't be available to take the position until I graduated. Again, here is where having developed relationships helped me. I already knew the person soliciting this position and so I contacted him and asked if it would be appropriate for me to apply. He wasn't sure what his timing would be for the start date, but encouraged me to apply anyway. During the interviews, I think we both realized that the position was a superb fit for his needs and my skills, and he graciously agreed to wait until I completed my degree.

Looking back, there are a couple of running themes that I'd like to reiterate. First, in all of my academic and nonacademic endeavors, I have worked hard at developing and maintaining solid working relationships with relevant stakeholders, i.e. students, faculty, and administrators. This is probably a great strategy in any realm. More than just networking, this is relationship building and I believe this is critical for any career move, especially those that are outside of your expertise. Second, I didn't let a little thing like writing a dissertation/graduating stop me from looking for other career options and actively pursuing those that fit my skills and values. Despite whatever was going on with my project, I had to maintain faith that I would graduate and that I would find a job that worked for me. Through all my soul searching, web searching, formal and informal conversations with peers and mentors, I moved into a position in a field that I truly enjoy.

My story is ongoing. What I write here describes experiences and perspectives long after the events have taken place. I am happy in my position, but I stay open to new opportunities. I went through everything in my search just to find one position, so imagine what determining the next position will entail! It is possible that I will be doing something very different in 10 years. We live in an age where people do not take a job and stay there for 30 years until they can retire and collect pension. Right now, I"m planning in 3-5 year chunks, while giving myself the freedom to explore what else is out there. It's becoming clear to me that it (career decisions, life decisions, etc.) is more about the journey than the destination.