4 Career Problems ... and my suggested solution

Here are four career problems and the advice I’d give.

Problem: After getting my Ph.D. in neuroscience, I couldn’t get a professorship and so had to take a post-doc. I’ve just completed that and have applied for 30 academic positions and still can’t get one. What should I do?

Possible solution: Have you gotten feedback on your applications and interviews, both from prospective employers and professors under whom you’ve worked or studied? Perhaps more important, academic jobs tend to go to people who have big research grants or hold the potential to obtain them. Is your research agenda fundable? Neuroscience money tends to go to researchers on the most prevalent mental illnesses: for example, autism, depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s. If you’ve exhausted those ways to improve your chances at an academic position, you may need to turn to industry; biotech, and pharma. There, you’ll need to express interest and the ability to focus on the development of treatments rather than on basic science.

Problem:  I’m 43, been a carpenter for 20 years, and like many, my body is wearing down — bad back and knees. What should I do?

Possible solution: The most common route is to start your own small specialty carpentry business (for example, home-office cabinetry), in which you train and supervise someone just starting out, so the cost of hiring is low. Have your apprentice start by handing you screws and tools but teach the person what you’re doing by thinking aloud as you’re making the myriad moment-to-moment decisions.

You didn’t say you run your own business, so I’m assuming you’ve always been an employee. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to learn to run a simple, very small business. Perhaps all you’d need, at least for starters, is to take a highly rated online course in starting and running a business, such as this one, and then contacting the instructor when you run into the inevitable problems.

Problem: I’m a good bartender but, honestly, people who know me say I’m an alcoholic. Do I need to get out?

Possible solution: If people who know you say you’re an alcoholic, chances are you’re at least at risk. And working in a bar usually increases temptation. So, maybe you do need to get out.

To figure out what your new career might be, ask yourself what you’re best at and what you enjoy about being a bartender. (And don’t say drinking!) Are you the classic bartender/shrink, that is, a good listener, question-asker, and even wise advice-giver? If so, might you want to become a counselor-type or even a salesperson? If your gift is being able to quickly serve lots of people while staying calm, could you do well in a high-stress occupation such as customer service, police officer, firefighter, paramedic, or bomb dismantler?

Problem: I’m a smart woman but people hate me at work.

Possible solution: Are any of these operative? You’re rubbing your intelligence in people’s faces, for example, giving too many suggestions and "yes-but" reactions to others? Are your ideas not as smart as you think? (Should you ask your boss or respected colleagues for feedback?)

You mentioned your gender. Is that because you think you’re a victim of sexism? Before jumping to that, consider the previous questions, but if you’re convinced sexism is at play, do you want to: Confront the offender(s)? Go to HR? Switch to a different workgroup or employer, perhaps a female-dominated one? Some fields have at least 50% women not only employed but in leadership. For example, my wife is the Napa County Superintendent of Schools and she reports that half of the 58 county superintendents are women.

I expand on these on YouTube.

Career advisor Dr. Marty Nemko is the author of 12 books including Careers for Dummies.