MLA 2018 Convention: PhD Career Development Boot Camp

At its 2018 convention in New York City, the MLA will offer a four-day Connected Academics Career Development Boot Camp for current PhD students from across the United States. The boot camp will build on the success of the Connected Academics NYC Proseminar on Careers. Twenty boot camp fellows will be selected on a competitive basis.

The boot camp will offer fellows the chance to explore expanded career horizons. Boot camp activities will include

• an orientation and welcome dinner on Wednesday, 3 January 2018
• a site visit to one of New York City’s great humanities institutions, the New York Public Library, including a behind-the-scenes tour and a panel presentation by PhDs employed at the library
• a Connected Academics convention track that will allow participants to select from a menu of workshops, panels, discussion sessions, and career events
• private discussion and debriefing sessions for boot camp fellows led by Chris Golde, a humanities careers professional
• hands-on guidance and mentorship offered by Dr. Golde and alumni of the New York City Proseminar on Careers
• many opportunities to network with PhDs working outside the academy, as well as with other Connected Academics guests and proseminar alumni

Applicants should be prepared to arrive on Wednesday, 3 January 2018, and attend all four days of the convention. The boot camp will end at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, 7 January. Four to five hours each day will be devoted to boot camp activities.

The boot camp is free of charge, and all participants will receive a $400 travel grant from the MLA. Participants are expected to request matching funds from their home departments, and they are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Boot camp fellows will bring information and materials back to their departments to benefit other graduate students.

Connected Academics seeks a balanced cohort, diverse in disciplinary field, institution, and geographic region. To be eligible, applicants must have advanced to candidacy by January 2018.

For questions about the boot camp, please write to Connected Academics project manager Stacy Hartman at shartman@mla.org.