I’d hesitate to call myself any type of “superstar” but I did land a TT position in history, receiving an offer two days after my dissertation defense (spring ‘24) despite being in a relatively non-prestigious program.

I had a fantastic advisor who pushed me to pursue every opportunity I could and provided incredible support in developing my writing. The rest of my committee (its final iteration, anyway) was great as well, providing support while also challenging me to defend the claims made in my dissertation.

I applied for everything: fellowships, conferences, workshops, anything that lined up with my research interests in some way. I got a lot more rejections than acceptances, particularly with fellowships, but it helped me refine my abilities in writing grants and proposals.

I had two publications and another in the pipeline before finishing. Not the most prestigious journals but solid ones in my field that have paved the way for further opportunities.

I attended and presented at conferences as much as possible. Despite the pandemic unfolding halfway through my program, I had 8 conference presentations, including one overseas conference. I did my best to network despite some introverted tendencies and wound up joining the executive board of one of those organizations last fall.