Heidi Scott Giusto, Ph.D. 2012
Writing Consultant and Entrepreneur, Career Path Writing Solutions
2012 Ph.D., History
Heidi Scott Giusto earned her PhD in History at Duke in 2012. She is now a writing consultant and entrepreneur. Her firm, Career Path Writing Solutions, provides editing for job and school applications. And she loves it.
How was your transition outside academia? What resources did you find useful?
While at Duke I liked my research, but over time I realized that my future was outside academia. About two years before graduation, I started looking for other options. That was a process because I spent so many years of my life preparing for a career in academia. I had to come to terms with the fact that I no longer wanted to pursue that goal.
The Duke Career Center turned out to be an empowering resource. With its events and a team dedicated to counseling graduate students, the Career Center not only helped me explore and frame my business idea, but also encouraged me to pursue that vision. Since I’ve graduated, The Graduate School’s Professional Development Series has also become a useful resource for PhD students interested in broad career options. The most important part is trying to get out there and explore.
Read more about Heidi, including how she found her niche, and advice she has for current graduate students, in her Alumni Profile, written by Public Policy Ph.D. candidate Maria Carnovale.
