how-to-leave-academia

 

After ten years as a researcher spending most of my days at the bench, I made the switch from academia to the tech industry.

Even before I went into research, I build a diverse freelance practise. I’ve worked as a freelance commercial/voice-over producer for large brands, such as Dove and Clear (Unilever). As a freelance writer I have worked for brands and companies such as H&M, Magnum, Noldus IT, ViewPoint, and many more.

I was featured in University Affairs recently discussing my career transition. You can read the full interview here.

 

Public Speaking

Giving talks is a big part of my life. For those who have known me when I was growing up, this is a shocker, because I was an extremely shy child. I see it as making up for lost time. Communication and speaking is my business (in good part) and I tremendously enjoy doing it, especially when I can make my audience laugh as well. If you would like to talk to me about speaking at your company or event, feel free to be in touch at consultchristine[at]Gmail.com. You can see more information about my public speaking here. The topics I speak about range from Behavioural Neuroscience/Neuromarketing, to strategy, branding, knowledge (reference) management, non-academic careers for graduates with a PhD, start-up life, and women in tech.

Teaching

I am always interested in teaching. It is the aspect of academia I miss the most, and I am available for guest lecturing, or ad-hoc teaching. My areas of expertise and interest are branding, social network strategy, marketing strategy, and neuromarketing. If you are a professor/lecturer and would like to welcome a guest speaker from industry into your classroom, I would be delighted to have a conversation as well.

Expat life

I’ve been a serial expat my entire life. I am a Dutch national, born in Brazil and I’ve lived in many countries and visited even more. Toronto, Canada, is my home and has been for over a decade.