Christen Rachul
PhD in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies (2016)
- What field of work are you in, and what duties are required in your position?
I work in the field of health professions education and specifically in the University of Manitoba’s Office of Educational and Faculty Development, which is a service unit in the Faculty of Health Sciences. In my role as Director of Research in the office I coordinate and consult on educational research projects within the office as well as with faculty members, residents, and students in the faculty; I conduct workshops and organize research events for educational research; and I am developing my own program of research in health professions education that draws on my expertise in applied linguistics and discourse studies.
- What challenges did you face when looking for work after graduating?
My PhD research had a somewhat interdisciplinary focus and it was difficult to figure out where I belong and where I should be focusing my job hunting efforts. My unique knowledge base and experience felt like both an advantage and disadvantage when looking for work. I was also a little flexible in terms of location, but had some restrictions for where I could move for a position that limited some of my possibilities.
- How did you arrive at your current position?
I always hear people talk about how getting a job is more about who you know, but my experience has been almost the opposite. I have found two great jobs, a position I held prior to starting my PhD and my current position, by simply responding to a job advertisement I had come across.
- What advice would you give to a graduate student looking to follow a career path similar to yours?
I rely on my diverse research knowledge and experiences in my position and not just my specific and narrow expertise that I gained through my PhD research. If a graduate student were interested in a similar career path as mine, I would encourage them to broaden their research knowledge and skills. Also, I wish I had sought out more training and experience in the administrative aspects of academia, such as chairing committees, planning events, etc. My position includes a lot of those types of duties and more experience would have been very helpful.