As far as I can remember, I have always been interested in fiction, which explains why I found myself pursuing one literature degree after another. After moving from Colombia to Canada, I completed a BA in English, an MA in Comparative Literature and a PhD in Latin American literature, the latter two at the University of Toronto.

After graduating from my PhD in 2012, I found it hard to imagine a future other than academic one, so I decided to apply for academic jobs. I ended up working as a sessional instructor and managed to continue my research as an unpaid visiting scholar. I also freelanced as an editor and translator, but I soon saw the need to move into a different sector. I found this transition very challenging.

Three years after completing my PhD, and after many ups and downs, a good friend of mine working at a non-profit recommended me for a six-week job. This contract soon morphed into a permanent position and I’m now a Program Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, where I am responsible for leadership initiatives and contribute to the program of public interaction.

The Foundation funds and promotes research in the humanities and social sciences, and one of its present goals is to mobilize research and knowledge beyond academic settings. I believe it is important to create more bridges and opportunities for collaboration between universities and other sectors—civil society, the public and private sector, local communities, and the arts. I am lucky to work creating these connections.

So far, this job has been an immense learning experience, and it is both challenging and intellectually stimulating. I wish I had been exposed to different career and professional stories during my own graduate education. It would have helped me imagine academia as one of the many possible futures to pursue.

As far as I can remember, I have always been interested in fiction, which explains why I found myself pursuing one literature degree after another. After moving from Colombia to Canada, I completed a BA in English, an MA in Comparative Literature and a PhD in Latin American literature, the latter two at the University of Toronto.

After graduating from my PhD in 2012, I found it hard to imagine a future other than academic one, so I decided to apply for academic jobs. I ended up working as a sessional instructor and managed to continue my research as an unpaid visiting scholar. I also freelanced as an editor and translator, but I soon saw the need to move into a different sector. I found this transition very challenging.

Three years after completing my PhD, and after many ups and downs, a good friend of mine working at a non-profit recommended me for a six-week job. This contract soon morphed into a permanent position and I’m now a Program Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, where I am responsible for leadership initiatives and contribute to the program of public interaction.

The Foundation funds and promotes research in the humanities and social sciences, and one of its present goals is to mobilize research and knowledge beyond academic settings. I believe it is important to create more bridges and opportunities for collaboration between universities and other sectors—civil society, the public and private sector, local communities, and the arts. I am lucky to work creating these connections.

So far, this job has been an immense learning experience, and it is both challenging and intellectually stimulating. I wish I had been exposed to different career and professional stories during my own graduate education. It would have helped me imagine academia as one of the many possible futures to pursue.