Doctoral students in social work are facing a landscape of academia that is different from earlier times. For instance, in the past the review times of manuscripts and abstracts for conferences were typically shorter; however, the amount of quality submissions received and the requirement of additional publications for faculty to receive tenure have logjammed the process. The hiring process is now more reliant on virtual interviews, which could be an advantage or a disadvantage. Some journals, conferences, and universities maintain so-called normal practices. However, social work doctoral students who are entering academia must be prepared to navigate the various paths, as being unable to do so will limit their success in academia and/or motivate them to leave. In my prior research with social workers who provide care, I developed strategies of emotional preparedness that entail addressing personal emotional concerns that may arise during unprecedented and changing times. Strategies of emotional preparedness include (a) anticipation of when changing times are most intense, (b) feelings of efficacy to withstand the effects of unprecedented times, and (c) frustration tolerance. These strategies may have applicability to doctoral students being professionally and emotionally prepared to remain in the field while managing unprecedented and changing times. Simply put, in social work our emotions impact the way we act professionally. I offer the following suggestions about ways for doctoral students in social work to prepare for the changing landscape of academia.