Op-eds about the failings of higher education are like certain unmentionable body parts: Everybody's got one. Professors are or aren't afraid of their liberal students, adjuncts are underpaid and exploited, grade inflation is rampant, college graduates can't find jobs, student loan debt will doom us all.
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So if not to the wretched life of an adjunct, whither our underpaid, overeducated PhDs? The notion of "alternative academic" careers has become a rallying cry for many, particularly those whose alternative academic position involves finding alt-ac jobs for other PhDs.
Briefly put, "alternative academia" is a catchall term for the process wherein individuals, unsuccessful in their quest to become university professors or disillusioned with that sort of work, seek alternative employment at places like libraries, nonprofits, university presses, and private sector think tanks.
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I have included links to relevant resources about positions when available. Some positions that I did not include resources for have definitions and resources on various university websites. These school sites, like this one for University of North Carolina or this one for the University of Michigan, usually contain information specific to how the jobs function at each school, and are more helpful than general resources.
The flip side is that, outside of academia, knowledge is being advanced all the time. A lot of the greatest discoveries are coming from industry. And there are a lot of great ideas that happen outside.
I studied ancient history, tracing the paths of ancient religions and how they spread through immigrant groups. My first post-phd job was working for the Department of Immigration, and I still read the same journals that I read for my research in academia.
For those who expected to have a tenure-track job and a life in academia, there is a lot of really hard work that it takes to remake yourself. There is a crushing blow with a loss of your expected academic self.
Once you have zeroed in on jobs that seem right for you (consult your advisor or colleagues to help determine which may be good fits), the next step is to respond effectively. First, read the job ad thoroughly to determine exactly what background, area and skills the department is looking for. Use that information to craft a cover letter and modify your CV to focus on why you are a great fit. Tailor every sentence of the letter: Departments are looking through stacks of applicants' materials, so those that are clearly form letters, or not specific to the department's needs, are often weeded out. To make sure your application stands out:
In studying the correlates of job satisfaction among political science faculty we confirm some findings from other disciplines, such as the relationship between institutional type and satisfaction. We demonstrate that those working in top-ranked departments or in private institutions tend to have higher levels of satisfaction with their jobs and with their contributions to the profession. Both job satisfaction and professional satisfaction tend to be highest among full professors; and greater productivity in terms of publishing is independently linked to greater levels of professional satisfaction. In contrast, comparatively higher undergraduate teaching loads undermine professional satisfaction. We also determine that men and women do not differ systematically from one another in their satisfaction levels. We do, however, document significantly lower levels of satisfaction among racial minorities in political science departments. In exploring this finding, we uncover reports of discrimination and dramatic differences in levels of collegiality experienced by different subgroups of faculty members. Experiences with discrimination undermine job satisfaction and are more frequently reported by women than men and are more common among minority faculty than nonminorities.
Visit this website to search for jobs in academia and higher education. Also, find resources for higher education. Search jobs by keyword, location, job type, discipline/department, organization type, and type. The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) vision is to promote equity and excellence in higher education recruitment worldwide.
You may also want to check the HireUTexas Job Bank. Student academic jobs may be posted there, along with on-campus and off-campus non-academic jobs. Graduate Students can sign up to get notices using the Graduate Student Campus Jobs Listserv.
Although many doctoral graduates aspire for an academic career, the reality is that the majority - maybe around 80-90% - will have successful careers beyond academia. Researchers go on to work in many employment sectors, including running their own businesses. These pages will help you explore a range of sectors and roles that might be of interest to you,
Most researchers embarking on an academic career intend to stay in academia. In the survey 78% of current researchers surveyed wanted a career in the long term and yet we know that opportunities to advance academic careers are limited and vary depending on sector and country. We also found that:
There are many positive reasons to look at careers outside of academia. Understanding the opportunities available to you and the value of your experience, skills and competencies means that you will be able to make future career choices that best suit you as you go through life.
The Framework, accompanied by a suite of lenses are helpful tools to start identifying the knowledge, behaviour and attributes gained from a research project and other experience. If you are thinking of progressing your career outside of academia the employability lens provides a good starting point.
When considering your next steps consider the networks you already have and how they can help you. Also think about the networks that you need to start to develop in order to find out more about opportunities or move towards your future goal, be it inside or outside of academia.
When starting to apply for jobs it is essential that your CV showcases the skills that you have for the job you are applying for. A different CV needs to be developed for each role you are applying for, ensuring that you tell your career story and highlight your skills in a way that is relevant. This is particularly important if you are looking to change career or move outside of your sector.
If you are applying for an academic position you may well feel more comfortable with the structure, lots of information on academic interview can be found at -careers/pursuing-an-academic-career/applying-for-academic-jobs/academic-job-interviews
Firstly make a list of the competencies you need to demonstrate. Look at the competencies valued by employers and also the list of competencies for specific jobs. Make a list of the competencies that you need to be able to demonstrate and start to compile evidence and examples for each of them.
Outside of academia there is much more of cultural acceptance of negotiation than inside academia and you may still have other offers pending. If you have been offered the job verbally you should always wait for a written offer in order to ensure clarity of the details. If you are waiting for other offers it is okay to take some time to consider, just ensure that the prospective employer is kept informed.
With no academic employment options in Armenia I tried to search for a job outside academia. The best possible option for me was a consultancy role that would provide opportunities to research and develop reports in similar ways to my PhD research.
My recent transition has to be seen in the context of my overall career, which started outside academia. Coming from a post-soviet transitional country, my career has changed a lot. My first (Diploma) degree as an International Relations Specialist gave me the opportunity to work with different international organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling as well as an Armenian NGO that supports refugees and insecure families. These experiences, in addition to my skills as an academic researcher, gave my job applications the necessary strengths to secure my current roles.
Looking back, I was pretty naïve as a PhD student and postdoc. I was the first member of my family to go to university and I knew nothing about the ways of academia. My assumption was that an academic career could develop straightforwardly if you were talented and worked hard enough.
Discover what is most important to you. Are you driven by wanting to be an expert in your field and prepared to dedicate your life to research and publishing in your field? Then stay in academia. If you prefer the methods of your project and learning new and different things, there are many opportunities in other sectors.
In addition, during the final year of my PhD, we created with fellow astrophysicists an association to try to have a better understanding of what we could do outside of academia after a PhD in astrophysics. This question is important since most in our field are working on very theoretical and non-applied subjects. We knew we could become teachers, or programmers, but that was it. We needed a better understanding of our future opportunities. I was very involved for the first three years of the association (being president during this period) and it helped me think differently about the opportunities open to PhDs, and in particular about the competencies we acquire during our research experience. 2ff7e9595c
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