Comments on: Lack of job security: PhD students reject academia

By: Destaw

Destaw — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:16:27 +0000

I completed my PhD in law in 2012, and moved to the US, with the hope of securing an academic job. I couldn’t get one. Since I need to get job, I convinced myself to hold my academic ambitions for a while, and started applying to other jobs openings, even to paralegal positions. Yet, I coudn’t get one. Does anyone have any advice?

By: Developing a career plan | Puh-hud

Developing a career plan | Puh-hud — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:19:02 +0000

[...] This week, instead of doing my PhD, I have been thinking about what I want to do after my PhD. Somewhat futile, since the thinking about the after has delayed the after actually coming about… Yet, all PhD researchers that have an end in sight inevitably get distracted with thoughts of the future, and this may be no harm. In fact, it may be a smart move, considering the story in the Guardian newspaper from August that many recent PhD graduates really struggle to find a job, and that doesn’t mean for those of us who may want to stay in academia with its famous lack of opportunities and lack of job security. [...]

By: Holding a permanent academic post

Holding a permanent academic post — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 07:05:13 +0000

I was very fortunate to be able to secure a permanent academic position after graduating last year, or so I thought. Whilst the idea of a permanent contract sounds much more agreeable than years as a post-doc on short-term contracts, I feel as though my intellectual wings have been clipped and I’m tied down to a never-ending stream of administrative duties. As a result I’m ‘stuck’ in an institution from which I cannot escape because my research profile is having to be neglected in favour of filling out endless forms for government information requests, solving mundane timetabling issues, entering student data onto various systems etc., because the institution will not employ the administrative staff to support the academic talent for which I was originally employed. The number of hours that I work , stress I’m put under, skill sets (councelling, web design….) that are demanded from me and level of problem-solving skills that I must demonstrate on a daily basis would see me earning around double the salary I’m currently on were I in, say, marketing, in the City.

Think twice before hankering after these academic posts-there is a reason why so many academics live in smaller houses, have failed marriages, commit suicide, go ‘crazy’, wear tweed……

By: Edward Tagg

Edward Tagg — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:57:53 +0000

This trend represents the larger changes in society at this point in our history. Namely, that we are on the verge of a global evolution breakthrough into a higher spiritual development that sees beyond the materialistic narrow mindedness of the current world view… This can be seen in the Occupy movement, and somewhat limited development in the new age movement.

To summarize, we are spiritual beings having a human experience, and as such, we no longer need “guarantees” about job security or home security or defense security, because we are higher than that, and these lessons are playing themselves out on a global scale before the curtain closes on the stage of our final lesson as an evolving planetary consciousness …

Please excuse the fluffy new age language, because I do not generally listen to this style of language myself, but the important truth of our evolution away from fear cannot be expressed any other way… I counsel many academics that are generally not very courageous, and prefer to aim for a cushy life of security, but we do not grow in an environment within an illusion of security… (which is what an ivory tower is pretending to be).

By: gogo

gogo — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:38:43 +0000

You should all be well appreciated. No matter whether you can find a job or not,
you are the ones contributing the most in the world, sacrificing your precious time
doing research and advancing the knowleadge of the world. You are all great
researchers in the world. The god will bless all of you and you will all definitely
have bright future. Don’t give up !

By: Shep

Shep — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:40:03 +0000

I’ve been looking for an academic job for 8 years now, and despite vast teaching experience, a monograph, 2 edited books, nearly 10 articles on so on, I’m forced to conclude my time has passed. There are 2 related problems as I see it. One, institutions (or many of them) simply take PhD students to appear research active; they tell you little about what you need to do to get on, by the time I had worked that out, we’d moved to cutbacks. Two, instutitions seem only too happy to juice initial enthusiasm for a few years then move on to the next exploitables when you start asking for more sustainable work etc.

By: Chris Parker

Chris Parker — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:16:33 +0000

I can’t get an academic job because I am underqualified
I can’t get an office job because I am overqualified
I can’t get a manual job because they think I think the job is benieth me
I can’t go back into my old profession because I am ‘out of practice’
I can’t learn a new profession because I have spent 3 years learning to be a researcher
I can’t pay rent
I can’t plan for the future
I can’t do anything but wait

Tell me, with a PhD What the hell am I meant to do?

By: services security

services security — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:30:46 +0000

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By: Ikay H

Ikay H — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:13:55 +0000

Hi, I have an offer to do a Phd, but at the same time, am considering doing a PGCE course.
So I am really weighing my options. what do you think?
How did that go for you? plus how can I get info on how to successfully apply for the unaffiliated funding.
Thanks.

By: roberta

roberta — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:45:36 +0000

Don’t do a PhD —-you are simply cheap –extremely talented –skivvy

You don’t and WON’T get that ‘next post’ because the next -younger – cheaper bunch come along —

Box Clever though—-I would say REGISTER YOUR COPYRIGHT all your suggestions for future work——as they may be worth a fortune in times to come—in fact challenge all the IP assertions of your PhD contract

if you don’t you are giving carte blanche for your supervisor/departments to pinch your ideas for grants – don’t let them—-novel ideas are extremely difficult for established lecturers to come up with–they are desperate for yours