Problem
If
y
is 45 percent of
x
and
z
is 25 percent of
x
, what is
y
+
z
in terms of
x
?
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by Sandra C. Ceraulo, Ph.D.
Good Morning Doctor
Graduating from a Ph.D. program is a bittersweet experience. Before you even get your Ph.D., you will pay the
price of doctoral success. That price is facing your worst enemy: the real world. It comes in the despicable form of a job search. For many g
rad students, it's a rude awakening from a long and pleasant academic sleep. Now that you're awake in the real world, what do you do?
Marketing is Everything
Whether they want to stay in academia or not, grad students' ability to market themselves will determine the r
eturn on their investment of getting a Ph.D. As always with job-hunting, it pays to know people and to have them know you, too. Publishing an
d publicizing your achievements and networking at conferences and on campus, not a doctorate in marketing, will bring you a large return.
So Many Requirements, So Little Time
The traditional employment objective of Ph.D.s, a tenure-track faculty position, is still a popular goal of gr
ad students. These positions are difficult but not impossible to obtain. A curriculum vitae or CV, a thorough summary of professional backgro
und, must be sent with applications for most academic positions. Some institutions also require applicants for tenure-track positions to prov
ide a summary of their teaching philosophy and research plans.
It's never too early to start mentally and physically drafting a CV and summaries of research interests and teaching philosophy. They are not
orious time-eaters. Note that faculty positions that start in one academic year start being advertised a full year in advance. For example, f
aculty positions for the 2000 - 2001 academic year were being advertised as early as September 1999, so applicants for faculty positions shou
ld job search a full year before they intend to start the position.
The CV Golden Rule
There is a golden rule for writing a good CV: Break all the rules for writing a good resume. A good CV will al
ways be longer than one page and should include a full listing of your scholarly accomplishments. What scholarly accomplishments? If you're g
etting a Ph.D., you have some even if you think you don't. What papers have you written? What significant research have you done? Have you as
sisted a professor on his or her research and received credit? Comb through your academic history.
A CV can be broken into the following sections:
- Objective: What type of position do you want? How can you help the institution?
- Education: List all degrees after high school.
- Professional Experience: Describe all research and teaching experience and other relevant work experience.
- Professional Society Memberships and Activities: If you're not a member of a professional organization yet, join today. What are you wait
ing for?
- Publications: List refereed publications first.
- Presentations: Specify any talks you gave that were by invitation.
- Awards, Honors, or Grants: List honors before college only if they were highly prestigious (i.e. they enjoy a national reputation) or are
relevant to your future academic career.
- References: On a separate sheet of paper, list four or five professional references including your thesis advisor. Other good candidates
for references include professors on your dissertation committee, professors at other colleges and colleagues from professional organizations
.
Your CV Reflects On You
The tone of the CV is serious, and the language is a mixture of plain English and the jargon of your specialty
. Emphasize teaching experience and communication for positions in small colleges and research experience for positions in research universit
ies. Spell-check and have others critique your CV before you send it anywhere. Putting your CV online makes a loud nonverbal statement that y
ou have the skills of a 21st Century scholar.
After personal contacts, professional organizations and The Chronicle of Higher Education, the weekly newspaper of higher education, are the
best sources of tips and information for academic job hunters.
Protocol for Academic Interviews
In a best-case scenario, your CV will result in a few invitations to institutions you have applied to. In this
all-day academic interview, you will typically give a seminar, talk to and be interviewed by the other professors in the department, be inte
rviewed by a dean, and go to lunch or dinner with several faculty members. This interview requires preparing the seminar and your credentials
, and looking and acting your professional best. You can leave student behavior at home with your jeans and tennis shoes.
Off the Tenure Track
If you're not invited to one of these coveted interviews, you will have only gained experience in applying for
academic positions. Do not despair; you are in the majority, and you have several other options.
Non-tenure track or temporary positions are easier to obtain and may be available to you. Since the academic job market is tight, it's a good
idea to apply for some of these when you apply for tenure-track ones. In today's job market, candidates hired for tenure-track positions hav
e often completed several temporary teaching or research positions already. The silent reality may be that experience from a temporary job is
necessary to get a tenure-track position in your field.
Ignore the Critics
If both tenure-track and temporary academic job offer don't come your way, there are still other opportunities
. Be advised, however, that few research advisors are aware of non-academic job opportunities for Ph.D.s. The resources and personnel in your
university's career center will be more helpful.
Be prepared for negative remarks about getting a non-academic position. These usually come from professors who have the security of tenure an
d six figure salaries. These people may suggest that a non-academic career is a degrading life and that you and your family should live nomad
ically and at the poverty level indefinitely. If you think these people are out of touch with reality, you are probably right.
Employing Plan B
If you must make a living and don't have an academic job offer, you need to follow an alternate career plan. C
ut your CV into a resume and follow all those rules for writing a good resume that you broke before. Omit scholarly work and skip the profess
orese. Use active verbs and emphasize the relevant skills you have gained from your research. Remember that success in the corporate world re
quires abandoning academic elitism, developing a service-orientation, and valuing work performance more than academic degrees.
Your transferable skills may include:
- Computer skills
- Report or Grant Writing
- Nonacademic Teaching or Course Development
- Student Support
- Writing or Editing
- Specific Knowledge from Your Specialty
Career Climbing for Average Joes
Taking short courses or workshops may bridge the gap between your academic preparation and the skills needed f
or a nonacademic career. Your specialization and personal and financial situation may make self-employment an option. Many books and websites
offer advice on changing careers and on gaining entry-level positions. There are numerous general job boards as well as ones for specific pr
ofessional fields and geographic locations. A warning: You may feel like just an average Joe once you leave the academic arena, get over it,
you are entering a new world now.
As you get your Ph.D., you will receive many congratulations on reaching the highest level of academia. You are justified in taking pride in
your achievement. That pride will energize you as you ascend from your new position to whichever rung of the professional world you can grasp
.
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