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Great article!! I've been reading and rereading and sharing with all my higher education friends. Finally, someone who tells it like it is. Sometimes I think that those who are gainfully employed in the field do not understand the reality of the situation. I get lots of, "Maybe you're not really trying and really looking in the right places, or you would have a full-time job." As if I (and all others I know in this situation) haven't spent the last several years overturning every possible rock, no matter how small.
Great article!! I've been reading and rereading and sharing with all my higher education friends. Finally, someone who tells it like it is. Sometimes I think that those who are gainfully employed in the field do not understand the reality of the situation. I get lots of, "Maybe you're not really trying and really looking in the right places, or you would have a full-time job." As if I (and all others I know in this situation) haven't spent the last several years overturning every possible rock, no matter how small.
I agree. My cousin has a PhD in philosophy. After a year a a temperory non-tenure track position, followed by a year of job hunting, she finally wound up working as substitute at her local library.
My degree is in science education, so it wasn't quite as difficult to find a job. Still difficult, but not as bad as the social sciences. BUT, we are currently doing a faculty search, and it boggles my mind how overwhelmed we are by hundreds of applications from great qualified candidates, all with doctoral degrees.
But if you weren't to go, and you were seeking out such harder knowledge, would you say it would be attainable on ones on, or through the mentorship allowed in a phd, even if it were not later employable? I don't see why a business wouldn't hire somebody with a PhD from a good school over somebody with a Bachelors... Obviously they are pretty smart and have long term commitment to recieve a phd correct? If anything, wouldn't you gain knowledge largely unattainable by those without? Or is the craft you learn and mentorship not worth it? Also for those who never tried, would it eat them inside for not attempting?
But if you weren't to go, and you were seeking out such harder knowledge, would you say it would be attainable on ones on, or through the mentorship allowed in a phd, even if it were not later employable? I don't see why a business wouldn't hire somebody with a PhD from a good school over somebody with a Bachelors... Obviously they are pretty smart and have long term commitment to recieve a phd correct? If anything, wouldn't you gain knowledge largely unattainable by those without? Or is the craft you learn and mentorship not worth it? Also for those who never tried, would it eat them inside for not attempting?
Having a phd can over qualify people if they don't have years of experience in whatever industry. A big issue, as far as I know, is the higher demand of salary for a phd compared to a BA/S or MA/S.
Having a phd can over qualify people if they don't have years of experience in whatever industry. A big issue, as far as I know, is the higher demand of salary for a phd compared to a BA/S or MA/S.
This can be an issue for people with bachelors degrees as well, a lack of jobs in their specialty, making them apply to jobs they are overqualified for. I'm sure it is worse for a PhD holder however who can not find a medium in which to apply ones specialty. I wonder if a middle management level boss would be imitated by hiring a phd holder?
After a few stresful weeks of trying to figure out what I want to do with my life I decided I want to go into being a college professor.
I would like to teach at the community college level, in the Psychology department.
I am about a year away from finishing my B.S. in Psychology through NAU and I am wondering what I can do to get on the right track for becoming a professor?
I do not want to work at a university, I prefer the smaller classes and the community college vibe.
Any advice would be great, I have no idea if I need a different degree or what?
1. Pick your Community
2. Start teaching ASAP...you will likely to teaching Part-Time for a while
3. Slap palms so you can climb the queue.
Do not expect the world of community colleges. Consider a supplementary career.
This can be an issue for people with bachelors degrees as well, a lack of jobs in their specialty, making them apply to jobs they are overqualified for. I'm sure it is worse for a PhD holder however who can not find a medium in which to apply ones specialty. I wonder if a middle management level boss would be imitated by hiring a phd holder?
Maybe, tho, I don't know how it goes in most industries. Where I work we have a temp in our group. I trained him. He has a phd, but it's not recognized at my co since it's from Russia (I don't know what's up with that). He would not have gotten the job if his phd was recognized due to salary requirements and level of position. He hopes to obtain a perm position and it will be at the MS level.
IRT the article linked earlier - it was an interesting read. I have a friend that just finished his phd in sociology with tenure track in mind. He was in MA, then relocated to DC, and just today I found out on fb that he has a post-doc fellowship in Jersey. What will a soc phd do outside academia? Eh, perhaps he can find an institute or think tank.
1. Pick your Community
2. Start teaching ASAP...you will likely to teaching Part-Time for a while
3. Slap palms so you can climb the queue.
Do not expect the world of community colleges. Consider a supplementary career.
Best of luck!
S.
Yes... this is an option for many, well I am not sure of many, but I have seen many...
There is no reason somebody with the talent to achieve a phd could not have the smarts to come up with multiple income streams and do what they love teaching and also do something else.
Just look around faculty bios and you will find people from all different paths.
That article posted entirely was amusing, this is very true:
"They seem to think becoming a humanities professor is a reliable prospect — a more responsible and secure choice than, say, attempting to make it as a freelance writer, or an actor, or a professional athlete — and, as a result, they don't make any fallback plans until it is too late."
Personally, I "dropped out" in the middle of graduate school and walked away with just a MS because I realized finishing (another good 2-3 years) was going to do little for me.
In terms of community colleges, who gets tenure is usually based on who conforms the best to the departments bias and who knows the "top dogs" the best.
There is nothing pure about higher education, if anything it involves more "politics" than your normal work environment.
Yes... this is an option for many, well I am not sure of many, but I have seen many...
There is no reason somebody with the talent to achieve a phd could not have the smarts to come up with multiple income streams and do what they love teaching and also do something else.
Just look around faculty bios and you will find people from all different paths.
A few things to clear. One, the CC landscape in the US is quite varied, from schools that pay little more than $20K to schools that pay $60K+ to start. For the former, a supplementary career is all but necessary, while for the latter, one has a shot to avoid moonlighting.
Two, PhD's are not necessary in community colleges. In fact, they might not even help in the pursuit of a job.
Three, not everyone seeks a lifestyle that requires two separate income streams. Intelligence is not the relevant factor. Rather it is an issue of lifestyle choice and whether their second career can mesh well with the CC.
Finally, faculty bios are a bit misleading. Many people stumble onto a career at a JC. For this reason the faculty bios are so varied. That faculty have traveled diverse paths is one thing, but how an undergrad with CC teaching aspirations should approach this career in 2009 is something altogether different.
S.
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