The PhD Is Not What It Used To Be
18 Oct
The meaning of a PhD has changed significantly in recent decades. We are graduating more than ever before, yet the number of tenured faculty jobs continues to decline. Meanwhile, the post doc years have become longer and there’s no guarantee of a stable position at the end of a decade of what’s often tireless work, personal sacrifice, and low income (compared to peers). Depending on the field and school, it’s also a lifestyle that many young people cannot afford unless they begin with the means to make it work or take on significant student loans–not for tuition (which should be covered) but food and housing.
Yesterday I asked if readers think graduate advisors should discuss the job market with potential new students and got many thoughtful responses. Here’s my perspective..
Academic advisors who do not present alternative ways that their students can use their expertise beyond the traditional academic trajectory are doing them a great disservice. Many tenured faculty members today came into the workforce in very different circumstances. The pool of competitors was smaller with less diversity and more opportunities within the pipeline. That said..
Students who choose to pursue a PhD should do the research before embarking on their journey to recognize the challenges that lie ahead. But many don’t. On top of that, living situations frequently change tremendously between the 20s and 30s as families grow, parents age, and life happens. What worked financially for the first few years might not be enough by the sixth.
Is it the responsibility of professors to talk to prospective students about academic job opportunities after earning a PhD?
No.
Is it responsible for prospective graduate advisors to have that conversation?
Yes.
There is a conflict of interest that makes it less likely that graduate advisers will be frank about this. Professors need the grad students and post-docs to execute their research programs. The demand for research assistants is greater than the demand for professors. I don’t think most graduate advisers mean to exploit students but they tend to have overly optimistic perspectives on the prospects of students they employ.
“Many tenured faculty members today came into the workforce in very different circumstances.”
I don’t know. I can’t remember a time in my academic career when I heard, “It’s pretty easy to get a job right now.” Maybe people even more senior than me might remember such times, because I don’t.
What would be great is for tenure-track investigators to stop being condescending about other career tracks. Implying that a job in industry, teaching at a non-research focused college–or whatever else is out there–are valid, valuable contributions to science. It’s either naive or cruel of the folks training this excess of candidates to foster a perception of failure for choosing an alternate career path.