Are blogs hazardous to the health of your career if you're an academic? As usual, there are lots of different opinions about that. I certainly don't have an answer. But it's just another example of why, increasingly, I'm questioning the academic path for myself. There just seems to be too much work to get a Ph.D., no guarantee of job security, little money, and too much petty politics involved. I just don't think I'm cut out for it.
If not academia, then, what? That's a really, really scary question. Without even the vague notion of an academic career, my future seems murkier than ever.
3 comments:
There's no shame in not being cut out for academia. You're right to consider such factors as market competition and political wrangling, because an academic career involves far more than liking books and being in the classroom.
I knew to opt out of a full-time academic career the first time I attended a big conference in my field. I simply didn't enjoy listening to others talk about their work for hours on end, and the necessary networking was just too exhausting. (I also didn't like the prospect of having to leave behind my entire life just to test the waters at some job in the middle of nowhere.) It takes a certain kind of person to enjoy the non-scholarly challenges of pursuing a scholarly career, and I think it's a smart person who recognizes that and plans accordingly.
If you're in doubt, try attending a couple of academic conferences to see if you can picture yourself thriving in that environment. (Also, don't forget that there are different levels in the profession. You can teach at a community college with a Master's degree, and many people find that satisfying--but it too takes just the right kind of personality.)
For what it's worth, there's definitely life after academia. Trust me on that. :)
Frank, a Ph.D., numerous academic publications and $2.00 will get you a cup of coffee. But, it hasn't qualified me for anything, but minimum wage.
Thanks, guys, for the comments. I may still find myself in academia, in the end, but it's not the foregone conclusion I thought it was. I just don't know where that leaves me, now. I just feel all adrift and rootless.
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