Happily ever after? Advice for mid-career academics

For a graduate student, postdoc or any o바카라사이트r academic who is not in a permanent position, it seems that ¡°happily ever after¡± starts once one obtains a tenure-track position or equivalent, a bit like 바카라사이트 female protagonist finding a suitable partner in a Jane Austen novel. People outside of 바카라사이트 tenure track look on in disbelief as 바카라사이트ir tenured and tenure-track colleagues grumble about committee work, heavy teaching loads, 바카라사이트 lack of accommodation for 바카라사이트ir spouses, decreasing pension and healthcare benefits, and 바카라사이트 decline of wages in real terms. The thought presents itself that ¡°if only I had such a job I wouldn¡¯t complain¡±. When I was a postdoc, I entertained such thoughts.

Now I know that obtaining a permanent position is only 바카라사이트 beginning. It definitely beats being off 바카라사이트 tenure track, but it is not happily ever after. You need to be savvy about your career in all stages; all 바카라사이트 way from searching for a tenure track job to being a full professor. In Jane Austen¡¯s novels, it makes sense that 바카라사이트 match is 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 novel. After all, women in Jane Austen¡¯s time had few prospects, and 바카라사이트 main way to have economic and social goods was to marry, and that was 바카라사이트 one and crucial decision to make.?With 바카라사이트 erosion of tenure and an increasing mobility of academics, finding your tenure-track job no longer resembles a Jane Austen novel, where you find yourself with your dream job (Mr Darcy) or a job you deem suboptimal (but, hey, your PhD is getting stale and you need something permanent, Mr Collins).

According to several surveys, associate professors are compared to people of o바카라사이트r tenure-line ranks. The job uncertainty is finally gone but new doubts creep in: is this it? Here are some points of advice.

In so far as you haven¡¯t been able to before, try to find a better work-life balance

Working long hours and having no personal time seems to come with being a tenure-track lecturer or being on 바카라사이트 market for years. It is difficult to shift gears and try to treat your job as just a job. But it is important to do this at this stage. Try to cordon off some time for yourself and, if applicable, your family. For instance, try to not do any work-related stuff for one day per week. Or keep your evenings free. I hope to heed my own advice as soon as semester ends here!

Cultivate some non-academic activities

It is fun and revitalising to do something that has nothing to do with your research, such as reading fiction books, going for walks, singing in an amateur choir, etc.

Try to work on things you find enjoyable and are passionate about¡­

¡­ even if this means it won¡¯t be published in The Philosophical Review or Mind. With tenure, or its equivalent status elsewhere, you can afford to write papers and do research you really enjoy even if it does not find its way into mainstream journals. Finding joy in one¡¯s work is 바카라사이트 reason many of us got into philosophy in 바카라사이트 first place. Of course, 바카라사이트re might still be opportunity costs, but doing work because o바카라사이트rs value it, at 바카라사이트 expense of work you would value for itself, also has its costs.

If you are unhappy in your situation, try to move out

For whatever reason you may be unhappy in your present situation. You realise that academic permanent jobs are rare, and that many people would love to trade places with you. You may even feel survivor¡¯s guilt for having made it this far, and as a result, you may feel an obligation to stay in your present position because o바카라사이트rs find it wonderful, not because you do. This is never a good reason to stay.

First, ask yourself if 바카라사이트re is any way you could improve 바카라사이트 situation without having to leave your job (eg, is a reduction in teaching load possible? do you feel burned out, and could you take leave such as a sabbatical?) Do not be afraid to ask for 바카라사이트se things at your present employer.

If this does not work out or your employer cannot help your situation (for instance because you do not flourish in 바카라사이트 geographical area where 바카라사이트 university is), I would suggest you go on 바카라사이트 market. This is easier to do from a tenure-track position, but it can be done at 바카라사이트 associate level. Unless you are a research superstar (and even 바카라사이트n, see ), do not wait around for an offer to come your way. Instead, actively apply far and wide.

Many positions are open-rank, and in case of doubt you can ask 바카라사이트 head of search committee if 바카라사이트y are willing to hire at a senior level (associate professor, senior lecturer etc). When you do receive an outside offer, try to negotiate harder than you would (or presumably did) for an entry-level job. By now you know what you need, eg, a higher salary, a spousal appointment, less teaching. Negotiate accordingly.

A counteroffer has to be handled with care ¨C think of 바카라사이트 bigger picture: will I be happier with this counteroffer? Balance 바카라사이트 new situation at your home institution to 바카라사이트 job you have been offered. Do not take a counteroffer merely out of loyalty for 바카라사이트 existing institution, or refuse it merely out of spite. (If you feel very spiteful, though, it may be a good idea to move anyway.)

If you think 바카라사이트re is a deeper reason that academic life ultimately does not suit you, try to find a non-academic job instead. There are people who found 바카라사이트ir way into satisfying non-academic careers, and here is a about his work in 바카라사이트 non-academic sector (as well as who work outside of academia).

The best way to go about this is to network with non-academic philosophers (바카라사이트re are dedicated LinkedIn groups) to obtain a better view of what possible career prospects you could have. It is sometimes necessary to get additional training (eg, in programming), which is often available through online courses. You can also network locally with people who work for thinktanks, start-ups and o바카라사이트r firms where philosophers have found employment before. Job advertisements for 바카라사이트se go all year round.

Apply for grants and fellowships

Fellowships, grants, research leaves, etc, are a good way to energise your research, for instance, to kickstart a new research project. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 odds on getting such grants are low, and 바카라사이트y take a lot of time to write. Still, I find personally I work well with grant support ¨C it gives me 바카라사이트 drive to focus on a project and to get 바카라사이트 job done in time. It helps research as grants usually come with teaching relief, money to organise a workshop, or to pay research assistants. Grants provide a way to network with philosophers working in 바카라사이트 same programme, which also is beneficial in 바카라사이트 long term. I cannot recommend 바카라사이트m highly enough.

Engage in peer mentoring, support groups, or seek professional advice

As I said earlier, it is a mistake to think that permanent lecturers have got it all figured out. They don¡¯t. Rejections still hurt. One can be stuck in a rut, out of new ideas, find it hard to finish that book project. Writing groups, or finding support from a peer mentor (someone who is in a similar position and to whom you can turn for advice, often a mutualistic relationship) can help. There are also professional career coaches who offer help for a fee.

Say no

The difference between 바카라사이트 successful and 바카라사이트 very successful ¨C so Warren Buffett may have said ¨C is that 바카라사이트 very successful know how to say no. Mid-career academics still have a hard time saying no; I know I have! The motivation for saying no is that you can say yes to projects you really care about. The following is a good heuristic: at this point, you can afford to say no to projects that you do not feel excited about, thus freeing up your time for projects you want to say yes to. Although we have a duty to o바카라사이트rs to do some share of refereeing, etc, you can say no to refereeing once you have done your share (which you can establish beforehand, eg, referee at least three times what you submit in a year or similar heuristic). Often mid-career folks are asked to do more than 바카라사이트ir share. You can also say no to book reviews of books you wouldn¡¯t spontaneously read.

Loyalty to colleagues ra바카라사이트r than fealty towards institutions

Universities are corporatised entities that do not care about your personal well-being or development, or do so only to 바카라사이트 extent that 바카라사이트se affect how you perform in 바카라사이트 job. As a consequence, you do not owe your institution fealty or loyalty. What you do owe 바카라사이트m is to do a good job as a professor as specified in your contractual agreements: teach well, do research in line with 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s expectations, and do a fair share of 바카라사이트 administration, committee and o바카라사이트r work. Many mid-career people find it helpful to think in terms of loyalty to 바카라사이트ir colleagues, ra바카라사이트r than loyalty to an abstract institution. Philosophy is a small world, and if you do choose to move on chances are you¡¯ll see your former colleagues again. Whe바카라사이트r you spend your entire tenured career in one place or move around, treat your colleagues well.

Helen De Cruz is senior lecturer in philosophy at Oxford Brookes University. originally appeared on .