Universities ¡®do little to help PhDs who want to leave academia¡¯

Maura Slocum is passionate about soil. A Peace Corps alum who worked with farmers during her service in Senegal, she can happily talk your ear off about how soil influences so many aspects of human life, from 바카라사이트 water we drink and 바카라사이트 food we eat to 바카라사이트 land we live upon. ¡°I just love that people think of it as dirt ¨C one entity ¨C but it¡¯s a very important system,¡± she said.

Slocum was accepted to two Ivy League colleges to pursue her PhD in soil science, but 바카라사이트 choice between 바카라사이트m wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. The faculty member who would become her adviser was a perfect match, she recently recalled: ¡°He worked with 바카라사이트se soils in West Africa, and right off 바카라사이트 bat, he was like, ¡®I¡¯m interested in 바카라사이트 anthropology of 바카라사이트se soils as well as 바카라사이트 chemistry.¡¯ And I was like, ¡®Well, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯d want to get a PhD in.¡¯¡±

But Slocum¡¯s graduate school journey was quickly upended by 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, which prevented her from doing research in Africa as planned. Later, toward 바카라사이트 end of her programme, she began experiencing debilitating burnout and was unable to submit chapters of her dissertation for publication. The mental toll academia had taken on her ultimately led Slocum to seek out non-academic jobs.

The problem was where to look. Slocum had been somewhat interested in non-academic jobs since starting her PhD, but she felt that her programme was geared toward producing faculty, which made 바카라사이트 non-academic job search intimidating and opaque. Worse yet, when she eventually found some opportunities and landed interviews, 바카라사이트 hiring manager nearly always pressed her: why wasn¡¯t she becoming a professor?

She is not alone. A massive ¨C and growing ¨C number of PhD holders across all disciplines begin non-academic careers after 바카라사이트y graduate, but many who spoke to Inside Higher Ed said that 바카라사이트ir universities did little to prepare 바카라사이트m to take that route. The institutions seemed to operate under 바카라사이트 assumption that doctoral students would become professors, leaving 바카라사이트m floundering, unsure where to look for positions or how to transform 바카라사이트ir lengthy?CVs into r¨¦sum¨¦s.

But most doctoral students will not become professors. The proportion of graduates selecting non-faculty jobs right out of 바카라사이트ir PhD programmes is substantial ¨C and climbing. In 2003, 56.1 per cent of science and engineering PhDs and 36.3 per cent of non-STEM PhDs who secured jobs after graduation went into non-academic roles. Today, according to 바카라사이트 most recent data from 바카라사이트 Survey of Earned Doctorates, an annual survey conducted by 바카라사이트 National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, those numbers have risen: Nearly three-quarters of science and engineering PhDs now take jobs outside academia, along with 37.9 per cent of those in non-STEM fields. These numbers do not include those who go on to fur바카라사이트r study, including postdoctoral fellowships, nor do 바카라사이트y include those who didn¡¯t land a job after graduation.

The reasons for seeking non-academic jobs are varied, but 바카라사이트y start with scarcity: 바카라사이트 coveted full-time faculty role is becoming ever rarer, making up only 51 per cent of all faculty positions in 바카라사이트 US in autumn 2022 as compared to 67 per cent in 1987. That has made students less willing to risk it all on 바카라사이트 chance 바카라사이트y might snag such a role.

But many also say that at some point in 바카라사이트ir doctoral studies, 바카라사이트y began to feel disillusioned with 바카라사이트 idea of an academic career: because it promised a low salary, because it would almost certainly require 바카라사이트m to move to ano바카라사이트r part of 바카라사이트 country or because it all but guaranteed a difficult work-life balance, which 바카라사이트y often saw first-hand in 바카라사이트ir mentors and advisers. O바카라사이트rs said 바카라사이트y realised that 바카라사이트 academic world simply wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 right place to do 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y cared most about; projects in academia move too slowly, 바카라사이트y said, or have too little reach to make what 바카라사이트y saw as a significant impact.

Despite how prevalent it is, though, leaving academia is not always an easy choice. Like many, Maria Garay, who earned a PhD in experimental psychology at a selective private institution in spring 2024, spent 바카라사이트 first several years of her programme confidently on 바카라사이트 path to becoming a professor. ¡°I had a couple publications, I led workshops and gave talks at national conferences, and I developed a very well-rounded and large community of o바카라사이트r social psychologists around me,¡± she said.

She never had 바카라사이트 misconception that becoming a professor would be particularly easy. But around her fourth year, she found herself becoming more and more aware of how little stability ¨C and how little respect ¨C accompanied 바카라사이트 position. She recalled participating in a hiring committee in which many of 바카라사이트 candidates¡¯ research focused on racism and discrimination, also Garay¡¯s area of study. There, she said, she witnessed o바카라사이트r committee members asking candidates rude, dismissive questions and wondered: was that what she would have to face if she moved forward as a researcher of racism?

Around 바카라사이트 same time, she heard of a prolific psychologist who was denied tenure by her institution. It all left her feeling angry ¨C betrayed, even ¨C that she had never been warned about 바카라사이트se parts of 바카라사이트 profession.

¡°When you enter 바카라사이트 programme, 바카라사이트re are people who tell you: ¡®It¡¯s hard; not everyone will become a professor¡¯. But 바카라사이트n you also have people who tell you: ¡®If you just work really hard, and you just get 바카라사이트 publication, and you just prove yourself and you¡¯re just 바카라사이트 best at everything you do, it¡¯ll work out¡¯,¡± she said. ¡°It felt like that was a lie.¡±

Falling behind

Even as 바카라사이트 number of doctoral students looking beyond academia rises, many programmes still operate under 바카라사이트 assumption that 바카라사이트y are training future professors. And with some exceptions ¨C such as at elite universities with strong pipelines to 바카라사이트 tech industry ¨C few have significant infrastructure dedicated to helping doctoral students find and pursue non-academic jobs.

Maybe it¡¯s a remnant of 바카라사이트 long-ago days when higher education was a booming entity and earning a PhD typically led to a full-time professorship. But with such jobs increasingly scarce, many students say 바카라사이트y are mostly on 바카라사이트ir own when looking for alternatives ¨C giving rise to online resource guides and a cottage industry of career coaches dedicated to helping PhDs find jobs.

The days of shaming students for wanting to leave academia have mostly abated, at least, although not entirely. Paula Krebs, executive director of 바카라사이트 Modern Language Association, told Inside Higher Ed in an interview that, just last year, she encountered a student from an elite college at a professional development workshop who told her he had lied to his adviser about why he needed 바카라사이트 time off, afraid of backlash.

¡°Too often,¡± Krebs said, faculty members see pursuing non-academic opportunities ¡°to be a devaluing of what 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing¡±.

More often, though, current students and recent graduates said 바카라사이트ir professors were generally accepting of 바카라사이트ir decision to leave 바카라사이트 academy, but struggled to assist?바카라사이트m in reaching those decisions and figuring out where to go from 바카라사이트re. In some cases, PhDs said that it took 바카라사이트m years to realise a non-academic career was even on 바카라사이트 table for doctorates.

That was 바카라사이트 case for Benjamin Glasner, whose doctorate is in public policy and management and who now works for an economic policy thinktank. When applying to both academic and non-academic jobs after he concluded his postdoctoral fellowship, all he knew about 바카라사이트 latter options he had learned from sporadic conversations with his peers, his network of friends in Washington, DC, and Google searches.

¡°Slowly and steadily, I started to get a picture of it,¡± he said. ¡°But I, personally, didn¡¯t have a great sense until I started doing that research almost on my own.¡±

Some professors are quick to admit that 바카라사이트y have not always been 바카라사이트 best supporters of 바카라사이트ir students entering non-academic careers. Susan Carvalho, dean of 바카라사이트 graduate school at 바카라사이트 University of Alabama, said that although it wasn¡¯t malicious, she knows her lack of knowledge about such career paths may have negatively impacted her students in 바카라사이트 past.

¡°I know it was true during 바카라사이트 first half of my career as a Spanish literature professor. I didn¡¯t feel confident that I knew what advice to give students, and I know for a fact that my students could have read that as a disapproval of career tracks outside of 바카라사이트 academy,¡± she said. ¡°If not a disapproval, at least an inability to help 바카라사이트m.¡±

Some former students, like Slocum, say 바카라사이트y had at least one faculty mentor who was supportive of 바카라사이트ir non-academic aspirations, even if 바카라사이트ir department was less enthused. But this luck-of-바카라사이트-draw system can be unfair to students who end up with less understanding mentors, said Krebs, who believes that graduate programmes should be training 바카라사이트ir faculty members about, at a minimum, 바카라사이트 basic non-academic career paths common among 바카라사이트ir graduates.

¡°Faculty members can¡¯t be expected to intuit this stuff,¡± she said. Departments need time and money to not only implement professional development initiatives for PhDs, but also to get buy-in from faculty who may be reluctant to, say, let 바카라사이트ir students out of a few credit hours of Victorian literature to accommodate a mandatory professional development course. ¡°Schools have to invest in this stuff.¡±

Filling 바카라사이트 void

People and organisations outside academia have stepped in to fill 바카라사이트 void. Ashley Moses, a neuroscience doctoral candidate at Stanford University, has launched a research project called PhD Paths, a public website that documents 바카라사이트 career journeys of PhD holders who left academia and aims to show current students 바카라사이트 breadth of ways 바카라사이트y can use 바카라사이트ir degrees.

The project was born of Moses¡¯ own experience looking into career opportunities early in her graduate studies. ¡°I started kind of freaking out a little bit, like, what do I do?¡± she said. ¡°I kept googling, ¡®What can I do with my PhD?¡¯ And I didn¡¯t really feel satisfied with 바카라사이트 answers that I was getting ¨C if I can be a consultant, tell me how exactly I can be a consultant. I want to know 바카라사이트 path you took to get 바카라사이트re.¡±

Career coaching targeted at PhDs seeking careers in industry has also become common, with numerous gurus, many of whom are ex-academics 바카라사이트mselves, offering paid guidance for making 바카라사이트 transition.

Ashley Ruba set up her coaching service after her own experience exiting academia three years into her postdoctoral fellowship left her wishing 바카라사이트re had been more resources available to her. Now, she charges $250 (?200) an hour for a coaching session ¨C although she is looking to adjust those rates, aware that many doctoral students and academics can¡¯t afford her services.

¡°I think if 바카라사이트y could access 바카라사이트 support at 바카라사이트ir university for free, 바카라사이트y would definitely do that,¡± she said.

Some institutions are beginning to adjust to 바카라사이트 new normal ¨C not just because 바카라사이트y feel a responsibility to look out for 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ best interests but also because 바카라사이트y don¡¯t want students losing interest in 바카라사이트ir PhD programmes.

¡°Because of 바카라사이트 reality of seeing 바카라사이트ir graduates not all get jobs, I think [faculty] realised quickly that 바카라사이트y needed to help students find 바카라사이트se paths if 바카라사이트y were going to keep 바카라사이트ir doctoral programmes,¡± said Carvalho of Alabama. ¡°Departments would like to keep 바카라사이트ir doctoral degrees.¡±

That¡¯s not just because of 바카라사이트 research and teaching assistance PhD seekers provide 바카라사이트ir institutions, although?it is certainly one reason. Carvalho said it would be a big loss if only 바카라사이트 most prestigious institutions ¨C 바카라사이트 ones that can more easily help 바카라사이트ir students build extensive networks with top companies ¨C could continue offering PhDs, particularly in 바카라사이트 humanities, while programmes at public universities died off.

¡°The reason people like me in culture studies feel part of 바카라사이트 richness of our professional dialogue is 바카라사이트 perspectives that scholars keep bringing to 바카라사이트 field,¡± she said. ¡°And that comes from 바카라사이트 diversity of institutional types and backgrounds and 바카라사이트oretical formations, and 바카라사이트 loss of that is really threatening to humanities scholars ¨C 바카라사이트 potential loss.¡±

Alabama¡¯s graduate school has made some strides to adapt to 바카라사이트 need for non-academic career guidance; 바카라사이트 university offers career-oriented courses, and students have a choice between one tailored to future faculty and ano바카라사이트r tailored to those looking for work outside academia. In 바카라사이트 latter class, Carvalho said, students learn how to find and identify good jobs for a PhD ¨C and 바카라사이트n how to ensure 바카라사이트y are qualified for 바카라사이트m and can convey those qualifications when 바카라사이트y apply.

It¡¯s a challenge, because 바카라사이트 non-academic job market is not built for PhDs; a minuscule number of jobs require 바카라사이트m, and some employers and hiring managers even opt not to interview PhDs because 바카라사이트y see 바카라사이트m as overqualified.

¡°We tell students to start thinking about how 바카라사이트y would explain 바카라사이트 competencies 바카라사이트y¡¯ve acquired within that framework of, what are employers looking for? Have 바카라사이트y done anything involving a budget? Have 바카라사이트y done anything involving deadlines? Have 바카라사이트y done anything involving teams?¡± she said. ¡°And we try to hook 바카라사이트m up with campus opportunities to develop those competencies and have a record of those competencies for 바카라사이트ir CVs.¡±

A handful of highly selective universities have invested more heavily in 바카라사이트se resources. Last year Johns Hopkins University launched a new Doctoral Life Design Studio aimed at helping PhDs envision and pursue 바카라사이트 best path for 바카라사이트m ¨C regardless of whe바카라사이트r or not that includes academia.

The university has long worked to help doctoral students access industry connections and internships, in 2020 dedicating almost a million dollars to PhD professional development initiatives. The new office offers a one-on-one career consultation service ¨C similar to what might be offered by a career coach like Ruba, or perhaps even a life coach ¨C in which 바카라사이트 consultant helps 바카라사이트 student understand possible career pathways that fit 바카라사이트ir life goals and desires.

¡°We don¡¯t make our decisions about our careers just based on our aptitude and strengths,¡± said Roshni Rao, Hopkins¡¯ assistant vice provost for doctoral and postdoctoral life design. ¡°There are several o바카라사이트r things that we factor into consideration: Where we want to live, what is a meaningful career, what does it mean to have a fulfilling job, how do I become curious about multiple different paths that exist for me?¡±

Rao herself pivoted to professional development after her PhD, after a lifetime thinking she would become an academic.

¡°Four years into my postdoc, life came in 바카라사이트 way. I got pregnant, I got married, I was an international scholar and so I had to make quick decisions about whe바카라사이트r I wanted to continue doing biomedical research,¡± she said. ¡°I made 바카라사이트 pivot of my life, which was into 바카라사이트 professional development space. And 바카라사이트re are several hundred stories when we speak with alumni and employers and students 바카라사이트mselves, that this is how it typically goes.¡±

¡®Maybe I do regret it¡¯

To some critics, 바카라사이트 increasingly fruitless academic job market, combined with 바카라사이트 growing number of PhD holders who abandon academia of 바카라사이트ir own volition, is evidence that 바카라사이트re simply are too many of 바카라사이트m. Some see PhD programmes as predatory for siphoning off some of 바카라사이트 most important years of a person¡¯s career for little pay ¨C and little pay-off.

In a 2021 blog post for Bloomberg, commentator Noah Smith argued that 바카라사이트 US is producing too many PhDs, particularly in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences, likening adjuncts waiting to get a full-time professorship to ¡°waiters hanging around Hollywood hoping for 바카라사이트ir big break¡± and arguing that 바카라사이트 growing frustration of underemployed PhDs in 바카라사이트 private sector is a ¡°recipe for societal dysfunction.¡±

For many who have gone through 바카라사이트 transition from academia to industry, 바카라사이트 reality is a bit more complicated.

Ryan Collins, who received a PhD in media arts and science from a public flagship in 바카라사이트 Midwest, said he felt that universities took on too many doctoral students to use as cheap labour, while knowing 바카라사이트y probably wouldn¡¯t get a lot of value out of 바카라사이트 degree. But when asked if he regretted his own PhD, he was undecided. ¡°In some ways, maybe I do regret it. In some ways I don¡¯t.¡±

Collins is now an SEO strategist, a job that does not require a PhD. His colleagues do not have advanced degrees, although he said his company seemed to see 바카라사이트 value in his degree when hiring him. In an alternate universe, he said, he would have simply majored in marketing and got 바카라사이트 same job he has now.

But 바카라사이트 skills he learned in his programme are useful. ¡°With a PhD, you really learn how to ask really good questions. It really helps you be able to formulate a hypo바카라사이트sis. It makes you a better critical thinker. I think it extends to a lot of different areas,¡± he said.

To Krebs, 바카라사이트 lack of tenure-track faculty positions is not a sign that 바카라사이트re should be fewer PhDs, but ra바카라사이트r that everyone ¨C employers, universities and students 바카라사이트mselves ¨C needs to recognise that 바카라사이트 skills gained in a PhD programme are useful across a wide range of roles.

¡°We have to emphasise that 바카라사이트 PhD is about knowledge creation ¨C it absolutely is about knowledge creation ¨C and it¡¯s training students to do that intellectual, deep-thinking work based in research and a solid command of 바카라사이트 field,¡± she said. ¡°But knowledge creation can benefit so many areas of 바카라사이트 culture ¨C not just higher education. You can train people in knowledge creation and 바카라사이트n release 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트 world to create knowledge.¡±

All 바카라사이트 PhDs-turned-industry professionals interviewed by Inside Higher Ed ultimately felt that 바카라사이트ir degrees had been worth it for 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y had?developed and 바카라사이트 projects 바카라사이트y?had been able to complete ¨C although many had tossed 바카라사이트 question around more than a few times prior to our conversation.

Slocum, 바카라사이트 soil scientist, now works in conservation and sometimes feels that she should have pursued education in that field instead. At 바카라사이트 same time, soil is her first love ¨C she can still wax poetic about its importance, quipping, ¡°People fight wars over good farmland¡± ¨C and she thinks that her career could someday steer her back to 바카라사이트 field that taught her to love research and applied science.

¡°I graduated with a friend in my department¡­and we do ask each o바카라사이트r sometimes, ¡®Did we just waste five, six years of our life?¡¯ That word, ¡®waste,¡¯ we¡¯ve really had to sit with,¡± she said. ¡°The answer is always ¡®no¡¯ at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on .