Discussing careers beyond academia with grad students & faculty tomorrow @ualbany. Seems like a good time to discuss non-faculty jobs in political science. 1/n
Why explore non-faculty jobs at all? The bad news first. According to @APSAtweets placement data, tenure-line jobs continue to decrease. Similarly, a recent @AAUP report found that over 70% of all higher ed teaching positions were filled by non-tenure-line faculty. 2/n
In short, the academic job market is incredibly and increasingly contracted. The chances of getting a TT job are low, and if a candidate wants a job in a certain city/region/etc, needs to account for a family, or just wants to be choosy (which is ok!) it’s even tougher. 3/n
That’s not even taking into account differing resource and prestige levels across grad institutions. 4/n
Now for the good news. Non-faculty jobs (can) offer a lot of perks! Rather than drilling down into a minute topic, non-faculty jobs tend to encourage breadth, which some academics prefer. Many non-fac jobs are also highly collaborative (some of us enjoy working with others!). 5/n
Non-faculty jobs can provide more work-life balance (no working on weekends, vacations do not include research or writing). Some also pay more than faculty jobs or provide more benefits. 6/n
Now, there are certainly benefits to faculty positions too. Many people prefer the autonomy and the schedule. Some really love teaching and mentoring students. There are good reasons to pursue a faculty career. 7/n
BUT, that does not mean that grad students should ONLY be prepared for the academic market. For some students, the sad fact is they will never land a TT job. Others may not want an ac job in the first place. Then there’s people like me—I wanted a TT job, then changed my mind. 8/n
We cannot know what the future will hold. What we do know is the academic job market is incredibly competitive (not to mention mentally and physically exhausting). Grad students would benefit from resources, training, and mentorship in areas relevant for non-faculty jobs. 9/n
Where can one find such resources? @APSAtweets is working to expand our offerings in this area, but current resources include: the Annual Meeting Career Fair, the Career Paths series on PoliticalScienceNow, a mentoring service, and a list of resources on our website. 10/n
Other good resources include @FromPhDtoLife, @versatilephd, and Karen Cardozo’s posts on @ProfessorIsIn. I also encourage students to use their campus career centers and reach out to alumni who have landed non-faculty jobs. 11/n
I’ve also presented on this topic several times and am happy to share my PowerPoints and notes, or to answer questions, as needed. 12/n
Non-faculty jobs are not for everyone. And asking grad students to pile on one more thing is tough, when students are already overworked and stressed. But faculty can help! 13/n
At the very least, faculty can support their students by letting them know that pursuing a non-faculty career is ok (and, can be great!). Those faculty who want to do more can encourage their departments to provide more resources for students on non-faculty careers. 14/n
We all want our students to find a fulfilling career that they are proud of. Providing a broader range of options and resources can increase the chances that they do. /fin
