Student to Professor: The Road to Tenure-Track

Good Morning Doctor
Graduating from a Ph.D. program is a bittersweet experience. Before you even g

et your Ph.D., you will pay the price of doctoral success. That price is facin

g your worst enemy: the real world. It comes in the despicable form of a job s

earch. For many grad students, it's a rude awakening from a long and pleasant

academic sleep. Now that you're awake in the real world, what do you do?

Marketing is Everything
Whether they want to stay in academia or not, grad students' ability to market

themselves will determine the return on their investment of getting a Ph.D. A

s always with job-hunting, it pays to know people and to have them know you, t

oo. Publishing and publicizing your achievements and networking at conferences

and on campus, not a doctorate in marketing, will bring you a large return.


        Next Steps
       
          Research schools with Advanced Grad School Search.
          Apply Online: Get the list of available applications.
          Chat about school on the Grad Discussion Board.
          Subscribe to The Princeton Review's Grad School Newsletter.
       

So Many Requirements, So Little Time
The traditional employment objective of Ph.D.s, a tenure-track faculty positio

n, is still a popular goal of grad students. These positions are difficult but

not impossible to obtain. A curriculum vitae or CV, a thorough summary of pro

fessional background, must be sent with applications for most academic positio

ns. Some institutions also require applicants for tenure-track positions to pr

ovide a summary of their teaching philosophy and research plans.

It's never too early to start mentally and physically drafting a CV and summar

ies of research interests and teaching philosophy. They are notorious time-eat

ers. Note that faculty positions that start in one academic year start being a

dvertised a full year in advance. For example, faculty positions for the 2000

- 2001 academic year were being advertised as early as September 1999, so appl

icants for faculty positions should job search a full year before they intend

to start the position.
        Related Links
       
          Who Wants to be a Ph.D.?
          Humanities or Social Sciences?
          Who Wants To Be A Science Ph.D.?
          Researching, Writing, and Defending the Big One
       

The CV Golden Rule
There is a golden rule for writing a good CV: Break all the rules for writing

a good resumé. A good CV will always be longer than one page and should inclu

de a full listing of your scholarly accomplishments. What scholarly accomplish

ments? If you're getting a Ph.D., you have some even if you think you don't. W

hat papers have you written? What significant research have you done? Have you

assisted a professor on his/her research and received credit? Comb through yo

ur academic history.

A CV can be broken into the following sections:

    * Objective:
    * What type of position do you want? How can you help the institution? Edu

cation:
    * List all degrees after high school. Professional Experience:
    * Describe all research and teaching experience and other relevant work ex

perience. Professional Society Memberships and Activities:
    * If you're not a member of a professional organization yet, join today. W

hat are you waiting for? Publications:
    * List refereed publications first. Presentations:
    * Specify any talks you gave that were by invitation. Awards, Honors, or G

rants:
    * List honors before college only if they were highly prestigious (i.e. th

ey enjoy a national reputation) or are relevant to your future academic career

. References:
      On a separate sheet of paper, list four or five professional references

including your thesis advisor. Other good candidates for references include pr

ofessors on your dissertation committee, professors at other colleges and coll

eagues from professional organizations.

Your CV Reflects On You
The tone of the CV is serious, and the language is a mixture of plain English

and the jargon of your specialty. Emphasize teaching experience and communicat

ion for positions in small colleges and research experience for positions in r

esearch universities. Spell-check and have others critique your CV before you

send it anywhere. Putting your CV online makes a loud nonverbal statement that

you have the skills of a 21st Century scholar.

After personal contacts, professional organizations and The Chronicle of Highe

r Education, the weekly newspaper of higher education, are the best sources of

tips and information for academic job hunters.

Protocol for Academic Interviews
In a best-case scenario, your CV will result in a few invitations to instituti

ons you have applied to. In this all-day academic interview, you will typicall

y give a seminar, talk to and be interviewed by the other professors in the de

partment, be interviewed by a dean, and go to lunch or dinner with several fac

ulty members. This interview requires preparing the seminar and your credentia

ls, and looking and acting your professional best. You can leave student behav

ior at home with your jeans and tennis shoes.

Off the Tenure Track
If you're not invited to one of these coveted interviews, you will have only g

ained experience in applying for academic positions. Do not despair; you are i

n the majority, and you have several other options.

Non-tenure track or temporary positions are easier to obtain and may be availa

ble to you. Since the academic job market is tight, it's a good idea to apply

for some of these when you apply for tenure-track ones. In today's job market,

candidates hired for tenure-track positions have often completed several temp

orary teaching or research positions already. The silent reality may be that e

xperience from a temporary job is necessary to get a tenure-track position in

your field.

Ignore the Critics
If both tenure-track and temporary academic job offer don't come your way, the

re are still other opportunities. Be advised, however, that few research advis

ors are aware of non-academic job opportunities for Ph.D.s. The resources and

personnel in your university's career center will be more helpful.

Be prepared for negative remarks about getting a non-academic position. These

usually come from professors who have the security of tenure and six figure sa

laries. These people may suggest that a non-academic career is a degrading lif

e and that you and your family should live nomadically and at the poverty leve

l indefinitely. If you think these people are out of touch with reality, you a

re probably right.

Employing Plan B
If you must make a living and don't have an academic job offer, you need to fo

llow an alternate career plan. Cut your CV into a resumé and follow all those

rules for writing a good resumé that you broke before. Omit scholarly work a

nd skip the professorese. Use active verbs and emphasize the relevant skills y

ou have gained from your research. Remember that success in the corporate worl

d requires abandoning academic elitism, developing a service-orientation, and

valuing work performance more than academic degrees.

Your transferable skills may include:

    * Computer skills
    * Report or Grant Writing
    * Nonacademic Teaching or Course Development
    * Student Support
    * Writing or Editing
    * Specific Knowledge from Your Specialty

Career Climbing for Average Joes
Taking short courses or workshops may bridge the gap between your academic pre

paration and the skills needed for a nonacademic career. Your specialization a

nd personal and financial situation may make self-employment an option. Many b

ooks and websites offer advice on changing careers and on gaining entry-level

positions. There are numerous general job boards as well as ones for specific

professional fields and geographic locations. A warning: You may feel like jus

t an average Joe once you leave the academic arena, get over it, you are enter

ing a new world now.

As you get your Ph.D., you will receive many congratulations on reaching the h

ighest level of academia. You are justified in taking pride in your achievemen

t. That pride will energize you as you ascend from your new position to whiche

ver rung of the professional world you can grasp.
Sandra C. Ceraulo, Ph.D., is an independent technology instructor and consulta

nt in Buffalo, NY.