... he said with a panicked look in his eyes, throwing back his green tea like a shot of whiskey.
I'm not making this up (I wish I were). I had a conversation with a young PhD this week who bluntly told me that, in his opinion, I should drop out of my doctoral program and try to switch to another career path while I still have the chance. Not exactly the most cheery way for me to start the semester.
His advice is, of course, colored by his own experience; he graduated from a top program several years ago, and spent a few years completely unemployed. He's picked up a few adjunct gigs here and there, but they've often required him to be separated from his less-portable partner. The job market is pretty brutal, and he seems to have little to no hope that he'll eventually land a full-time gig.
So, I asked myself, why don't I take his advice? I don't want to end up similarly jobless, desperate, and miserable- should I drop out? Here's how I convinced myself that I'm not going to, at least for now:
1) At least 85% of the time, I genuinely like what I'm doing. Yes, the pressure is intense and there are never enough hours in the day, but I get to read, write, and teach constantly. I like doing all of those things.
2) At this point, I'm getting paid to be in grad school. The job market is pretty bad right now in general, and not just for academic jobs. Why should I try to leave a paying gig, especially when it's one that I like, and look for something else?
3) There's at least one major difference between me and this guy, as far as career paths go: he doesn't like teaching. He sees it as merely an impediment to the real work of scholarship, which is research. I think that his disdain for teaching comes across in his job interviews, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's lost him a position or two. I, on the other hand, genuinely like teaching and wouldn't mind ending up in a completely teaching-oriented position, like at a community college or even a high school (even though in the long run I'd prefer to have a job where doing research could be a priority too).
So for now, I'm not quitting. I'm going to stick it out for at least a year or two more. I guess if I end up jobless and desperate, I won't say that I wasn't warned.
I'm not making this up (I wish I were). I had a conversation with a young PhD this week who bluntly told me that, in his opinion, I should drop out of my doctoral program and try to switch to another career path while I still have the chance. Not exactly the most cheery way for me to start the semester.
His advice is, of course, colored by his own experience; he graduated from a top program several years ago, and spent a few years completely unemployed. He's picked up a few adjunct gigs here and there, but they've often required him to be separated from his less-portable partner. The job market is pretty brutal, and he seems to have little to no hope that he'll eventually land a full-time gig.
So, I asked myself, why don't I take his advice? I don't want to end up similarly jobless, desperate, and miserable- should I drop out? Here's how I convinced myself that I'm not going to, at least for now:
1) At least 85% of the time, I genuinely like what I'm doing. Yes, the pressure is intense and there are never enough hours in the day, but I get to read, write, and teach constantly. I like doing all of those things.
2) At this point, I'm getting paid to be in grad school. The job market is pretty bad right now in general, and not just for academic jobs. Why should I try to leave a paying gig, especially when it's one that I like, and look for something else?
3) There's at least one major difference between me and this guy, as far as career paths go: he doesn't like teaching. He sees it as merely an impediment to the real work of scholarship, which is research. I think that his disdain for teaching comes across in his job interviews, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's lost him a position or two. I, on the other hand, genuinely like teaching and wouldn't mind ending up in a completely teaching-oriented position, like at a community college or even a high school (even though in the long run I'd prefer to have a job where doing research could be a priority too).
So for now, I'm not quitting. I'm going to stick it out for at least a year or two more. I guess if I end up jobless and desperate, I won't say that I wasn't warned.
We're all in the same boat. Merrily merrily... Ha.
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