Academic Careers1

Academic Careers

Clark Bonilla, DirectorAlumni and Career Services

School of Public Policy

1st Annual Public Policy Career Week

Academic Careers2

Learning Objectives

Define an “Academic Career.”

Differentiate between “Academic” and “Research” Careers.

Identify Alternative Career Pathways within Academia.

Recognize Steps in Career Management.

Improve Self-Assessment for Career Decisions.

Understand Academic Labor Market.

Understand Impact of Organizational Culture on Careers.

Understand Benefits of GRA, Grants and Fellowships for Career

Advancement.

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Introduction

Campus

Career Services

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Goal

Learn the steps and resources for career

management to improve career opportunities,

advancement and satisfaction within a

realistic assessment of your place in the

academic labor market.

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Intended Audience

BS Students and Alumni

MS Students and Alumni

PhD Students and Alumni

Postdoctoral Scholars

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PP Career Services

Public Policy’s Career ServicesPublic Policy’s Career Services addresses

occupational markets, requirements,

professional development, and professional

identity for effective career management

(environmental exploration).(environmental exploration).

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Job Market

PersonalPreferences

Education

Optimal CareerOptions

PP Career Advisement:Market-Based Model

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Georgia Tech Career Services

Georgia Tech’s Career ServicesGeorgia Tech’s Career Services focuses on

self-assessment leading to clarified life

values and preferences in career decision

making (self-explorationself-exploration)

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GT Career Advisement:Sequential Model

2. Choose a Degree Program

3. Choose a Career

4. FindA Job

1. Self-Exploration

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1. An Academic Career

What is an Academic

Career?

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Career as Occupational Pathway

Barley (1989): “a structural

property of an occupation

or an organization.”

(Greenhaus & Callanan, 1994, p. 4),

i.e., a sequence of positions

held within an occupation.

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Graduate Research Assistant

Postdoctoral Scholar

Assistant Professor

Associate Professor

Director, Center/Program

Professor

Chair

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Career as Work Patterns over Life

Greenhaus & Callanan (1994): “the pattern of work-

related experiences that span the course of a person’s

life.” (p. 5)

– Objective: positions, duties, decisions

– Subjective: work aspirations, expectations, values

– Career Decision: reasons for position selection, changes in

type or level of occupation (lateral or vertical movement)

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“Career Pathways” Defined

The various career choices realistically open to an

individual with a given education, skill sets, experience,

interests, and values, that open up alternative career

paths, i.e., inter-occupational mobility, intra-occupational

mobility (vertical to management, or horizontal to non-

management positions). These pathways expand or

contract over time as the individual has effectively

managed her career, contingent also, in part, on whether

she prefers to be a generalist or a specialist.

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SamplePhD Pathways in Academia

The Ph.D. Scholar

Professorial Administrative Research (Only)

Professor

Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

Postdoctoral Scholar

Assistant to VP, Research

Assistant Director, Sponsored Programs

Director, CenterDirector, Faculty

Training/Development

Research Director

Chief Scientist

Research Associate

Laboratory Manager

Visiting ProfessorOr Lecturer

Associate Director, Governmental Affairs

Associate Director,Community Relations

Associate Director,Institutional Effectiveness

Director, TechnologyTransfer

Associate Director,Institutional Research

Director, IndustryRelations

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SampleMS Pathways in Academia

The MS Graduate

Instruction Administrative Research (Only)

Assistant Professor,Community College

Instructor,Community College

Adjunct Instructor &Online Instructor

CoordinatorCurriculum Dev.

Assistant Director, Governmental Affairs

Assistant Director, Community Affairs

Development OfficerCoordinator, Faculty

Training/Dev.

Lab Manager

Research Assistant,Survey Research

Survey Interviewer

Officer, Regulatory Compliance

Tutor

Research Associate, Institutional Research

Associate, RegulatoryCompliance

Budget Analyst Policy Analyst

QA AnalystContracting Officer,

Sponsored Programs

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SampleBS Pathways in Academia

The MS Graduate

Instruction Administrative Research (Only)

SpecialistCurriculum Planner

Officer, Governmental Affairs

Coordinator, Community Affairs

Development OfficerAdmissions

Specialist

Lab Manager

Research Assistant,Survey Research

Survey Interviewer

Lab Assistant

Tutor

Academic AdvisorAdvisor, International

Education

Specialist, Study Abroad

Programs

Contracting Officer,Sponsored Programs

Officer, Regulatory Compliance

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2. Student Decision Making in Choosing Faculty Careers

Rational Agents?

Maybe Not …

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Exercise 1: Your Decision Criteria

Identify the top 10 factors influencing your

decision to pursue a faculty career.

Rank them (1: greatest, 10: least).

Classify them as (A) wholly within your control,

(B) partially in your control, (C) mostly out of

your control.

Reflect on risk and probability. Discuss.

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Career Attractors

Factors Affecting Pursuit of Faculty Career

More Interested

No

Effect

Less Interested

Enjoyment of Teaching 83.2% 12.4% 4.4%

Working on College Campus 79.9% 19.2% 0.9%

Enjoyment of Research 72.1% 19.6% 8.3%

Lifestyles of Faculty 59.5% 30.1% 10.4%

Enjoyment Received from Faculty 47.3% 44.2% 8.4%

Enjoyment of Service 40.6% 54.6% 4.7%

Exposure to Other Careers 31.9% 51.8% 16.3%

(Source: Golde and Dore, 2001)

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Career Detractors

Factors Affecting Pursuit of Faculty Career

More Interested

No

Effect

Less Interested

Tenure and Promotion Process 3.5% 47.8% 48.6%

Academic Job Market in Field 8.5% 48.9% 42.5%

Work Load Expectations 9.6% 58.5% 31.9%

Obtaining Research Funding 14.7% 58.1% 27.2%

Salary Levels 6.1% 69.9% 23.9%

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3. S&E Career Exits as Indicators of Decision Efficacy

Why They Leave …

Are They More Rational Agents?

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Survey of S&E Career Exits

Percentage Who Cited Men Women

Better Pay in Non-S&E Positions 68.0% 33.0%

Career Opportunities Lacking 64.0% 34.0%

Other Fields More Interesting 36.0% 30.0%

S&E Positions Not Available 34.0% 21.4%

Preferred Other Positions 23.0% 35.0%

Promoted Out of Science 18.0% 2.9%

Impossible to Have Family and S&E Work 4.5% 21.4%

Demands of Career Too Severe 4.5% 2.9%

Hours Required Too Long 0% 20.0%

S&E Unfriendly to Women 0% 19.0%

(Source: Preston, 2004: 30)

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The Student v. Worker:Comparison of Perspectives

Idealized Expectations Experience-Oriented Type-of-Work Oriented Individual-Centered Preference for Ideal

Work Quality of Work Expectation of Full

Employment

Real-World Expectations Income-Oriented Advancement-Oriented Family-Oriented Non-Preference for

Actual Work Quality of Life Expectation of Limited

Employment Options

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4. Academic Labor Market

Good News and

Bad News

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Nationwide Trends

More PhD graduates entering non-tenured positions and Postdoc

Difficult to transition from visiting faculty/Postdoc to tenured faculty

PhD students take longer to complete degrees

Grants and fellowships are more competitive

Increased use of adjunct faculty

Difficult to transition from adjunct to full-time faculty

Difficult to transition to a higher level institution

Low and stagnate salaries, particularly for postdoctoral scholars

Overly narrow specializations may hurt employment options

(Source: Monastersky, 2007)

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BS/BA Degrees Earned (2006)

All Graduates

Full-Time Employed

Part-Time Employed

All Social Sciences 413,500 287,100 64,100

Political + Related Sciences

133,400 85,200 21,400

Sociology/Anthropology 123,000 85,700 23,400

Other Social Sciences 80,000 56,200 13,500

Economics 77,100 60,100 5,900

Source: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10318/pdf/nsf10318.pdf

Employment & Under-Employment

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BS/BA Degrees Earned Graduates

April 2006

Employed

Secured

Employment

%

All Social Sciences 413,500 212,700 51.4%

Political + Related Sciences

133,400 106,500 79.8%

Sociology + Anthropology

123,000 109,100 88.7%

Other Social Sciences

80,000 69,600 87%

Economics 77,100 65,900 85.5%

Unemployment (pre-Great Recession)

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Statistics Not Revealed

Average period of job hunting (unemployment)

Percentage of chronic long-term unemployment

Employment within preferred field

Employment within preferred occupation

Persistence of part-time employment

Employment by type of university attended

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National Employment Rates forPh.D. Social Scientists

Employment Trends 2004 2009

PhD: Employment at Graduation

71.6% 73.1%

PhD: Postdoctoral Appointments

31.9% 35.3%

Source: InfoBrief, 11-305, National Science Foundation

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Statistics Not Revealed

Doctoral Program Dropout Rate

Academic, Industry & Government Employment Rates

Type of Academic Institutions Hiring Most

Long-Term Unemployment Rate

Out-of-Field Employment Rate

Regional Variations in Employment Rates

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National Projections forTeaching Occupations

Political Science Professors: +15% (2008-18)

Sociology Professors: +15%

Social Sciences Professors/All Others: +15%

Area/Ethnic/Cultural Studies Professors: +15%

Source: Career InfoNet: US Dept. of Labor, BLS

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Where Sociologists Work

Industry %

Educational services, public and private 36.9

R&D in social sciences and humanities 36.0

Social advocacy organizations 8.7

R&D in physical, engineering and life sciences 6.1

Local government (excl. education/hospitals) 5.7

State government (excl. education/hospitals) 2.2

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Where Political Scientists Work

Industry %

Federal government 62.8

R&D in social sciences and humanities 10.4

Educational services, public and private 7.7

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Income Comparisons

Education 1990 2000 % Change

Engineering PhD $64.6 $91.1 41.0

Mathematics PhD $58.3 $86.6 48.5

Natural Sciences PhD $56.3 $73.0 29.7

Social Sciences PhD $54.2 $74.6 37.6

Life Sciences PhD $45.6 $62.7 37.5

MD $98.8 $156.4 58.3

Lawyer $76.9 $114.7 49.2

Managers, College+ 2 yrs. $61.3 $84.9 38.5

College Grads, 4 yrs. Only $30.8 $46.9 52.2

Note: Mean Income in the thousands

Source: US Census Bureau, IPUMS Data, 1990, 2000

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4: Choosing an Institution

The Proper Institutions

for Your Career

Pathway

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Professorial Career

Do you wish research to be your focus?

Would you work in federal or industry labs?

Do you prefer a balance of research and teaching?

Do you want to teach primarily?

Would you consider federal agency work?

Would you consider academic and industry employment

alternating over your career?

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Types of Faculty Careers

Elites Pluralists LocalsHigh ambition Moderate ambition Less ambition

“uniform moral career”: strong career identity

Career “nebulously conceived,” flexible

Teaching career identity

Strong hierarchy of ascent No hierarchy of ascent Horizontal mobility

Strongly R&D oriented Somewhat R&D oriented Little to no R&D

Community of scholars Mixed communities Local community

Low institutional commitment

Mixed institutional commitments

Strong institutional commitments

Strong social stratification Moderate social stratification Low social stratification

Academic only career Mixed sector career Highly mixed career

(Source: J.C. Hermanowicz, 1998; Merton, 1957; Dannefer, 1984a)

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Research Universities

State Universities

Comprehensive Universities

Mostly Elites, Some Pluralists

Mostly Pluralists, Some Elites

Mostly Communitarians, Some Pluralists

Graduates

Graduates

CareerTrajectories

CareerTrajectories

Industry

Government

NationalLabs

(Source: J.C. Hermanowicz, 1998)

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Job Search and Hiring

Startup Job Search Prepare career plan Search online job

postings Post CV online Attend annual

conferences Post social media

(LinkedIn, Mendeley, etc.)

Notify referees

Applying For Positions Submit online

application Request transcripts Request reference

letters Prepare for interviews Interviews Review/respond to offer

(Source: Dantzig, 2011)

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The Academic Interview

The Institution Understand institutional

priorities Faculty policies/benefits How your expertise

contributes to school:– Complementary– Novel– Potential Collaborations– Potential Grant Funding

Your Faculty Career Relate your career goals to:

– Position Opening– Priorities of School– Type of University

Research abstracts Biographical sketch Sample Lecture Dissertation Presentation Research Agenda

(Source: Dantzig, 2011)

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Negotiating Startup Package

Salary Reduced teaching load in years 1-2 GRA for at least 1 year Travel costs to annual conferences Summer salary for first summer Proper office and office technology Paid return trip to locate housing School grant support

(Source: Dantzig, 2011)

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Weighing Offers

Increasing/Decreasing Institutional Reputation

School Commitment to Your Expertise Area

Collaboration Opportunities Quality of Students Teaching Loads TA Support Interdisciplinary Research

Support

Quality of Facilities

Research/Grants Support

Geography

Quality of Life in Area

Organizational Culture

Level of Grant Funding

Level of Seed Grants

Spouse Support

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Chief Online Sources

Higher Ed Jobs: www.higheredjobs.com

Chronicle of Higher Education:

http://chronicle.com/section/Jobs/61/

APPAM:

https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/DynamicPag

e.aspx?Site=APPAM&WebCode=career

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Other Sources

Web sites of academic associations

Annual conferences of academic associations

Academic and professional journals

Web sites of professional associations

PPGSA T-Square Site/Career Planning

Your Graduate Studies Director/Adviser

Your Mentor

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5: Special Case:Technology Transfer

An Illustrated

Career Pathway

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Technology Transfer

Definition of the Field

Key Stakeholders

Occupations Supporting Technology Transfer

Case: University Tech Transfer Manager

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Technology Transfer Defined

Technology transfer is the process of sharing of skills, knowledge,

technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing

and facilities among governments and other institutions to ensure

that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a

wider range of users who can then further develop and exploit the

technology into new products, processes, applications, materials or

services. It is closely related to (and may arguably be considered a

subset of) knowledge transfer.

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Knowledge Transfer Defined

Knowledge transfer in the fields of organizational development and

organizational learning is the practical problem of transferring

knowledge from one part of the organization to another (or all other)

part(s) of the organization. Like Knowledge Management, Knowledge

transfer seeks to organize, create, capture or distribute knowledge

and ensure its availability for future users. Knowledge transfer

recognizes that (1) knowledge resides in organizational members,

tools, tasks, and their subnetworks and (2) much knowledge in

organizations is tacit or hard to articulate.

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Knowledge Management

Knowledge management (KM) comprises a range of strategies

and practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent,

distribute, and enable adoption of insights and experiences. Such

insights and experiences comprise knowledge, either embodied in

individuals or embedded in organizational processes or practice.

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Key Players in Technology Transfer

USDOCSBA/SBIR

US PatentOffice

Entrepreneurs Corporations

EconomicDev.

Agency

AngelInvestors

VentureCapitalists

ResearchUniversity

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Tech TransferCareer Pathways

Government Universities R&D Corporations Econ. Dev. Agencies TT Consulting Firms

TT: Industrial LiaisonAssociate/Officer

OSP: Contracting Officer

Dept: ResearchAdministrator

Research Dev.Director

GovernmentalRelations Liaison

Investment Analyst& Relations Officer

US Grants &Contracts Specialist

Business Plan/Startup Coach

Business Dev.Manager

Marketing Associate

University RelationsAssociate

Investor RelationsLiaison

Marketing ResearchAssociate

Chamber Liaison

EDC Bus. Dev.Associate

Municipal EDOfficers

Regional EDAOfficers

Commercial REAnalyst

US: SBIROfficers

US: NSFOfficers

US: SBAOfficers

US: Patent Officer

Intellectual PropertyManager

Tech AssessmentAnalyst

IncubatorManager

Licensing Associate

IncubatorManagerTechnology Scout

Foundations Director,Corporate Relations

Federal RelationsOfficer

Project Manager

Technology Scout

Patent Attorney

State CommerceOfficer

State TechnologyOfficer

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University TT Office

Educates researchers about IP processes.

Assists researchers with IP and patenting.

Assesses market potential of inventions/IP.

Identifies potential industry partners.

Negotiates license agreements.

Forms start-up companies.

Identifies investors.

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TT Manager’s Responsibilities

Develop university policy. Develop grant proposals. Manage post-doctoral researchers and research assistants. Draft contracts for research. Manage consulting activities. Train researchers in research ethics. Surveying campus-wide ongoing research projects. Identify IP and patenting opportunities. Process patenting. Market IP and patents to markets, investors, entrepreneurs. Process license agreements. Support university spinoffs and incubators.

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References

Dantzig, Jonathan A. (2011) Landing an Academic Job: The Process and the Pitfalls. University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign

Freeman, Richard B. (2006) “Does Globalization of the Scientific/Engineering Workforce Threaten U.S. Economic Leadership?” Innovation Policy and the Economy 6

Golde, Chris M. and Timothy M. Dore. (2001) At Cross Purposes: What the Experiences of Today’s Doctoral Students Reveal about Doctoral Education.

Preston, Anne E. (2004) Leaving Science: Occupational Exit from Scientific Careers. NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

Hermanowicz, Joseph C. The Stars are Not Enough: Scientists—Their Passions and Professions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.