5 Things You Should Never Say to a Jobless PhD (or an Employed Adjunct)

I'd better hurry up and post this because I won't be jobless for long!!

If you know a PhD who is not moving forward, for whatever reason, these are the questions/statements you should avoid:

1.  You can't get a job with a PhD?  

Actually, no. I've been trying for 2 years. Things just aren't working out for me right now. I'm either too qualified or I don't have enough experience, or they don't get back to me at all. Funny. These are the same problems I had when searching for a job after my bachelor's degree. Some things never change. If I had gotten a job after my B.S. and worked for the last 10 years, I would probably be much further along than I am now. Hind sight is 20/20 I suppose.

The Ph.D Bust: America's Awful Market for Young Scientists—in 7 Charts

Thank you PHDCOMICS for adding a little humor to a horrific reality.

2. Can I have your office?

Yes. With the power invested in me I bequeath my office, and all the belongings therein, unto you. May you use the space wisely by advancing knowledge and inspiring undergraduates. May the window, a rare commodity among graduate student offices, bring you joy, good fortune, and inspiration.

I have no power over anything, especially room assignments. I hope you can get this office, but be warned, there is bad mojo in here.

3. I don't care if I'm flipping burgers when I graduate, I just want to be finished.

Lies. 

Ignorance.

You will care. If you have spent this much time, effort, and money on your education, then you have an unspoken measure of success that you will hold yourself to. A minimum wage job that can be filled by a 16 year old will not be fulfilling. It's great to set one goal at a time (e.g. defending your dissertation), but don't expect those goals to end once you graduate. You'll always have a measure of success that you hold yourself to. Please don't belittle my experience.

4. I have so many post-doc opportunities, I don't know which one to choose!

Wow, thanks for that.

I'm happy that you aren't married, don't have kids, or any other situations that might tie you down. Fly like a bird. Conquer the world. Find Sasquatch.

I sincerely wish all my colleagues the best and I hope they succeed. I hold no ill-will toward them.  I just wish their enthusiasm could be tempered by empathy for someone who does not have as many opportunities. The lack of opportunities is not due to a lack of trying. If you only knew how many post-doc employers I called, asking (begging) them to consider me and let me work long distance, then you might think twice about bragging.

5. You'll get back into academia, it might just take a few years.

I'm glad you are a dreamer! I was once idealistic and naive like you. Please, never loose that quality. Once you learn that your future is largely impacted by who you know and what you can do to advance their careers, you'll loose that innocence. So, my response to you is, "Thank you for the encouragement. You're probably right. Some things just take time. My time will come."

Unfortunately, in the sciences, once you are out of academia for a time, you rarely have the chance to get back in. I have worked as an adjunct for a year. I've been told that not having a post-doc is equivalent to the black plague in academia. My academic career is dead. 

So, I'm moving on. It took some time, but I just accepted a great position working in an office with amazing people. I may not be "academic material" to some, but I'm going to make my mark on this world. I'm going to continue to work hard and eventually, I will reach my measure of success.

I had the American dream. I worked for it. Now I'm an adjunct.

America is the land of opportunity, where dreams are fulfilled and success is guaranteed as long as you work hard and persevere.


Our former president, Bill Clinton, said "The American Dream that we were all raised on is a simple but powerful one- if you work hard and play by the rules you should be given a chance to go as far as your God-given ability will take you" (Speech to Democratic Leadership Council, 1993).

Even our childhood classrooms were filled with posters that said something to the effect of "reach for the stars" or "never give up".


But, what happens when you work hard, reach for the stars, never give up, endure, persevere, and yet, you still have not obtained anything close to the American dream? You can't even get your foot in the door? In my particular case, you become an adjunct.

My Dream

I had the dream of being an academic. Living in a world of scholarship, teaching, and service. I began this dream 14 years ago as I entered higher education as a lively, idealistic student of biology. I loved math and science, I always had, and I knew I could mold that love into a passionate career. Granted, that dream began with me wanting to be a MD and teach at a medical school, but the basic foundation was always there. I was built for the academic life. I did everything right. I was diligent with my studies. I published papers (one was published two weeks after childbirth - yep, I'm awesome). I worked relentlessly (which I owe to my parent's amazing work ethic). I attended and presented at conferences. I made sure to have diverse experiences. I finished my PhD. Then.....nothing.

Before I proceed, I want to clear the air. I have two major limitations for an academic career: mobility and "freedom."

I am a trailing spouse and my significant other is not in academia. For those who don't know, a trailing spouse is one who follows their partner's career because they make more money, have more opportunities, whatever it may be. I'm the one who has to find a job AFTER my husband because he has a good career that allows us to live a comfortable life. Also, my spouse is not an academic (thank goodness), meaning that I do not have the pull or negotiating power for a spousal accommodation. Because of this, I am limited to where I can live, and therefore, work. Despite many efforts of myself, and my PhD adviser (who was and is amazing), I have not been able to find an academic job in the city where I finished my PhD. My mobility is limited, therefore my job opportunities are limited.

In addition to not being mobile, I do not have the freedom that many of my academic counterparts do. I am the primary care-taker of the young children in our family. This is a big responsibility that takes energy, time, and thoughtfulness. Since my husband has secure employment, my first priority is taking care of my family. I only know of a few women in the sciences, or academia in general, who are highly successful in their careers as well as motherhood. Usually, one of those is compromised, and for mothers with young children it tends to be their careers.

What is an Adjunct?

Without being too dramatic, I'd like to define an adjunct for you. An adjunct is a part-time employee of higher education institutions that is paid per class, hired by semester, and does not receive benefits (even though we pay into state retirement funds). The wages earned by adjuncts are far below the poverty line. Put bluntly, we are an out-sourced labor force for higher education.

We LOVE to teach. We LOVE to learn. We LOVE inspiring students. We are also idealistic. These are the very characteristics of our personalities that make us exploitable. We honestly believe that if we work hard enough, someone will notice and give us a "real" job doing what we love.  Our ability to endure, persevere, and work hard despite proper acknowledgement and compensation actually hold us back. People know that we will work for peanuts, all because we have to keep our CVs current in order to be competitive for faculty positions. It's sad, really. They use our finest qualities to keep us servants of the system.

In fact, the situation is so bad, that many adjuncts are going on welfare and living on food stamps. I don't know about you, but earning a Ph.D. and THEN living on food stamps is not my idea of the American Dream.

Many of you will probably say that you have to start at the bottom and then move up. Adjuncts are at the bottom, so you've got that part right. However, adjuncts rarely get the opportunity to move up and if they do, it's after YEARS of service. One of the reasons most adjuncts do not advance in their department is because their position is stigmatized. Being an adjunct is a shameful position and is typically looked-down upon by other professionals. You're seen as the person who didn't make it or couldn't cut it in academia. Once you are classified as an adjunct, it's a hard title to shake.

My Situation


First of all, I want to make it very clear that I am happy to have a job. The department does not owe me anything, and yet they choose to let me teach one of their largest classes. I appreciate the opportunity and I have enjoyed the experience. However, I see adjunct positions as temporary. I gave myself one year, and if I couldn't make anything from that experience then I would move on.

Well, it's been a year. Looks like I'm moving on.

I recently accepted an amazing administrative job in a department where I will grow and develop as a professional. It's still in the world of academia and I still get to teach, but not as a faculty member. Instead, I will be teaching the teachers in academia. I am very excited to be moving forward with my career and I'm elated about this particular opportunity.


Opportunity

Adjuncts are an excellent labor force, if someone can just find a way to tap into it. These individuals are highly educated, highly motivated, they have an incredible work ethic, and they are loyal to the end. If someone could come up with a business model that used an adjunct's skill set (teaching, scholarship, research, service) while also paying them a livable wage, they would have an inexhaustible source of highly qualified employees. Notice that I said LIVABLE WAGE. These people aren't expecting to be millionaires, or even upper-class, they just want to work hard and get a fair wage for their effort. That's what I would call the American Dream. Wouldn't you?



I've had to mourn the loss of my academic dream, but now I'm starting a new dream. Who knows where I'll go from here!