gradPSYCH - September 2011 - (Page 18)
CAREER CENTER
The new academic job market
With university positions in steep decline, be prepared to take your psychology research training to the wider world.
BY KIRSTEN WEIR
C
asey Holtz, PhD, thought he did everything right to secure an academic research position. As a graduate student at Marquette University in Milwaukee, he vigilantly honed his research and clinical skills, took leadership roles in his department and on campus, and published an impressive dozen papers before completing his PhD in 2010. Still, he found a difficult job market awaiting him. Initially, he hoped to find a position that mixed research and teaching, but several promising leads came up empty after a nationwide search. In the end, he accepted a teaching job at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. “I love this school,” he says. But to get the mix of experience he craves, he also sees patients at a clinic and does independent research at a local hospital — all on top of his full-time teaching job. The workload is definitely challenging. But, he says, “I want to stay in a position to be competitive.”
Holtz is hardly alone in his frustrations. Across disciplines, academic jobs are in short supply. “In the social sciences, about 40 percent of doctorate recipients end up in nonacademic positions,” says Robert Sowell, PhD, vice president for programs and operations at the Council of Graduate Schools. But you can boost your odds of securing a spot on faculty. And for talented psychologists, plenty of opportunities exist outside academia, as well.
Controlling costs
Traditional tenure-track jobs in academia are increasingly rare, and several experts point to funding as a big factor in that trend. “The real issue right now is the economy,” Sowell says. “Institutions are cutting back.” Those cost-cutting measures have resulted in an increase in visiting professorships, contract positions and part-time posts, which often pay less than tenure-track jobs. Part-time positions, in particular, save colleges money because they often don’t include
18 • gradPSYCH • September 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of gradPSYCH - September 2011
GradPSYCH - September 2011
Contents
Interns: Be sure to track your hours
Students often notice but only sometimes blow the whistle on peers’ ethical violations
Psychology student spearheads coming-out project
Internship application costs rise
Odd Jobs
Media Picks
Chair’s Corner
Research Roundup
Matters to a Degree
The new academic job market
Applier beware
Does TV accurately portray psychology?
Safer travels
How to handle a tough audience
Free Money for Education
Meet your new advocates
Bulletin Board
Jobs, internships, postdocs and other opportunities
The Back Page
gradPSYCH - September 2011
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