On the enrollment cliff coming to the United States (or seven tips for PhD students in tight job markets). (Part Two)
The enrollment cliff is coming! Higher education is in peril! Tenure will be abolished (except for the elites)! The landscape will be transformed!
That enrollments are declining in parts of the United States is not in question: https://lnkd.in/eiyT3zDb
The question is, what should current & prospective PhD students do to ensure they can navigate declining enrollments, secure their futures, and have a long career?
So, here are seven tips (in order of importance) for surviving tight job markets.
First, you need to select your discipline carefully.
Some disciplines have had chronic labor market problems since the 1970s.
The Humanities have suffered. They continue to suffer. They may always suffer.
If you choose to pursue a Humanities PhD, do it bc you have a vocation, & know you may struggle to find work: https://lnkd.in/eYu99m2A
Business, Engineering, Computer Science, and many other disciplines are flourishing - with solid demand for faculty jobs & industry alternatives.
So, before enrolling, make sure you understand the job market that you will enter post-graduation.
Second, you need to sharpen your presentation skills.
Presenting complex concepts is an essential skill you need for research, teaching, or industry jobs.
Please take some time to learn not only how to deliver a presentation but also how to make a good presentation.
Third, you need to learn to teach.
A one-semester teaching seminar doesn't cut it.
You may be asked to teach hybrid, in-person, and online.
Strong candidates can do all three.
Fourth, you need to join a community.
Attend your major conference every year - after the first.
Go to social events, workshops, and events that make big events smaller.
The friends you make will shape your career trajectory.
Fifth, you must do relevant research.
Studying abstractions is excellent, but relevant research is king when schools hire.
As much as you can, you need to be able to communicate the value of what you study to a layperson & out-of-discipline scholars.
Sixth, you need to demonstrate research independence.
You don't need it for your first job. You do for a second.
The halo effect of your advisor or degree has a short half-life.
Independent scholars find jobs.
Seventh, you must publish.
Publish or perish is real.
You are only mobile - a first or second time - if you have papers in good journals.
Note. I deliberately put research last. Many people construct good research records - but not many people are great storytellers & teachers - cultivate the harder, intangible skills along with the research competencies.
If you pick a discipline where there is demand, present & teach well, AND have a research portfolio, you will be ok.
Best of luck!
Part One: https://lnkd.in/em9TRkNP
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