Job Prospects and No Funding..

[suspechosa]

Hello everyone. I just found this forum and I have a couple questions. I posted these in another grad forum (so sorry if you're seeing this for a second time) but I didn't get nearly as many responses as I was hoping for. Any and ALL opinions are very much appreciated and anyone who wants to share similar worries/situations- please comment!

1. I am concerned about the academic job market, however I am pursuing a PhD because I want to be a professor and cannot imagine myself being remotely happy doing anything else. On that note, say I go through 5-8 years of graduate study, come out with a PhD and cannot find an academic job after a couple years of trying to do so. Then what? I will have to eat and have a roof over my head..would a PhD make it impossible to switch careers like say do nursing or teach high school or something less interesting??

2. I have received one acceptance and it's to my top choice school. HOWEVER, there is no funding available for first year students but most get TA positions in their second year and beyond. I have enough saved up thanks to taking some time off to be able to pay the reasonable tuition and living expenses for one year BUT I don't know if this is the smartest thing to do.

On the one hand, I want this SO bad, it's my dream school with my dream advisor but I can't help but feel cheated and offended that I wasn't given funding (which is silly because I was told only a few did thanks to budget cuts, yay).

I don't know what to do or what is the smartest thing to do.

Should I dump the ego and go anyway (or maybe it's not an ego issue at all- as many have said no funding= no go..BUT with this economic climate I'm not sure things are that simple anymore, just because you don't get funding for one year doesn't mean they don't want you it may mean there is no money..) or should I apply next year, try to beef up my app, and hope for a funded offer? (I say this is a risk because my GRE scores are really bad..like just above 1000 and I studied so so hard and took the test twice and got the same crap score..I really do not see myself able to boost it up and make myself more competitive in that area so maybe this is the only offer of acceptance I will ever see...)

I really, really appreciate any advice or guidance as i am VERY confused and scared I will make the wrong decision. Thanks.

[lilg]

Do it. If your heart is so there, it's worth the risk-- but then again I am a serious risk taker:)

[Lascaux3]

You're not alone in this situation at all. Don't feel cheated. I know several really amazing people that weren't offered funding at their first choice because the school simply didn't have any money. That said, it's hard to give solid advice without more information. May I ask what school you're referring to? (feel free to PM me if you feel more comfortable) I'm doing Paleolithic archaeology but have some familiarity with physical programs.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about getting a job 5-8 years down the road as much as I would worry about carrying a substantial debt burden. If you already have enough money saved up for one year that's amazing. If your potential adviser and the program overall have a really good reputation, I'd probably go for it, especially if you are likely to get funding after your first year. Also, have you been in contact with your profs from undergrad? You could probably use their advice right about now.

[ANP]

Suspechosa,

I understand your dilemma. Firstly, CONGRATULATIONS on your acceptance to your first choice pick!! VERY impressive, especially given how competitive this year was.

Now, I would say its time to examine your current financial situation. How much debt did you accrue during undergrad? For me, I made the mistake of going massively into student loan debt as an undergrad (grrr... the things that don't seem to compute when you're 17!), so there is no way I would be able to pay for my first year in. However, if you are not massively in debt already, you still have room to weigh your options. The next question, logically, is how much debt are you going to go in for your first year? Added with undergrad debt, is this a feasible number to have to pay off in the future? The last, and perhaps most important question, is what are your chances of being fully funded for the rest of your PhD?!? I would go directly to the department for concrete answers on this one (especially from current grad students). I couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to be one year into a program that you ADORE and get the "sorry, no funding" smack in the face. If it looks like your chances of getting funding for the rest of your PhD time is relatively high, and your debt load to date isn't too bad, I say go for it. If you really love it that much and you are completely passionate about the research you would be doing in the department -- and if the thought of passing on this opportunity makes you positively sick to your stomach -- then trust your gut and FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!

(Follow your dreams is always the right answer afterall... right? )

Now, that being said, if you crunch the numbers and get a much more nauseating feeling than when you imagined what it would be like to pass on this opportunity, then it might be a good idea to reconsider. Paleoanthropology is a great field in terms of beefing up your application in non-gre related ways, i.e. there are plenty of field schools and research opportunities (museums, labs, etc.) out there.

Regardless of the decision you make, GOOD LUCK! Keep us updated...

[suspechosa]

Suspechosa,

I understand your dilemma. Firstly, CONGRATULATIONS on your acceptance to your first choice pick!! VERY impressive, especially given how competitive this year was.

Now, I would say its time to examine your current financial situation. How much debt did you accrue during undergrad? For me, I made the mistake of going massively into student loan debt as an undergrad (grrr... the things that don't seem to compute when you're 17!), so there is no way I would be able to pay for my first year in. However, if you are not massively in debt already, you still have room to weigh your options. The next question, logically, is how much debt are you going to go in for your first year? Added with undergrad debt, is this a feasible number to have to pay off in the future? The last, and perhaps most important question, is what are your chances of being fully funded for the rest of your PhD?!? I would go directly to the department for concrete answers on this one (especially from current grad students). I couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to be one year into a program that you ADORE and get the "sorry, no funding" smack in the face. If it looks like your chances of getting funding for the rest of your PhD time is relatively high, and your debt load to date isn't too bad, I say go for it. If you really love it that much and you are completely passionate about the research you would be doing in the department -- and if the thought of passing on this opportunity makes you positively sick to your stomach -- then trust your gut and FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!

(Follow your dreams is always the right answer afterall... right? )

Now, that being said, if you crunch the numbers and get a much more nauseating feeling than when you imagined what it would be like to pass on this opportunity, then it might be a good idea to reconsider. Paleoanthropology is a great field in terms of beefing up your application in non-gre related ways, i.e. there are plenty of field schools and research opportunities (museums, labs, etc.) out there.

Regardless of the decision you make, GOOD LUCK! Keep us updated...

Thanks for your reply

..I worked full time during undergrad and paid for my education that way, so I don't have any undergrad debt and I believe I have saved up enough to support myself for the first year so I wouldn't have to go into debt for that either...but still money's money and I don't know if doing my first year unfunded is the smartest thing to do.

I do need to get more concrete answers from the dept regarding funding. How do I ask grad students this? It wont seem rude or nosey? Should I also ask my potential advisor- I think I should but I don't want to pester him and have him think I'm annoying!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your help!!

[suspechosa]

You're not alone in this situation at all. Don't feel cheated. I know several really amazing people that weren't offered funding at their first choice because the school simply didn't have any money. That said, it's hard to give solid advice without more information. May I ask what school you're referring to? (feel free to PM me if you feel more comfortable) I'm doing Paleolithic archaeology but have some familiarity with physical programs.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about getting a job 5-8 years down the road as much as I would worry about carrying a substantial debt burden. If you already have enough money saved up for one year that's amazing. If your potential adviser and the program overall have a really good reputation, I'd probably go for it, especially if you are likely to get funding after your first year. Also, have you been in contact with your profs from undergrad? You could probably use their advice right about now.

PMed you!!

[ANP]

*GASP*, You mean you'll have NO debt?!? What are you waiting for! GO! You will get a job down the line, never you mind about that. If you are passionate about your research, then go for it! I would still check with current grad students and POI. It's not annoying, it just shows that you're interested and seriously considering their offer. The current grad students were incredibly helpful at my future department, and I've found that most of them are more than happy to spill the beans. Definitely find one or two to contact. Most are used to it anyways.

Well, that's my two cents anywho.

[intextrovert]

I sent you a PM about your main question.

To answer your first question about the job market - it is indeed bad. Really bad in the humanities, and I think just slightly better in the social sciences (though I'm not sure about that). There's a lot of fear-mongering about going to PhD programs in disciplines like ours with no totally obvious application outside of academia, but here's how I think of it and how I've heard people that really seem to have it together say they think of it: my work is inherently valuable to me, and though of course I'm doing this because I want to be a scholar and TT prof more than anything, it's not all about the endgame. Grad school will likely be close to seven years of my life, and if what I'm doing there stops being intrinsically valuable to me, I'll just quit. I currently teach high school English at a truly, truly wonderful private school. I love my job in a lot of ways. A lot of my fellow faculty have PhDs, which are coveted by the school. So no, if anything, having a PhD will qualify you more for some jobs, and teaching high school, particularly at elite high schools, is one. I think it's good, for both practicality and sanity's sake, to have a backup plan or two while still devotedly pursuing the TT path. That means being conscious of trying to build not just skills for academia while in school, but also teaching experience, or things like government jobs or publishing - those things are there, and it's good to take the opportunities. Again, I'm going to keep my eyes on the prize, but dream jobs are so scarce these days that you've got to be honest with yourself and make sure you don't have a TT-or-die attitude, because even at Ivies that's no guarantee. Ending up at a wonderful school like the one I teach at now does not sound like the end of the world to me, if not ideal. And hey, I'd have a PhD, which would raise my earning potential there, plus 6+ years of exploring my meaningful-to-me research questions under my belt (with fond memories of living in poverty). And I'd still have a shot at that dream professorship. Sounds good to me.

I think it's important to hang on to that perspective.

Good luck!

Edited March 29, 2010 by intextrovert

[lily_]

The answer to your first point, to me at least, is how do graduates of your dream program fare on the job market? This is something to look at and ask your potential adviser prior to accepting. Many of the programs I looked into when I asked this question said, "well graduate x went onto get their law degree afterwards." Some programs will not help you at all in the job market. Others will. However, there is a saying that "it's the gunner, not the gun." So even if your program does not have great stats for job placement in academia afterwards, if you come out with a few publications and a revolutionary dissertation that gets cited a lot in other publications by various bigwigs, you're likely to be more successful on the job market. It seems a lot of anthropology PhDs find post-docs and adjunct positions, which usually do not pay as well as tenured professorships, but it's a way to get your foot in the door. Unfortunately adjuncting typically does not give you time or funding to do research and continue to publish after you graduate, however many post-docs the end result is a publication with your name on it (if you're lucky it's a monograph or a long article). PhDs in anthropology can end up teaching (it varies state-by-state whether you need additional school or testing to get a teaching certificate) highschool, and even some community colleges allow MA graduates or ABDs to teach. Again though, these jobs will likely not offer you funding to continue to publish or research your desired area. If you're in the archaeology subfield, there is always CRM, however with this economy and the housing market collapse these jobs are often few and far between, but you fare much better if you have the PhD than a BA or MA to get a permanent, salaried position. Some CRM is even funded by the government, overseeing state and local parks and whatnot. There are possibilities, but it appears that no matter how you slice it you're going to be running up hill.

That said, I'm of the belief that nothing in this life that's worth doing is supposed to be easy. If this is your dream and your passion, then go for it. Do what it takes. Work hard, do your best and see where your chips fall. Thomas Jefferson said, "the harder I work, the more luck I find."

About the funding, if you have saved enough to survive for a year without taking loans then I would not worry about it, however, be careful in departments where TA/RAships can be competitive. One year without funding, especially if you have savings and can afford it, is not that bad. Many programs don't offer funding period.

In the end, don't worry about what the smartest thing to do is. Do you love the field? Are you passionate about what you intend to study? Does the idea of following the "path of least resistance" give you a sinking feeling in your gut like you just got stood up for the prom? Then go for it. Do what it takes. Would you rather look back at your life and see that you did the "smart" thing, or that you took risks that may or may not pay off financially in the long run, but are so much more interesting and fulfilling then say going for that MBA or finding yourself in a cubicle for the rest of your life.

Best of luck!!!