Can I say I don't want to go into academia?

[wb3060]

I will finish my masters' degree at the end of this year and soon will be applying for PhD programs (political science) in the DC area. Do you think it would hurt me to say in my SOP that my career goals are on the gov/think tank track rather than academia? I'm worried it will, but it seems unavoidable. I can't skip talking about my future plans. Thoughts? 

[ShadowFairy]

Not every professor who reads your SOP will assume you want to remain in academia after obtaining your PhD. It is a very tight job market, after all. In fact, most students after they get their PhD don't. So as long as you don't make a big deal out of it, you should articulate what you plan on doing after graduate studies especially if it's government-related stuff. 

Try to tie in how your graduate research could assist you for your future career goals, if anything.

[fuzzylogician]

I think it's perfectly fine not to want a job in academia. Plenty of people who get PhDs end up in industry or government jobs, especially in the kind of field you are going into.  I would just phrase this intention using positive language and not dwell much on what you don't want to do. So, "After graduating, I am particularly interested in obtaining a job in government, for example in a think tank or as a [whatever the job description of a relevant gov employee would be]."

[braindump]

I agree with the above replies. Plenty of people don't go into academia after they graduate and plenty of people seek out graduate schools with the intention of following into industry/government. As long as you can explain why a PhD would be helpful to your career goals, you will be fine. You also want to be sure that the program you attend has the appropriate resources for you to go into government rather than academia. This is also something you should look into when you are on visits and interviews.

[ShadowFairy]

Remember this: getting a PhD simply entails to becoming an 'expert' in your field, so to speak. It's a common stereotype that people who want to get their PhD also want to go into academia. The reason being because that's an essential phase for if you want to get into the dwellings of higher education, whereas the same for if you want to become a lawyer is usually a JD, for a doctor an MD, etc. But honestly it really depends on what you plan doing with your career, which of course is the whole purpose of your SOP. 

Edited September 6, 2015 by RideTheLightning469

[StudyStar]

I actually think it could be advantageous, especially if most PhD candidates in your field eventually go into academia. It could distinguish you from the pack and provide interesting material for the SOP.

Feel free to send me a message if you want additional professional guidance (I work for a writing/editing/consulting company focused on grad school admissions.)

Pete

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