Working in Higher Education

[sinjon123]

Hi, moi again, endless questions.

I was doing a masters which I deferred.

Then I returned to complete it (it was supposed to be one year) but I have extensions, extending it to another full year.

The reasons where between bullying at college and personal problems (deaths, health, explosion of family stress).

With deaths in the family, I just felt a sense of questioning by the time I finish, people around me in my life could be dead and then i started to overload and try to achieve everything at once. questioning my whole life and what im doing, etc.

I'm getting back on track, and for the first time I could feel myself enjoying the work, and getting into living it again, and *finally restoring my aspirations for this career, after feeling guttingly sad and scared...I can feel a restoration of value to what im doing again.

My original plan was to do a Masters then PhD, and due to all the intervening problems I'm concerned that my chances in this career might be affected. Ive been through every emotion with family stress and the bullying in college on the other side, and i wore my emotions on my sleeve, and i guess i was openly vulnerable emotions.

However, I'm starting to regain my *undergrad self back and feeling stronger and thinking more effectively, though im still on the mend


I'd like to pursue a phd, before I lose anymore time out of my life (because its been a significant set back, as I was only 22 at the time and couldve been very successful very early, and instead, i feel like this *old person at 25 achieving things late which really bothers me because I lost my chance when I had it due to all these intense things that were happening)


I was wondering if anyone has any advice, about going into the field of higher education...do you think that a masters in education is a good idea before pursuing a phd?

and secondly, i think my *reputation has been significantly shattered due to these situations.Though I know I'm on the mend and getting myself back to myself again with the help of the counsellor luckily enough

I was just wondering then, what kinds of areas to I need to get into and work on for a job in higher education? what things can I do to improve my CV?

I'm not getting many chances to improve my situation with my CV, and I was wondering how I can overcome this, faster?

I would like to pursue more courses, and travel, whilst on a PhD if I can do that with a home-base. But with regards job opportunities etc.

As an undergrad. I researched all this before, so I was career planning at the time and highly focused on my studies and making the best out of improving my personal development and efficiency and researching academic standards.
I remember reading at the time that you need to complete 2 yrs independent research after a phd, is there a way to maintain a solid wages to start your life and live well and pursue a phd (and travel etc.)...

Are there opportunities for networking with other students at other universities, I do know you can at conferences... like I'd like to be more involved in dynamic situations and meet students who are more enthusiastic, dynamic and bright, and willing to share intellectually, because there's only a small few students in my area and they are really negative and agitated competitive and it gets really contagiously toxic environment and its kind of takes the value and worth from what youre doing, and you cant be open with them you kind of have to shut down around them and be dull so they wont pick on you for being excited and enthusiastic

So, how do you achieve a high level of meeting people in your area, so that networking becomes a faster and more dynamic experience. And so with a phd, I know many colleges dont allow you to register for 2 different courses whilst pursing one, but I feel that during this masters that the essay space was too short, and i felt it cramped and stiffled the amount i could produce, and it holds me back as i need to be working in a dynamic environment, fast and working functional....and i know im going to find it very difficult to find that, so i was looking for advice PLEASe

The problem is I was very enthusiastic when I started the MMus, and instead of meeting with other enthusiastic people, I guess I met with students who kind of were condescending and put you down for being like that.

(I suppose these were my aspirations before the intense bullying started and then home problems, when I really had no idea what I was being pulled into at the time) _ which are eventually coming back to me.

[JeremyNoelJohnson]

I would try shortening these questions and desires into smaller chunks and asking questions about them one by one. I think people are less apt to answer this because there are just so many questions. What is the # 1 thing here that you are interested in doing, and let's start with that.

[Happy Giraffe]

The job market in academia is staggeringly bad at the moment, possibly the worst it's ever been, due to the financial crisis (university endowments are down 25 to 30%). Do not go on to a Ph.D. until and unless you have thoroughly educated yourself on the job market and are willing to pursue long-term studies with a low likelihood of getting a tenure-track job. For example, in fields such as English and history, universities posting tenure-track jobs are getting as many as 300 to 400 applicants per position. Also, you will need a thick skin. The competition in graduate programs is intense.

If you're considering academic administration rather than a teaching job, the odds of finding employment may be a little bit better, but I'm not sure how much. For more information about the academic job market, I advise you to lurk on the fora of the Chronicle of Higher Education and read some of the recent threads. You'll find much useful information about succeeding in graduate school, job prospects, etc.

[sinjon123]

I guess though thats happening with most jobs, and I've tried hundreds of jobs in different areas and not being sucessful

my original plan was the phd, so I dont think I'll go far wrong doing what I like doing...it might be 4 years before finishing so, things might start to pick up around then...

Where can I access the correct information on the 'Chronicle of Higher Education' (I'm not sure where to start)

[Happy Giraffe]

I wouldn't count on things picking up in four years. The market for tenure-track jobs has been worsening steadily for at least the last 20 years, as colleges have been decreasing tenure-track lines and replacing tenured faculty with adjuncts earning much less than you could earn working full-time at McDonald's. Also, remember the opportunity cost: the money you could earn during the years you would be spending in graduate school. If you do decide to go, focus on doing a stellar job, getting wonderful recommendations from professors and have a plan B in case you don't find a teaching job. Here's the link to the fora I mentioned: Chronicle Forums - Index

[sinjon123]

Ok, great thanks for the advice.

I've been told though that in the USA, that those working in higher education dont get well paid even prior to recession and that the higher education salary generally has bad rapport over there, as opposed to the situation in Europe which is where I am. Certain parts of Europe apparently have higher standards in the overall situation for academics in terms of salary...I was told that by someone from the USA