Follow our every move   |
planning
Leaving Academia? 5 Questions for MidLife Career Changers
January 5, 2011 | 
Author 
"And the day came when the risk to remain in a tight bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anaïs Nin.
Dr. Robert Vallerand, a professor of psychology at the University of Quebec, Montreal has studied passion which he defines as “…engaging on a regular basis in an activity that we dearly love, find important and that resonates with who we are.” His research identifies two forms of passion: obsessive passion-where the passion controls the person – and harmonious passion – where the person controls the passion. Guess which one is useful and which one is harmful for a career changer?
When considering career plans or career transitions, one is often advised to “follow the passion” and a career path will emerge. However, there are two problems with this: 1) There is no direct correlation between “doing what you love” and the money your earn (I think most academics have experienced this!); and 2) Dr. Vallerand’s research showed 15-25% of his respondents did not even have identifiable passions. If you are considering leaving academia, instead of relying on passion to determine the next step, ask yourself these questions: Read more>>
5 Tips For Keeping Your Academic Job Search Organized
On bravely through the sunshine and the showers! Time hath his work to do and we have ours - Ralph Waldo Emerson
It’s that time of year again. Perusing the application deadlines, scanning Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the specialty journals in your field, looking for job openings and deciding which ones you are going to apply for, and then getting all those packages together. Whether you are about to graduate and look for your first tenure-track job, or you are seeking to move laterally for greater responsibility and pay, here are 5 tips for keeping your academic job search organized:
1. Start by thinking it through. Prior to your job search, I recommend you take some time to assess your current progress toward degree completion, long-term career goals, and requirements for personal and career satisfaction. Thinking about these issues not only helps you plan for the future, but also will make you a stronger job candidate by allowing you to more persuasively express your interests and convictions in your cover letter, CV, and interview. Take some time to weigh these ideas:
- What kinds of positions are you considering? Are you willing to consider non-teaching, research jobs or post doc?
- What specializations are you comfortable teaching?
- What are your preferences for a specific type or size of institution?
- What types of positions are you reasonably qualified for? Are you going to apply for the “outliers” or are you going to stay with what you know well?
- What are your geographic preferences?
- Are there personal issues and lifestyle requirements that may influence your search? Spousal hires, children school age, etc.?
- When will you realistically be prepared to begin a full-time position? Are you really going to be ready to start a new job fall semester 2011?
- Do you need to be more assertive about setting up interim completion dates for finishing and defending? Is your advisor helping or hindering in this process?
- What happens if you accept a position prior to completion of the dissertation? Will you realistically be able to write if teaching four courses? (This may be a moot point now, as most institutions do not need to hire an ABD candidate with so many already finished PhDs on the market, but it still bears consideration.)
2. Stay organized. If you are applying for multiple positions, you will quickly find that it is easy to lose track of the status of each application. It is very important to organize your materials from the beginning of your search, as it will help you be sharp and prepared in the event that you are unexpectedly (and happily) contacted for an interview via telephone.
3. Keep a notebook. Maintain organized files of position announcements, materials submitted, and information about respective institutions in a notebook. Make sure you have pockets to put materials in, so you don’t have to three-hole punch everything you want to keep. If you get an on site interview, you can take just the folder portion that applies to a particular job and go. Things to keep in the notebook:
- Position announcement. (It’s also good to keep this if you get hired for your tenure file.)
- A copy of all application materials submitted.
- Acknowledgment letters received.
- Notes about any conversations with members of the search committee.
- Notes from interviews and relevant telephone conversations.
- Additional information gathered about that institution from the web, particularly about specialty areas for other members of the department, to enhance collegiality.
- A copy of letters of acceptance or rejection.
- A note about notes: These are for you to help you remember; since you are not in the hiring position, it’s ok to write next to a name, “Bald guy interested in ancient Celts of the Steppes.”
4. Keep a log. In addition, you should probably also maintain a centralized record or logbook of dates associated with each position at the front of the notebook. This can help you prioritize applications, meet crucial deadlines, and better manage the entire process.
5. Keep materials electronically. It’s easy to maintain an electronic file of your own materials (cover letter, CV, etc.), and where possible, you may want to include electronic files from your correspondents. However, you will likely need to retain hard copies of the materials you receive back from the institution.
Remembering to organize your job search from the outset by following these simple recommendations can greatly reduce the stress of the job search and enhance your ability to enjoy the holiday season as the season for hiring next year’s faculty moves forward into the spring.
Posted in Academic Transitions, Communication, Dreams, career, planning, procrastination | 
Tags: academia, academic, academic departments, academic job search, career, dream, goals, life purpose | 
No Comments »
Should You Go Back to School? Seven Ideas for Increasing Your Skill Set
In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists~ Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983, American social writer and philosopher)
At this point in time, anyone who has school age children has settled them into this year’s routine of classes and homework. The adults in their lives have settled back into their routine of work, supervising homework, and getting all the rest of the household management done. Perhaps it is time consider the question, “Should I go back to school?”
The answer to that is: it depends. Pick up any magazine, newspaper, or tune into your favorite news station and you will see how we are fast becoming a global economy. Are you prepared? How will it impact your skill set? Computers have changed everything in the way we work, no matter what our jobs, in just a few short decades. The worldwide web combined with cloud computing is going to change the way we handle, store and retrieve information even more in the years to come. Employers are demanding complex thinkers, fresh ideas, and a variety of skill sets from employees that will help navigate this global economy.
So, what should you do? Ask yourself: What do you see yourself doing in your work life if there were no perceived obstacles in your way? Give yourself the freedom to brainstorm without editing your thoughts. Do not allow yourself to play the “yes, but” game, giving the reasons you cannot do something before you even try it.
Here are seven ideas to prime the pump:
1) Learn a new language.
Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as the lingua franca of the modern era. Worldwide, approximately 375 million people speak English as their first language and 96% of Americans speak English. Linguistics professor David Crystal of Bangor University in Wales calculates that non-native English speakers now outnumber native speakers by a ratio of 3 to 1 (2005). However, with 836 million speakers, Madarin Chinese is actually the most widely spoken language in the world. Spanish, with 329,000,000 speakers worldwide ranks third, followed by Arabic and then Hindi. So learn one of those languages if you already speak English.
2) Keep up your computer skills.
Even if it’s just learning to operate a new program that you haven’t used before, from Powerpoint to Quickbooks, give it a shot. Learn what it takes to keep a website updated. Figure out how to blog and use your social networks. 95% of all hiring employers now look at a Linked In profile before they decide whether or not to set up an interview. This includes academic jobs.
3) Read the latest books and trade magazines.
You are already reading the specialty journals, but it pays to know about the wider world. Check out the New York Times Book Review for hot nonfiction sellers. Be aware of trendsetting ideas to see the big picture, and figure out your place in it. Relax by reading biographies of people you admire, whether it’s a historical person like Abigail Adams, or a current mogul like Warren Buffett. Check out websites that relate to your area of expertise, and have fun looking at sites like Big Think or TED. You are bound to get some insights you can incorporate into your learning.
4) Keep your C.V. updated, even if you are not currently looking for a job.
You just never know when someone is going to come along who finds you interesting and capable. Be ready to show them exactly what you have done, and how you have kept your skills updated. Look at the academic jobs being advertised in your field. How have they changed from the time you were offered the position you now have? Could you still get that job if you interviewed today?
5) Go back to school.
Whether you decide to pursue another degree, or just to take an informal course with a topic that interests you, challenge your brain to expand. Common wisdom once held our brains were fully formed by about age 20, and would not change. Through MRI brain scanning, we now know that the brain is capable of creating new pathways, firing new neuron connections, and make unexpected connections. Enhancing the neuroplasticity of your brain can keep you on a path of life long learning.
6) Teach what you don’t know.
There is no better way to learn something new than to teach it to someone else. If you have an interest in a particular topic, or a skill you want to learn, go ahead and offer to teach it. You will be staying 1-2 steps ahead of your students, but as long as you are ahead, that’s fine. The trick with this is knowing the main points about the topic that the students should know when they finish, and not going off onto too many interesting tangents. New professors have plenty of opportunity to experiment with this.
7) Work with an academic career coach.
If you’re feeling like you need a change or change happens to you (for instance, you are denied tenure), start working with an academic career coach to plan your future. A good strategist will help you: a) describe what you want; b) explore your options; c) create and implement your action plan; and d) celebrate with you when you get exactly what you want for an exciting and fulfilling career in or out of academia.
As the slogan of the US Army between 1980 and 2001 declared, are you ready to “be all that you can be?” Take some risky action today by learning and using something new.
Posted in Academic Transitions, Dreams, career, planning | Tags: academia, academic, academic departments, academic writing, be prepared, becoming yourself, career, change, goals, life purpose, planning, transition | 17 Comments »
Establishing S.M.A.R.T. and S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard
August, when most colleges and universities are about to resume classes, is a great time to think about goals, before the classes and institutional goals that must be met in the fall semester ramp up. This is the time to think clearly about what you really want to get accomplished next, because goal setting is an iterative process. As soon as you’ve met one, you are likely moving on to something bigger and better.
Successful schools and individuals rely on goals to stay focused on what they want to accomplish, and help motivate the process of moving forward. A clear vision of what you want to achieve is a major determinant in achieving success in any area of your life. Great goals combined with S.M.A.R.T and S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals will inspire you to do your best, not beat yourself up for a failure to achieve them. Shoot for the stars and you may land on the moon.
Great goals must contain certain elements to be effective: They are outcome focused, in line with your personal values, stated in a positive manner, and are self-directed. If you know why you want to do something, you are 90% of the way there. When a goal aligns with your values, the easier it will be for you to do the work to accomplish it. (People do accomplish goals that are not aligned with their personal values, but it is harder, and frequently leaves them with a bad aftertaste.) Stating goals positively, such as “I will have one article written by the end of this year” is better than “I want to stop procrastinating on writing an article.” And finally, the goal must be within your own control to accomplish. Saying you “want a promotion” puts the onus on someone else. Instead, you can say, “I want more responsibility” and take on some committee work so the outcome may result in supporting your case for tenure.
Next, an accomplishable goal must be S.M.A.R.T. or even S.M.A.R.T.E.R. The first known use of the term S.M.A.R.T. occurred in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran. The most commonly accepted terms in the mnemonic are:
Specific-The more specific a goal is, the better. It answers the question “Who and what is involved?” “I want to be more productive,” is too vague to provide a clear picture of success. “I will work on my writing projects regularly,” is better.
Measurable-In order to track your progress, and know when the goal has been attained, it must be quantifiable. An example of a goal that is specific and measurable is, “I will write 20 pages.”
Attainable-It is important to establish a goal that will stretch you but which can be reasonably met. If your goal is to write 20 pages by the end of the first month of classes, it is probably not realistic, and you will be doomed to fail. Failure to achieve goals is demotivating and deflating. You want to identify both the requirements and constraints around your goal.
Relevant-Your goals should be important to you. This answers the question, “Why do I want this?” If your Chair is nagging you to write an article, you are less likely to achieve this than if you want to write it because you feel you have something important to share with the world.
Time-bound-Deadlines are useful. They provide a sense of urgency and help keep you focused, with the added advantage of letting you know how close you are to achieving your goal. “I will write 20 pages,” becomes “I will write 20 pages by the end of this year.” If you have written 10 pages by October 31st, you know are halfway there.
Two other letters are sometimes added to S.M.A.R.T., to make the mnemonic S.M.A.R.T.E.R. They are: Evaluate and Reassess. These are necessary steps for reviewing any project to determine if the goals are moving toward the desired outcome, or need to be changed in light of new information. This is where the question, “What’s next?” can be answered. Have you gotten significant new data that needs to be incorporated? Think about how much of what you have written already may have change.
Setting great goals is one of the most effective tools individuals and higher education institutions can use to achieve success. Making goals S.M.A.R.T.E.R. helps close the gap between vision and reality.
Posted in Academic Transitions, career, planning, procrastination | Tags: goal setting, goals, planning, procrastination, S.M.A.R.T., S.M.A.R.T.E.R., solutions for procrastination | 29 Comments »
Teaching across generations: 5 things to know about the Millennials
Photo by Ro_nya (2010) We live, not by things, but by the meanings of things. It is needful to transmit the passwords from generation to generation.
There is a great deal of discussion around whether or not naming certain generations is valid. If you look at academic models, there is plenty of literature supporting both points of view. With two daughters in this generation, I do see some generational differences. The names bestowed on the various generations capture some essence of the generation that the rest of us intuitively agree upon, such as the Silent Generation, the Greatest Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials, and I find these distinctions helpful.
The generational names spring from the characteristics associated with that group of people as they “come of age” or reach the place of adulthood in our society and culture, grouped together according to the years when they were born. The Millennials, also referred to as Gen Y, Echoboomers, Gen Next and even the Google Generation, were born 1982-2000 and now number roughly 76 million. These 20-somethings are literally the “next up” to enter our graduate schools and ultimately become academic colleagues.
Authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, who wrote “Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation” (2000), probably have been the most influential in defining the term because they say members of the generation themselves coined the term millennials. As a group, “millennials are more numerous, more affluent, better educated, and more ethnically diverse” than previous generations, they write. Their own ethnic diversity means race is less of an issue than for older generations.
Here’s a summary of some of the admittedly generalized characteristics of this generation:
1. Millennials want to make a difference in the world, for work to have “meaning.” Nine out of 10 interviewed for the book “The M-Factor” (2010) by Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman said this was “the most important factor” in their lives. As seekers, this generation will look for the right university program to match the right career path for themselves.
2. 20-somethings want a stimulating environment where they can express their passions, and they collaborate well because they have had much experience with learning this way in their childhood, from day care, to school, to soccer teams. They want to work well with others, and this may be an area where multigenerational “learning groups” can help each other. Millennials learn by doing, and can teach technology uses to others. Let them teach their older graduate school colleagues how to use technology, and everyone will be happier for it.
3. They want to use their tech savvy to communicate via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and any other social media you can think of, and they discuss their work and ideas. This demand for interactivity can be a boon to institutions seeking to publicize themselves and also can be used to recruit and retain graduate students and new professors that expect to conduct job searches on the web. This same tech savvy is why Millennials tend not to recognize national borders as conversations are conducted across geographic boundaries, and will be more than happy to collaborate with their international peers.
4. Millennials “want to be heard” and will create innovative solutions if allowed. They want praise for a “job well done,” and a sincere “thank you” goes a very long way to building their loyalty. They want flexible schedules and a family life as well as a career. This is good news for higher education institutions recruiting new professors as one of the chief advantages that many scholars see for themselves is the ability to shape their own schedule and have some control over when, and how much, they work.
5. The down side: Some researchers see too much emphasis on the individual who needs to be validated and feel good because they were overprotected as children. Jean M. Twenge titled her book “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever” (2006) and coined the term “Gen Me” to describe them. Jane Healy and Neil Postman in separate books have argued that despite the technological connectivity and community the generation seems to crave, the connections are superficial and do not lend themselves to critical thinking and reflective, thoughtful learning. This may impact the depth of scholarly articles in the future.
It also is not at all clear at this stage how the Millennials will compete or what education areas they will choose. Will they be interested in building and staying in an institution they see as making a difference, or will they be about “gaming” the system to their own advantage? Explaining the “why” behind the how or what may be one of the most important lessons to be learned both in teaching this generation and bringing them along on academic career path.
|