A doctorate used to mean job security

In my opinion, people get a doctorate for a variety of reasons; the chief among them is love of learning. However, a close second reason is; to be able to have job security or at least the ability to always find a job because of their level of education.

The climate and playing field has changed in education, there are no guarantees anymore it seems. Doctorate job seekers are sometimes being told that they are “overqualified”, by educational institutions! Doctorate job seekers are sometimes hiding their education when they apply for a job, especially if that job is outside of education. The adjunct pool has grown and continues to grow in colleges, and these adjuncts are often doing the equivalent of a fulltime work without the benefits and pay.

Is a doctorate worth it? Yes it is. I will never regret the time, effort and passion I put into getting it, but employers need to stop being scared of doctoral job seekers. They are people just like you, they are not trying to “steal your jobs”.

Before I close, let me share this well put together blog which adds to my argument:

“The Job Market Recovery that Never Came”

“Six years ago this month, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, inaugurating a global recession that decimated nearly every sector of the economy, including higher education.
The “recovery” that began in 2009 has been illusory and often used to deny people benefits and pay under the pretext of “hard times.” Full-time teaching jobs became part-time, income inequality soared to heights unseen since the Gilded Age, and the cost of living rose while wages fell. Those now entrenched in elite positions reap the benefits, while those attempting to simply survive pay ever higher costs – or abandon their fields if they cannot pay to stay.”

“For academics, in certain respects, this is nothing new. Adjunct positions – contingent, poorly paid, lacking benefits or job security – have risen steadily in number since 1975, while the proportion of positions that are tenure-track has declined.”

“The academic job market in many fields has always been bad. The rise of contingent labor and loss of job security has been decades in the making. But the post-recession economic landscape is something else.”

Read the whole thing here: https://chroniclevitae.com/news/724-the-job-market-recovery-that-never-came?cid=VTEVPMSED1

The most important message I can add at this point is do not give up, society does need you.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam