Finished my PhD in English in 2010. Now I’m trying to get a life, post-academic style. I volunteer, I work part-time in PR, and I read the internet. I also complain vigorously about people who tell me “not to give up” and about those who say, “the good people who do everything right will get jobs in academia.” I hate those people. Don’t be one of those people.
You can email me at <postacademicinnyc@gmail.com>
Pingback: “Happy PhD!” | My Volunteer Year in NYC
Hey Post Academic,
I mentioned your blog in my post–the “best non academic blogs to read in 2012″ http://www.selloutyoursoul.com/2012/01/05/best-non-academic-blogs/ keep up the good posting. Also, I wrote a new book for post-grads called How to Find a Career With Your Humanities Degree in 126 Days and would love your opinion on it. If you drop me an email at selloutyoursoul6@gmail.com, I will send you a free copy.
Thanks,
James from Selloutyoursoul.com
Thanks! I’ve read and admired your blog for a long time. Will write to you soon.
“the good people who do everything right will get jobs in academia.”
First off, that is statistically false.
Second, even if it were true, it ignores the fact that just any academic job is NOT necessarily what will satisfy one.
I’ve been guilt tripped so much about not just being happy with and grateful for whatever, it makes me ill.
Thank you for your blog. It means I do not feel alone in my decision to leave academia in the UK not long after completing my PhD. After so many feelings of self-blame it is a breath of fresh air to come across others who have experienced or are experiencing what I am. Good luck in your life after academia.
As an academically-inclined undergrad with 4 PhD’s in my nuclear family (neuroscience, microbiology, German/comparative literature, and political science), blogs like these help me realize the truth about life in academia before I spend ten years of my life trying to feel smart while earning minimum wage with no hope of job security. The job market is not what it was when my dad entered the field…thanks so much for your insights, my generation desperately needs them!