Planning an academic career?

[Topper]

Don't bother! At least not in scotland. Apologies for the early morning rant but this really hacks me off. My girlfreind is a research fellow at one of the scottish universities. She has been employed on a temporary basis for nearly 8 years with all sorts of rubbish about promised full time contracts and career development etc. We now find out that most of the researchers including the activley publishing ones are going to be given the boot. This is all a result of poor mamagment desicions by a previous head who has since moved on to his next post. Sometimes I think I should just never have bothered working hard, getting and developing a career and instead, become a state dependant waste of space.

 

[Sonea Fifer]

Don't bother! At least not in scotland. Apologies for the early morning rant but this really hacks me off. My girlfreind is a research fellow at one of the scottish universities. She has been employed on a temporary basis for nearly 8 years with all sorts of rubbish about promised full time contracts and career development etc. We now find out that most of the researchers including the activley publishing ones are going to be given the boot. This is all a result of poor mamagment desicions by a previous head who has since moved on to his next post. Sometimes I think I should just never have bothered working hard, getting and developing a career and instead, become a state dependant waste of space.

Mind if i ask what uni it was?

My wife's starting at Stirling in Sept and am considering returning to education myself in Fife

 

[Helium_Junkie]

That's harsh

 

[Topper]

I don't want ot be specific for obvious reason but its in Glasgow. Its just stupid. Why get rid of reasearch active, bright young people when they are the people that can bring in the money??? Perhaps its not all universities, but she has freinds in other places that agree that academia is a waste of time these days.

 

[Arcade Fire]

An academic career is not much fun. It's high pressure, long hours and not much in the way of pay. There are many, many more people who want to get into academia than there are places available - this is a particular problem in this country as the government seems intent on cutting research and teaching budgets for universities. There are, of course, upsides, but you really have to weigh them against the downsides. The only way to make a good living from academia is to be right at the top of your game.

You can take solace from the fact that if your girlfriend really is very good, then she shouldn't have trouble finding a place at another university. There's a lot of competition for places, but the academic community is generally very good at making sure they go to the best people.

If she's really having trouble finding a place, maybe it's time to think about packing it in and doing something else?

 

[Arcade Fire]

Why get rid of reasearch active, bright young people when they are the people that can bring in the money???

Because active, bright young people aren't the ones who bring in the money. It's older, more established researchers who bring in the funding.

In academia you have to get the results first, and the job security comes later.

 

[aardvark]

thats how it works in england aswell - welcome to academia

 

[Topper]

Arcade Fire: Agree with most of what you say, but she would argue that most of the older, established reasearchers (esp with tenure) are the problem. Most are not active anymore in any real sense and arre just waiting around teaching the same old rubbish etc until retirement. She has 8 publications in good economic journals and several joint efforts. My point was that rubbish managment in this case, was the reason for the redundancies.

 

[Arcade Fire]

If she's an economist (particularly if she's a quantitative economist rather than a 'soft' one) then maybe this is the ideal opportunity to jump shi[p] and go work for a bank?

 

[Pug]

well, i'm in the same boat. finished my PhD in cancer prevention, and have decided to switch to business/sales. The other problem is that the contracts are always fixed term, year 2 years - she was lucky to have had 8.

 

[Topper]

Dunno, she's involved in local goverment stuff. Expenditure in small european economies etc. i can't remember which branch she subscribes to but i know she is not really into feminist economics which is apparenlty an expanding field.

 

[Topper]

Pug: You've gone from the lab to sales? Not invitrogen is it?

 

[aardvark]

jump WHAT? arcade fire?

 

[Kol]

jump WHAT? arcade fire?

ROFL, spotted

 

[Topper]

Freudian perhaps?

 

[bfar]

I work in Personnel in a major Irish uni. Just a thought - are you research funded or an actual temp employee of the uni?

If you're an actual employee you may well be entitled to a permenancy by law after 8 years... I'm not sure how it works in Scotland tho...

There must be some sort of advisor or counsillor on campus that you can talk to.

 

[Ex-RoNiN]

Dunno, she's involved in local goverment stuff. Expenditure in small european economies etc. i can't remember which branch she subscribes to but i know she is not really into feminist economics which is apparenlty an expanding field.

Have a look if the EC is hiring, 8 years of experience (in EC projects?) could go a long way in Brussels. DG Market would be my first port of call, maybe some of the others too?

Alternatively, 8 years sounds like plenty of time to be qualified enough to be a full-time academic. Has she thought about applying for lecturer positions? The research experience will go a long way, and her teaching abilities aren't really important, most unis will allow you to "research" yourself out of teaching. (i.e. enough research income to buy yourself out from teaching)

Why get rid of reasearch active, bright young people when they are the people that can bring in the money?

They don't. The researchers are expendable, hence why all Researchers are on 1 week's notice. It is the full time academics that do the management and get the contracts that bring in the money. There are plenty of professionals out there capable of doing the job - but not everyone knows how to apply for ESRC or EC funding.

 

[Kojak]

... to jump s*** and go work for a bank?

I know that was a typo but it really made me laugh.

 

[aardvark]

I work in Personnel in a major Irish uni. Just a thought - are you research funded or an actual temp employee of the uni?

If you're an actual employee you may well be entitled to a permenancy by law after 8 years... I'm not sure how it works in Scotland tho...

There must be some sort of advisor or counsillor on campus that you can talk to.

under european law it is only 4 years now - used to be 6 years. if your uni is 8 years its breaking the law.
i have to sign a waver whenever i get my contract extended to sign away my right to permanency - otherwise its no job for me.

 

[Arcade Fire]

Hah, edited.