We have four cheerful pieces of news for PhDs without permanent academic jobs. Well, they are small pieces of news, but we think they will benefit some people, and that’s a start. Please, folks, keep at it trying to improve things, as every little bit counts and the more little bits we improve, the more people will be better off. And please let us know when you achieve something!
1) A better deal for those without their own e-resources library access:
We spoke to JSTOR about the difficulties independent scholars face without regular access to an academic library. They expressed great sympathy for Hortensii’s aims and a desire to help, and to that end they are offering members of the Hortensii community a discount of 25% on JPASS subscriptions. A JPASS subscription is almost (but, unfortunately, not quite) like an individual version of a library’s JSTOR subscription; it provides unlimited access to more than 1,600 scholarly journals, the vast majority of the ones included in the library JSTOR packages. (There is a complete list of titles included at http://jpass.jstor.org/collections; we are actively working with JSTOR and certain publishers to get this list expanded.) Hortensii’s discounted JSTOR subscription costs $149 per year; you can also subscribe on a monthly basis for $19.50 per month. JSTOR has offered us a 10-day free trial (which you can access here: http://jpass.jstor.org/freetrial) and are happy to answer any questions if you e-mail support@jstor.org.
If you would like to take advantage of the discounted JPASS subscription send an e-mail to E.Dickey@reading.ac.uk and just ask for the link to the discount; it would be unkind to JSTOR to post that link on an open site, but it is free for the asking to any member of the Hortensii community.
2) An opportunity for recent PhDs (especially in the US) to get their views across and make money doing so:
Vitae (https://chroniclevitae.com/), The Chronicle of Higher Education’s new online career-development community, is looking for writers. The site produces daily news, analysis, and advice for young academics exploring and planning their career paths (in and out of academia) and working to make their academic lives more rewarding.
Vitae’s editorial team is PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE VIEWS OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS, and they’re seeking writers to become “Vitae Voices,” one-time or occasional PAID columnists who provide insightful, specific analysis, drawn from personal experience on a range of issues facing young scholars. There’s an interest in having content about the academic job market, career management and professional development, grad-student and postdoc life, mentoring, labor issues, work-life and health and wellness issues, among others. Submissions should be in the range of 800-1,300 words and written in a conversational style. If you’re interested or have questions, Vitae editors can be reached by e-mail at editorial@chroniclevitae.com.
3) An opportunity for UK Classicists considering going into school teaching to find out more about what the opportunities available and the various training routes:
There will be a Teaching Classics Day on 18th October 2014 in Abingdon (near Reading). See http://www.shsk.org.uk/Home/Book-Event.aspx?ID=485&ReturnURL=Main-event-booking.aspx
4) A career fair in Paris especially for PhDs, on September 12 (the advertisement is in English, and there is no suggestion that only the French are welcome):
http://phdtalent.org/the-phdtalent-career-fair-2014/
Lastly, some more news stories have come to our attention. Note that links get posted faster on the Hortensii Twitter and Facebook pages, owing to the awesome and efficient people who run those pages, so for the latest links to discussion it’s always a good idea to check https://twitter.com/Hortensii and/or https://www.facebook.com/Hortensii
News of a project to improve the situation in Massachusetts, with some important general thoughts:
https://chroniclevitae.com/news/591-ph-d-s-adjuncts-and-the-teacher-training-conundrum
Some really depressing insights into how some faculty members are not being helpful and need us to help them understand what the problems are:
https://chroniclevitae.com/news/598-the-conferencegoer-what-some-faculty-really-think-about-nonacademic-careers
News of a unionization effort for adjuncts in Florida:
http://www.philly.com/philly/jobs/Adjunct_professors_pushing_for_better_pay_benefits.html
Philosophers who work outside of academia (June 2014):
Part 1: http://www.newappsblog.com/2014/06/philosophers-who-work-outside-of-academia-part-1-how-and-why-do-they-end-up-there.html
Part 2: http://www.newappsblog.com/2014/06/philosophers-who-work-outside-of-academia-part-2-whats-it-like-to-have-a-nonacademic-job.html
Part 3: http://www.newappsblog.com/2014/06/philosophers-who-work-outside-of-academia-part-3-transferrable-skills-and-concrete-advice.html
Not just a problem for the humanities, but poor job prospects for scientists as well:
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2014/07/employment_rates_for_stem_ph_d_s_it_s_a_stagnant_job_market_for_young_scientists.html
And science PhDs are not very happy with the solution of ‘alt’ careers, either:
http://sicknessisfascinating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/alt-careers-arent-answer.html?spref=tw
‘How to secure a job after your PhD’: excerpts from videos with useful advice. The focus is on non-academic jobs:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGuX0rO-DritW75XmoLtuhcgJFbmV0OCo
Another response to the MLA report:
http://chronicle.com/article/Restructure-the-Humanities/147203/
‘How I got out’ at Vitae, highlighting routes out of academia:
https://chroniclevitae.com/news/575-how-i-got-out-one-adjunct-s-journey-from-freeway-flyer-to-e-learning-director
Grad students and transferable skills: a storytelling approach:
http://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/06/27/transferable-skills-and-storytelling
Grad students and academic careers:
http://thegradgrind.com/2014/05/30/is-academia-really-in-such-a-mess/
Hortensii 