Even jobs that have been safe havens for decades are being cut (think auto industry, which included master’s and doctoral degree-holding engineers, designers, and MBA managers, as well as blue-collar workers). But, our economic slump continues to gnaw its way into jobs that used to be thought secure, even at universities, especially those universities supported by state budgets.
Preserving the "Academic Core"
In December last year, the president of one large West-Coast university warned all faculty and staff that difficult times were coming, but promised to “preserve the academic core.” His prophetic announcement preceded the loss of hundreds of jobs this year throughout the university, but no academic departments and few professors were cut.
Because many student services and support positions are not considered part of the “academic core,” career centers are highly vulnerable. While hard decisions have to be made, responsibility for career planning has continued to shift to students themselves, and not at just one university. It is deep-rooted and will affect most in the nation. As large universities continue to operate more like businesses, career services will likely continue to dwindle, especially in state-supported institutions.
Accelerating Trends
Within the big picture, this shift looks small, but it’s accelerating in a strained economy. While far-sighted writers have been warning us for years (William Bridges, Thomas Handy), it’s still a shock for many who have not noticed that the responsibility for us IS us, in an increasing number of areas – in finance, in health care and, closely related to both, career planning.
Few academics spend as much time on planning their career as they do on the purchase of a new car or house. So, if the ranks of college career centers, which might have helped in the past, are steadily declining, what choices are left to help with career planning?
- Parents and families have always had great influence on the choice of their children’s undergrad major because most pay for the right. Grad students whose parents offer tuition help are more likely to accept advice with the money. But consider that it’s been 20-30 years since those parents got their first jobs. Things have changed. Is this going to help you, considering that a high proportion of jobs today weren’t even invented when you were born, let alone when your parents were born?
- Professors are focused on academic preparation, and don’t always have time for career advice. When they do, they tend to wear academic blinders, and prepare their most willing students to be just like themselves. But, even though universities may take extreme measures to “save that academic core,” they aren’t going to expand it until the economic danger is over – not likely soon. So where are the academic jobs going to come from for all the academics being prepared for them?
- Peers are influenced by their limited view of the economic system, and tend to focus on careers that reflect their own values. While goals may be shifting from the green of money to the green of conservation, the focus is still on what’s “hot,” rather than what’s right for the individual. Besides, a career that is hot now, may be not so hot when you finish your degree.
What’s a Grad Student To DO?
Among the infinite career processes I’ve seen among grad students, I’ve seen several scenarios played out again and again.
- Potluck – allowing circumstance to rule.
Like leaves floating down a river, some students prefer to let circumstance rule, expecting to be lucky. Some are, but the cost to those who aren’t can be high.
Jonas told me last winter that career planning was a waste of time for him and delayed job search until he graduated in the spring. He’s still waiting.
- Partial planning – based on “interests.”
This tends to work well enough for the single-minded, many of whom are already pursuing a defined “mission.” It doesn’t always turn out so well for those who are interested in learning everything - and anything. They tend to feel scattered and often describe themselves as “not expert at anything.”
Amalie was fascinated by the mix of coursework she was able to take as her electives, and stayed an extra term for a course that she “really wanted to take,” but she had a hard time convincing employers that her assorted bag of skills added up to the specific focus they wanted to see in her skill set.
- Persistent planning – based on self-knowledge.
Knowing one’s strengths and being aware of how they fit into the constantly changing bigger economic picture, enables one to adapt faster to those changes.
Serena knew that her strengths were in writing and public relations, even though her degree was in a science field, and she specifically looked for employers who needed those skills. She had targeted several organizations by the end of her first year in grad school and planned a networking campaign to meet at least one person in each organization. When she graduated this spring, she had two job offers.
Career Plans and Topo Maps
Persistent planners have a general destination in mind, but a career plan to them is like a topographic map. Being able to visualize the “lay of the land” means they can make strategic decisions based on greater knowledge than just the starting point and destination.
They can choose to take detours or not, to spend more time at one location, or even to skip parts of the trip. Even the destination may change as they learn more about themselves and the career process.
Bottom Line
Clearly, economic trends don’t bode well for career centers in higher education. Even as the job market becomes more complex and strained, universities are providing less professional help to grad students in making the decisions that will affect the course of their lives. Grad students who take responsibility early for their own career topo maps are most likely to thrive. (Are YOU one of them?)
© Copyright, 2009, Kate Duttro. All rights reserved. Used with Permission.
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Job-Hunt's Academic Job Search expert Kate Duttro is a career strategist, coach, and instigator. She writes the Career Change for Academics Blog, for current and recovering academics, and other smart cookies. For more than 10 years, she has provided career services at the University of Washington, where she has counseled, taught classes and workshops, and dug out information for thousands of undergrads, grad students, post docs and alumni in all phases of career development. Holding several degrees, including a PhD in anthropology, Kate has also earned many professional certifications in the field of career coaching.
