Welcome to Beyond Academe
News of Interest to the Profession:
A few years ago, the American Historical Association released a study entitled The Education of Historians in the Twenty-First Century (University of Illinois Press, 2004). You can buy this via Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore. Please send your comments on the study to the American Historical Association.
In recent years, there have been many studies which discuss the structure of American graduate education. The best of these is probably the 2001 study done by the Pew Charitable Trusts. If you want to obtain the study, contact the Pew at:
One Commerce Square
2005 Market Street, Suite 1700
Philadelphia, PA 19103-7077
tel: 215.575.9050
In a recent article in Perspectives, the American Historical Association gave its most candid assessment of the academic job market for historians to date. The study attempts to ascertain the broader impact which the overproduction of history PhDs has had on the market by looking back at data from the past fifteen years. One of the most interesting comments in the study: "Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of the history PhDs reported to the Directory over the past 15 years had not found employment in a [history] department or organization."
Hopefully, this article will initiate some great discussions as universities and historical organizations are forced to acknowledge what happens to the majority of PhDs in history.
Upcoming Conferences
The National Council on Public History will meet in Pensacola, Florida on April 6-10, 2011. Past conferences have included workshops on writing National Register nominations; using the museum software, Omeka; working 9-5 while practicing history on the side; and re-structuring graduate education. Calls for paper proposals will be opened in May. Go here for more information about the conference.
The American Association of Museums will meet in Houston, Texas on May 22-25, 2011. Go here for more information on this conference.
The National Conference of State Historic Preservation Offices will host its annual Historic Preservation Advocacy Week in Washington DC during March 7-10, 2011. Go here for more information.
Go green, go local and go cheap: Don't forget to check out the various workshops and training offered by different states. Preservation-oriented workshops and conferences can be found at the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Offices website. Check out as well the conferences and workshops sponsored by the following local associations: New England Association of Museums, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Midwest Association of Museums, Mountains-Plains Association of Museums, Southeast Association of Museums, and Western Association of Museums.
Get funding or a travel grant to attend these conferences. Many organizations, from the American Association of Museums to the National Council on Public History, provide grants or funds to assist graduate students and/or new professionals to attend their conferences. So, look carefully and closely at the websites of these organizations when considering attending their conferences.
Six Years of Beyond Academe in the News
Since its launch, Beyond Academe has received attention in the mainstream press as well as in Perspectives, the journal of the American Historical Association.
The Village Voice did a story on adjuncts and the reality of academic life. Beyond Academe was highlighted in the article. The article, "Wanted: Really Smart Suckers, Grad School Provides Exciting New Road to Poverty" is available at this website. I am proud to say that the reporter used Beyond Academe as evidence that grad school need not necessarily lead to poverty!
The Brian Leher Show, an NPR show in New York City, interviewed me for a show on adjuncting and opportunities outside of the academy for PhDs.
Perspectives did a story on Beyond Academe, available at this website. In the same issue, I wrote an article about my experiences outside of academia and my thoughts on the many different ways in which graduate schools need to be reformed. The article is available at this website.
In the last few years, I have published some articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education about my experiences outside of academia. Click on the links below to read these articles:
"Outside, Over There," The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 13, 2005.
"Conference Confidential,"The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 30, 2007.
"An Object Lesson," The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 1, 2007.
"Plan B," The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 13, 2009.
"Whose Job is It Anyway?," The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 4, 2010.
"And If You Just Don't Go?," The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 18, 2010.
A few years ago, Anne Whisnant, one of the profiled historians on this site, kindly asked me to appear on a panel about careers which was hosted by Duke University. The Duke Chronicle ran an interesting piece about the panel and the difficulties facing PhDs seeking jobs outside of academia. Anne is featured in the article as am I. You can read the article at this website. The article is titled "Humanities Alumni Struggle to Find Jobs."
Adjunct Advocate also did a story on non-academic jobs for PhDs. I was one of the many non-academic PhDs interviewed for the article. Check out pages 31-33 of this pdf file. The article appeared in March/April 2007.
You may also be interested in reading a short piece I wrote for the newsletter of the American Society for Environmental History. Click here to read the article which is titled "The Profession: Preparing for a Career in the Humanities."
In recent years, I have given career talks at Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Columbia, Syracuse University, and a host of other universities and organizations. The career center at the University of Pennsylvania put the PowerPoint for my talk on the web. There is no direct link to this on the web but if you put the words "Paradise Lost and Found" and "Alexandra M. Lord" into Google, you will be directed to a PowerPoint version of the talk.
I still give talks on leaving academia. You can contact me at beyondacademe@yahoo.com if you want to learn more about this.
A newly updated edition of So What Are You Going to Do With That? was recently released. Check it out at Amazon or Barnes and Noble or, better yet, ask your local bookstore to order it if they don't have it in stock. And just a sidenote: when I left academe, So What Are You Going to Do With That? was a lifeline. In the most recent edition, Sue Basalla asked me to be one of the profiles. So, who knows? Perhaps in the next edition, she will ask you to be one of her profiles!
Hindsight or An Historian Looks Back:
It has been over eight years since I left academia. Leaving was one of the most difficult things I have ever done but it was also one of the best things I have ever done.
I spent almost a year searching for a job (eight very long and very unemployed month
s to be precise). I think, in retrospect, the hardest part of a job search is that you cannot see a clear end: a job search takes as long as it takes. This can be a very stressful and very difficult time so my advice is not to be too hard on yourself. Be prepared for some setbacks and be prepared for some difficult times.
Once you do make the transition, you will be amazed at the new doors which will open.
Since leaving, I have been stunned by the incredible number of PhDs I have found who work outside the academy. Many of these PhDs were right in front of me when I was in academia but I didn't see them because I was so focused on an academic career. Others are people I have met simply because I stepped out of the university and began working and living in a non-university town. The biggest lesson I have learned since leaving academia? The world really is full of successful and happily employed PhDs who work in a range of different occupations.
On a personal level, leaving academia led me to meet my husband, a non-academic. Although my husband is an attorney, his father and brother both possess PhDs and...yes...my father-in-law left his position as a tenure-track chemistry professor at Amherst College to pursue a career in industry and my brother-in-law who holds a PhD in the history of science left academia to work in the finance industry. All of this proves, I think, that you really will find PhDs everywhere you look...or marry.
On a professional level, leaving academia has opened new doors for me. Becoming a public historian has led me to acquire new skills, to see historical problems from a different perspective, and to understand more clearly why history really is important. Ironically, it has also led me to become a more active scholar as I have not only published more than I did as an academic, I have also become more actively engaged in the historical profession.
Many of the PhDs I know who have left the academy have said similar things about their own experiences outside the academy.
So, best wishes on your job search and may you soon find a job which suits you and enables you to grow both personally and professionally!
Beyond Academe's sixth birthday was a cause for celebration in November 2009. We look forward to the next six years!
Best Job Sites for Historians:
Several organizations regularly post jobs which are especially suited for historians. Many of these places also provide information about internships (paid and unpaid). Below are some of the best job sites for historians.
American Association for Museums
Association of Midwest Museums
Association of State and Local History
The Council on Foundations
E Cultural Resources
The Foundation Center
Idealist.org
Museums Jobs.com (also lists jobs outside of the United States)
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Offices
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Preserve Net
The Southeast Museum Conference
Western Museums Association
The United States Government
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Don't Make Decisions Blindly! 