Dear Reader,
Many professors think they chose freedom and security by pursuing careers in academia, only to later discover their freedom significantly curtailed (by time, money, people, politics) and their security not so stable as they assumed.
This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it’s not what PhD students expect, certainly.
PhDs of all kinds also pursue careers in the civil service, at all levels of government, in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and elsewhere.
A little less freedom to choose for long-term good prospects (pay, time off, health and other benefits, and pension plans).
Shockingly, that security is being ripped away from thousands of federal workers in the US this year.
The rest face an unpredictable menace, which is one of the worst kinds of threats, since you never know when or if it’s coming for you.
Academic experts who decamped to the private sector traded some security for (at least in theory) higher pay, a quicker pace, and more varied work.
But without unions and with the whims of tech billionaires to contend with, the time between layoffs grows—as does a sense of helplessness.
Well! This is all very depressing.
We’re all in this fascist capitalist hellscape together, though, eh?
Some things to do:
- Build community, one inclusive of people different from yourself.
- Cultivate your empathy for others in the metaphorical trenches with us.
- Contend with reality as it is, not as powerful bad-faith actors would have us believe.
🤔 What say you? (Feel free to reply to me or comment on the version of this email that is my LinkedIn post today.)
This email was inspired in part by a comment one of my program members made yesterday, in our small group session. She talked about how she’s choosing freedom over security in leaving her tenured position.
Instead, she’s pursuing freelance opportunities, knowing she can live on less for a while in exchange for a happier, healthier life.
In preparing for this decision, she took a long, hard look at her finances and made a budget. Maybe that’s something you can do too, and soon.
Each one of us gets to make our own choices, and need to, since we each experience the world in different ways. If you’re uncertain about your financial situation, getting clarity may be the key to moving forward
Here are a few quick suggestions that may be helpful to you:
- Try budgeting like my client did. Some of my friends recommend the app You Need a Budget.
- If you’re a PhD student or postdoc in the US, check out Emily Roberts resources, and encourage your institution to make her workshops available to you and your colleagues.
- Consider working with a financial planner; they aren’t just for the rich! US folks can reach out to Maliq Matthew, a former professor turned financial advisor. I love his approach.
- I don’t budget per se, but I do track all my spending, and have done so for 20+ years. This means I have a sense of what life costs and can make decisions accordingly. Call it a mesh of data-driven and vibes-based money management. I used to use a spreadsheet; now I use Wave.
I’d love to know your suggestions too.
(If your money issue is more along the lines of “I simply don’t have enough,” yeah, that’s fair and I want better for you, soon.)
Thanks for reading,
Jen
P.S. Want to explore working with me? Visit my Services page to learn about options, or reply to this email and let me know what you want my help with!
Jennifer Polk, PhD
Free Webinar Job search advice for professors, postdocs, and other PhDs ready to leave academia
