Academia is an extremely competitive job market, it's so demanding I think it could be compared with a mix between entrepreneurship and writing job: 24/7 journey, high level of stress, constantly raising funds for your research proposals, publish or perish...
I wasted 9 years for post-docs after my PhD for academia. Grant system and lack of stable jobs destroyed my mental health. Last year I was kicked out from a job and this was the best what happened to me. After a lot of search I got a job industry, entry level in my late 30s. It's hard but I stopped wasting my life. Academia is bad choice of career, with 38 papers in PubMed I was no one. My advice to whoever is reading is: leave Academia. Don't be afraid to make this step. Search for help in crafting CV and cover letters. Ask how to prepare for a job interview. Think how your skills are transferable. Tell HR people that academia taught you how to work in fast pacing environment, learn new things by doing. Don't be afraid. It is never too late to make a change. In Canada, where I spend 5 and half years success rate was similar to Australia. Remember my grant and fellowship writing sessions.
How 38 papers and you didn't get your independent funding,? Your comment just ruined all shred of hope I had to become PI😔 I only have 10papers and year 5 postdoc😵😱😭
@@perporiap9364 There is more than papers needed. In Canada one need to be appointed as independent researcher to apply for independent funding. In Canada I could be one day project scientist as this was a plan for me, so I can start applying for independent funding. But grant was twice rejected, then my supervisor had less money and life get more complicated. As for other factors first and most importantly networking. It is absolutely crucial. For some people it goes naturally, others need to be taught how to do it and I was in the second section but didn't even know how to start. I attended conferences, networking events but was intimidated to start talking to random people. Secondly, history of funding and awards. I came to Canada as foreign post-doc from a country where students rarely goes to international conferences, are not taught to apply for travel awards, small grants whatever. I came to Canada without history of funding and network. Still managed to get federal, post-doc fellowship and I am co-applicant on a large grant. I had a future there, but..... But I left after five and half years to be closer to my Mother after my Father died. I had a choice between Cambridge UK and Switzerland and chose Switzerland. This choice killed academic career. The team was good on as paper: recognised on a field, papers in Nature Communications but.... they lured me into post-doc like position with promise that I will be having my own team and they will help but it didn't happen. I was kind of post-doc but without own project working on other's projects. There was no way for me to apply for my own funding. Then they decided they don't need me and told me my contract is about to be terminated one week I came back from my Mother's funeral. Because I was less productive when my Mother was dying from cancer. They were saying they can ask if someone from their network need someone like me but I wanted to be as far from them as possible. When I told them where am I relocating and which job I accepted it was a dead silence in a room. I cut all ties with them. I think time in Switzerland which a wrong team made me so bitter about Academia and I decided to leave.
@@Erintii hope you enjoy and thrive in your new career. Sadly others in higher management sometimes don't get we are humans. I was not able to see my mom when she died same of cancer and covid hit too it was tough for me emotionally to grieve by my own but they saying I was not productive enough in past two years. It is sad that Switzerland also doing same thing as US or Canada keeping people as much as possible in low paid positions with promise of getting funds.
@@perporiap9364 Thank you I am happy with my new role and hope you will find you dream job. My Mother died when I was in Switzerland, I got no support here even if those people knew, not even a card just termination of contract. I was doing a job of a team but this was not good enough. So I feel how it is. My Canadian team was better in this manner, they were supportive. Now I am still in a region but in a better team. I think I really made a horrible choice of a team in Switzerland, here post-docs are actually well-paid. I was too expensive for them and funny fact they were complaining of not having specialists from my field but kicked out the most experienced. I think Academia is often making people toxic, constant lack of job stability, constant competition for funds is changing people. Constant anxiety is making none of us better.
I avoided PhD's because just having a bachelor's often makes you more competitive. I also found that academia does not prepare many PhD's for private industry because it doesn't teach what kind of philosophy translates to market. I have found as a fermentation scientist in private industry that many PhD's have absolutely no education in scalability and even when they have many classes in vector design they have no clue how to design a proper protein expression vector. There are many things working in an academic lab will never expose researchers too such as how resource/media limitation, time changes and vessel size affects growth rates and mixed populations. The importance of some material half lives during development. Leaky expression systems in shake flasks does not hold a candlestick to the loss of plasmid as the antibiotic disappears in a large scale vessel (e.g you might lose 20% of plasmid in a shake flask and 70% in a fermenter over the same 16 hours of time because oxygen gradients are different which makes metabolism different etc.) so every PhD who tried a tech transfer onto a manufacturing floor expects a 30x increase in scale should lead to a 30x increase in protein only to find they get a 5 to 7x increase. They chose a non manufacturing plasmid, did not optimize for protein toxicity, consider the physics that goes into the vessels etc. It turns into my job dealing with sub par tech transfers where no one listened too me until after the problems were introduced an I end up blowing out the fires and risk to buisness model that comes with a generally poor education in scalability variables. One researcher tried to do a direct linear scale on rotar RPM for the agitator and started shredding the cells and I had to explain to them vessel hieght to propeller ratio as well as calculating the Pascales of force on cells. That agitators and size are not linear with scale. It follows an inverse growth curve assuming a perfect oxygen distribution at atmospheric pressures so oxygen diffusion rates have to be assumed etc. So little education in physics and no ability to connect their design decisions to reality. Not observant at all.
It feels so damn good to hear these issues articulated from the other side of the world too. It confirms that the problems I am facing are not local and I can't make it work even if I relocate. Plus, I am not crazy for not seeing this career path appealing, in contrast to all of my colleagues.
I feel you! you're not crazy. I declined several PhD offers and then worked a research assistant for a few years here. Still observing all the 'flaws' in academia. Now I'm working for myself :)
Exactly. As someone about to defend my phd in 1 month, I am so fed up and burnt-out of all the bureaucratic nonsense and the pretension you have to do to 'look scientific' enough. It's pretty much a pyramid scheme and unless you are a professor, you are much better off ourside of academia. Also, the publishing and even the phd system is super obsolete and they are not governed by science but by the fact that "we have always done it this way". I have never seen a more political field outside politics lol. Cheers
During my master's in pharmaceutical science, I have only seen my supervisor less than 5 times. He literally left me in the middle of the ocean. The good news is I am done with it, I am applying for a Ph.D. now. I am considering every and each piece of advice you are sharing. THANKS, DOC.
If it's any consolation...and I've never been an academic, but organising conferences, speaking at same and networking with fellow professionals, I always found a joy. Gets you away from your desk and reaps dividends when you are trying to build useful connections. You learn more in the coffee break at a conference than you ever do at meetings! As for meetings. Only 2 rules..1) Always sit near thr biscuits 2) If you want a motion carried, propose it just before the end. It will get carried because people don't want to dscuss it and miss their train! Thanks for clarifying what 'papers' are. I can't imagine running into them. I do know these 'Journals' of which you speak cost an absolute fortune to subscribe to, so I never have. We shall see. Thanks for this video. The academics I have known socially ( criminology/social work) just seem to spend all their time marking and chasing up outstanding written work. There's never any money for research, except in 'trendy' areas where the funder (usually the government) dictates the outcome they expect! But, as I say, I've never been an academic.
Got an electrical engineering degree although my passion was physics. Felt Id been misguided. My sister got her PhD from ATH Zurich could become the academic I always wanted to be. When I asked if she would become one, she flat out said NO. Said her superiors had no life beyond work. Her advisor was so stressed he hasnt has bowl movements for a month. Imagine that, someone with the highest of intelectual credenciales but doesnt know how to take a shit.
These videos are priceless! I'm having a tough time deciding whether or not to choose the academic life. I'm holding my finger over the button on recent PhD applications but not completely sold yet. :(
I would like to stay in academia in order to be in control of my own research, however, I do not like stress very much and don't handle it well :( I'm probably not good enough anyway; I've heard only the best researchers become professors (as there are far fewer prof positions compared to the number of people with PhD's). Thanks for the video. I'll try to find an industry job, preferably in research.... I like the vibe of universities though.
Thank you for your insights. You have made me rethink my urge to pursue a PhD. I had a poor experience of Honours and Masters - feeling unsupported and bullied to publish. Thanks for reminding me of these and other negatives. . It is nice to feel smart, but it comes at such a price
In the humanities there's work but you kind of have to either be lucky or very pro-active and "create work" and create venues for work. You can also translate those skills to do other stuff, lite being a part of studies conducted by the state or other things. Or be a part of the never ending grant-lottery. But no, it is not for everyone..
Some UK research institutes have constant funding (e.g. MRC funded centres), so you don't rely on applying for grants (and usually don't have to teach either)!
Teaching and research need to be split absolutely. They have nothing to do with one another. The research side of academics should be paid exclusively out of grants, patents and start-ups. The teaching part should absorb all of the tuition payments.
I "gave up" on the academic life while being a substitute lecturer... Now I'll work with art!!! =D I never thought I would give my life a different turn... but, it happened and it is AWESOME! No more articles to review!!!!
@@eylam9690 Well, I had a burnout, several physical problems, went to the beach to apply for a permanent position in a university and life became clearer to me. I'm studying interior design and landscaping now.
Very interesting, thank you as always! Do you have any insides maybe about the acedemic life on social sciences (law, economics etc) ? Perhaps it would be a good video idea!
Great video, Andy. There are some colleges and universities here in the States where grants don’t hover above you like an evil overlord. Those are the smaller to mid sized teaching focused schools. They do some research and you have to publish...and it better be with students. But teaching loads are heavier yet there is less stress I think. But you better love teaching. Lol. Salaries tend to be a little lower also.
Thanks Jeff! I've heard about those sorts of universities in the US. I would have loved a teaching position in a university but they were looked down upon and seemed to be for "failed academics" that no longer were able to bring in research grant money! Thanks for your comments!
@@DrAndyStapleton Yes my advisor said the same thing when I was a PhD student. I suppose my friends at major R1 universities look down on some fellow academics at smaller schools. But I was successful in obtaining grants but was sick of it. I love my job now! :)
Applying for research funding can throw up some surprising things. I remember one time our application for funding was refused and another University was awarded the money. Only later found out that the 'Winning' Professor had a brother in law on the committee who decided the award. You can only laugh about it. By the way,office politics goes on in academic life just like any other workplace.
Hey Andy, You cultivated other skills through out your career like making videos. Can you make a video about the importance of other skills and how those helped you start your start up?
Hey Andy! Thanks for the honest review of post Ph.D. life. I'm coming to the end of my Ph.D. in New Zealand and debating on continuing into a postdoc position or if it's a good time to transition into industry; this was quite useful. A concise summary of some of the struggles I've witnessed within my own research group. Thanks!!!
Exactly the same thing here in Canada. Typical split is 40,40, 20. Those with no “research” gets more teaching duties. Very glad to be retired after 32 years of academic life.
Many people leave for 1 or 2 years and do their post-doc abroad. The return phase is quite critical. A 6-year post-doc contract at any given point almost always can be seen as a green light. It would be stupid from the perspective of any university to let people go after those 6 years.
For a male non-POC, a PhD is a ticket to unemployment unless you have clear, objective evidence that you are at the top 1/100 of 1 per cent of your field AND you have outstanding interview skills AND a strong support structure while you flail around hopping to get lucky. I found a Masters to be useful. It opened doors to me that a Bachelors wouldn't have.
@@Bilge2011Person of colour. Allan is pointing his bigoted fingers, instead of taking responsibility for his own life. Sad that anyone would give this a 'like'
Love the videos keep it up .. although i have one request ... You always talk about phd and other stuff... Would be really greatfull if you could make a video about career options after Masters in Basic science
Just become a celebrity or sports team coach and the universities will employ/award you as an honorary to speak at events. You'll not only have more money, but the 'real' doctors will tell their families they met you and their families will beam with glee, because they will actually know your claim to fame.
All the free work is particularly bad at ivy league schools as some classes are literally free for the university as the professors work there just for the reputation.
Don't be discouraged. Yes, to be a postdoc is to be a slave. If you failed to get your tenure track within 3-4 years - quit and go to money management. (Like quant, risk analysis and such. There your analytical skills will be appreciated).
It took me 7 years of applying to get my R1 TT position. Here’s what I’ll say. 1. First, be absolutely sure that it’s actually what you need in life. There are a lot of other routes where you could probably be completely happy, and many are easier to get into and more pleasant to be in. 2. Go into it eyes wide open that the longer you wait, the greater the penalty is in your applications. If you still want that academic job after points 1-2: 3. Don’t get stuck waiting in a low-paid, dead-end postdoc position. Move on with your life and treat applications as something you just do every fall. Secure better paying, permanent positions in government or industry (if it allows you to keep publishing). That way you’re living your life, and enjoying the rewards of your past career-building, even if you never get an offer. And if you do, well great! 4. Always improve yourself. As an older candidate, you increasingly can’t bank on intangible qualities like promise and potential. You need to have something to show for the elapsed time, like an increasing set of skills, leadership experience, and/or a deeper or wider bench of expertise. Fill in the gaps in your CV, for instance by being more active in your professional organization, volunteering for things that you could write about in your personal statements, making connections. Publish in increasingly diverse areas, especially in areas of current broad excitement, for instance by picking up machine-learning skills and finding original ways to apply them to your work. Get a grant or fellowship if your current role allows it. The fuller, richer cv must be able to compete with the other applicants’ age. 5. Have an intentional plan for identifying your deficiencies, addressing them, and keeping your cv fresh. If you haven’t made substantial progress in the story your cv is trying to tell about who you are, one year to the next, then there’s no reason to expect that last year’s failed application will land a hit this year. It needs to be better if you want better outcomes. 6. Consider improving your title at your current non-academia job, so that you can aim at associate prof positions eventually. If you do these things, then you could justify applying longer. You just need to do it eyes wide open that your chances diminish over time and you should be prepared to fall into your fallback position.
@@Jejdjejbfjf it’s more a question of prestige than work ethic - I think you would agree - a male nursing academic gets less of a societal back slap than a doctor or a lawyer. Most people in every profession work very hard in different ways.
@Crystal McLeod Yes, and also doctors and lawyers have a more well-defined job that provides a service to their clients per appointment. With research/academia there is no such job security, the pressure is on to constantly stay relevant.
@@crystalmcleod2651 Nurses are more important for society than lawyers are. I could live in a society with no lawyers but I can't live in a society with no nurses and no doctors.
I'm not sure if you have already made a video on this (ill look around) But can you talk about your thoughts on how GPA factors into being good at research (how a 4.0 student does vs a 3.0 or even 2.0 student at a PhD). Maybe talk about what kind of applicant to a PhD actually does the best work in your opinion? Thanks, love the videos
GPA doesn't matter beyond the application stage. Everyone says success in academia is not so much about how smart you are as compared to how well you can persevere.
In Australia you would probably only be offered a place (and a scholarship) if you got a first or 2:1. The main other success factors I would say are being able to write and having a strong sense of resilience!
USA has more competition no doubt but grant writing is mostly sorted compared to Australia. Many govt agencies in USA floats the idea for research proposal question and then proposals are invited to solve such problems. In Australia, it was more like figure things out on your own and then they will decide whats good or bad. Australia does need collaborations between universities and govt bodies to decide what is the need of time. Australia barely has 40 universities and most faculties are imported or have no connection with Australian education atleast in my area. Its hard to make an academic career in Australia. I have seen people doing postdocs for upto 8 years with no chance of ending up in tenured faculty positions.
(Full professor here): The postdoc bottleneck is brutal. I got through it, I've helped a lot of people through it. But damn what a brutal system. Now imagine being a single mom (possibly of color) in that position. I don't mean to minimize your story, its a broadly awful system.
Once you're TT junior faculty (US) it gets way better -- as a postdoc, they have no skin in the game. When you leave they will have someone else on that line the next month. Not a problem. But once you've gotten a startup package and a TT line, that's sunk costs for *them* if you leave. You've also got a tenure decision coming up, but it's no worse than the same treadmill you were just on. But they are concentrated on getting you through with a tenure-worthy vita in 6 years (unless you're at a top-5 university, in which case you are all set even if you don't get tenure). So --> You must focus 100% on getting that TT job from before you get your doctorate. Once you get tenure you have a different set of issues.
Until recently higher academia was like corporate execs: Largely closed to all those not born into money. But now we have artificially cheap debt and heavy subsidies propelling young men into super high-risk careers both in industry and in academics.
@@anothenymously7054 Not really. Debt for academic studies is artificially cheap, so you can "leverage to the tits" as the wallstreetbets crowd would say and make a mad dash for high office. Many try, some succeed. This is why you see so many people with unused degrees these days.
@@samsonsoturian6013 Not just young men, but young women are also going into academic careers in the USA but maybe it is different for you if you live in Armenia and the society over there is like Kazakhstan in the Borat movie with Sacha Baron Cohen maybe?
11:32 Isnt the term 'paperwork' a bit generic? Each 'paperwork' task is fulfilling a task for yourself, the team or the university, right? A research proposal might be 'paperwork' but this is a defined technical task which needs sone thought to be done correctly What are the other tasks you are conpleting under this vague heading?
Do you think that if you are out of the "field" you shouldn't review a paper? My job makes me somewhat tied to academic life, even though I work in industry. It doesn't matter either way, whether or not I review the paper. I've never heard of the 40-40-20 split. although I wish I knew about it. This is really good stuff. Like-207
Dumb question but what makes you an academic exactly? Because you mentioned that you don’t review papers because you are not in an academic anymore? I guess I just assume that expertise in your research gives you enough right to review. Or why do you get emails about this then?
So this sounds like academia is hyper "political" I get tired when a stranger asks me for directions 🤣 I wonder how did Einstein get famous then D: Did he jump through all these hoops?
@@saraoberrauch Albert Einstein worked as a file clerk in a patent office in Switzerland instead of working in academia for most of his life didn't he? So Albert Einstein never jumped through any of these hoops. There was some university that allowed Albert Einstein to teach one single university class but Albert Einstein was supposedly unable to cope with the administrative paperwork involved in teaching one single university level class?
Hi Suhas. I tried to let the video be as long as it needs to be to give the topic some credibility and depth. Have you seen my short videos? but I shall take your constructive criticism on board!
![Things you don't say out loud in academia [9 open secrets]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sgAlFPMugWw/mqdefault.jpg)
Academia is an extremely competitive job market, it's so demanding I think it could be compared with a mix between entrepreneurship and writing job: 24/7 journey, high level of stress, constantly raising funds for your research proposals, publish or perish...
Hey I'm just commenting to boost engagement. I'm applying to PhDs at the moment and I've been binging your videos recently
I wasted 9 years for post-docs after my PhD for academia. Grant system and lack of stable jobs destroyed my mental health. Last year I was kicked out from a job and this was the best what happened to me. After a lot of search I got a job industry, entry level in my late 30s. It's hard but I stopped wasting my life. Academia is bad choice of career, with 38 papers in PubMed I was no one.
My advice to whoever is reading is: leave Academia. Don't be afraid to make this step. Search for help in crafting CV and cover letters. Ask how to prepare for a job interview. Think how your skills are transferable. Tell HR people that academia taught you how to work in fast pacing environment, learn new things by doing. Don't be afraid. It is never too late to make a change.
In Canada, where I spend 5 and half years success rate was similar to Australia. Remember my grant and fellowship writing sessions.
How 38 papers and you didn't get your independent funding,? Your comment just ruined all shred of hope I had to become PI😔 I only have 10papers and year 5 postdoc😵😱😭
@@perporiap9364 There is more than papers needed. In Canada one need to be appointed as independent researcher to apply for independent funding. In Canada I could be one day project scientist as this was a plan for me, so I can start applying for independent funding. But grant was twice rejected, then my supervisor had less money and life get more complicated.
As for other factors first and most importantly networking. It is absolutely crucial. For some people it goes naturally, others need to be taught how to do it and I was in the second section but didn't even know how to start. I attended conferences, networking events but was intimidated to start talking to random people.
Secondly, history of funding and awards. I came to Canada as foreign post-doc from a country where students rarely goes to international conferences, are not taught to apply for travel awards, small grants whatever. I came to Canada without history of funding and network. Still managed to get federal, post-doc fellowship and I am co-applicant on a large grant. I had a future there, but.....
But I left after five and half years to be closer to my Mother after my Father died. I had a choice between Cambridge UK and Switzerland and chose Switzerland. This choice killed academic career. The team was good on as paper: recognised on a field, papers in Nature Communications but.... they lured me into post-doc like position with promise that I will be having my own team and they will help but it didn't happen. I was kind of post-doc but without own project working on other's projects. There was no way for me to apply for my own funding. Then they decided they don't need me and told me my contract is about to be terminated one week I came back from my Mother's funeral. Because I was less productive when my Mother was dying from cancer. They were saying they can ask if someone from their network need someone like me but I wanted to be as far from them as possible. When I told them where am I relocating and which job I accepted it was a dead silence in a room. I cut all ties with them.
I think time in Switzerland which a wrong team made me so bitter about Academia and I decided to leave.
@@Erintii hope you enjoy and thrive in your new career. Sadly others in higher management sometimes don't get we are humans. I was not able to see my mom when she died same of cancer and covid hit too it was tough for me emotionally to grieve by my own but they saying I was not productive enough in past two years. It is sad that Switzerland also doing same thing as US or Canada keeping people as much as possible in low paid positions with promise of getting funds.
@@perporiap9364 Thank you I am happy with my new role and hope you will find you dream job.
My Mother died when I was in Switzerland, I got no support here even if those people knew, not even a card just termination of contract. I was doing a job of a team but this was not good enough. So I feel how it is.
My Canadian team was better in this manner, they were supportive. Now I am still in a region but in a better team. I think I really made a horrible choice of a team in Switzerland, here post-docs are actually well-paid. I was too expensive for them and funny fact they were complaining of not having specialists from my field but kicked out the most experienced.
I think Academia is often making people toxic, constant lack of job stability, constant competition for funds is changing people. Constant anxiety is making none of us better.
I avoided PhD's because just having a bachelor's often makes you more competitive. I also found that academia does not prepare many PhD's for private industry because it doesn't teach what kind of philosophy translates to market. I have found as a fermentation scientist in private industry that many PhD's have absolutely no education in scalability and even when they have many classes in vector design they have no clue how to design a proper protein expression vector. There are many things working in an academic lab will never expose researchers too such as how resource/media limitation, time changes and vessel size affects growth rates and mixed populations. The importance of some material half lives during development. Leaky expression systems in shake flasks does not hold a candlestick to the loss of plasmid as the antibiotic disappears in a large scale vessel (e.g you might lose 20% of plasmid in a shake flask and 70% in a fermenter over the same 16 hours of time because oxygen gradients are different which makes metabolism different etc.) so every PhD who tried a tech transfer onto a manufacturing floor expects a 30x increase in scale should lead to a 30x increase in protein only to find they get a 5 to 7x increase. They chose a non manufacturing plasmid, did not optimize for protein toxicity, consider the physics that goes into the vessels etc. It turns into my job dealing with sub par tech transfers where no one listened too me until after the problems were introduced an I end up blowing out the fires and risk to buisness model that comes with a generally poor education in scalability variables.
One researcher tried to do a direct linear scale on rotar RPM for the agitator and started shredding the cells and I had to explain to them vessel hieght to propeller ratio as well as calculating the Pascales of force on cells. That agitators and size are not linear with scale. It follows an inverse growth curve assuming a perfect oxygen distribution at atmospheric pressures so oxygen diffusion rates have to be assumed etc. So little education in physics and no ability to connect their design decisions to reality. Not observant at all.
It feels so damn good to hear these issues articulated from the other side of the world too. It confirms that the problems I am facing are not local and I can't make it work even if I relocate. Plus, I am not crazy for not seeing this career path appealing, in contrast to all of my colleagues.
I feel you! you're not crazy. I declined several PhD offers and then worked a research assistant for a few years here. Still observing all the 'flaws' in academia. Now I'm working for myself :)
Exactly. As someone about to defend my phd in 1 month, I am so fed up and burnt-out of all the bureaucratic nonsense and the pretension you have to do to 'look scientific' enough. It's pretty much a pyramid scheme and unless you are a professor, you are much better off ourside of academia. Also, the publishing and even the phd system is super obsolete and they are not governed by science but by the fact that "we have always done it this way". I have never seen a more political field outside politics lol. Cheers
During my master's in pharmaceutical science, I have only seen my supervisor less than 5 times. He literally left me in the middle of the ocean. The good news is I am done with it, I am applying for a Ph.D. now. I am considering every and each piece of advice you are sharing. THANKS, DOC.
If it's any consolation...and I've never been an academic, but organising conferences, speaking at same and networking with fellow professionals, I always found a joy. Gets you away from your desk and reaps dividends when you are trying to build useful connections. You learn more in the coffee break at a conference than you ever do at meetings!
As for meetings. Only 2 rules..1) Always sit near thr biscuits 2) If you want a motion carried, propose it just before the end. It will get carried because people don't want to dscuss it and miss their train!
Thanks for clarifying what 'papers' are. I can't imagine running into them. I do know these 'Journals' of which you speak cost an absolute fortune to subscribe to, so I never have.
We shall see.
Thanks for this video. The academics I have known socially ( criminology/social work) just seem to spend all their time marking and chasing up outstanding written work. There's never any money for research, except in 'trendy' areas where the funder (usually the government) dictates the outcome they expect! But, as I say, I've never been an academic.
Got an electrical engineering degree although my passion was physics. Felt Id been misguided. My sister got her PhD from ATH Zurich could become the academic I always wanted to be. When I asked if she would become one, she flat out said NO. Said her superiors had no life beyond work. Her advisor was so stressed he hasnt has bowl movements for a month. Imagine that, someone with the highest of intelectual credenciales but doesnt know how to take a shit.
Saving us one video at a time
EXACTLY, LOLSSSS
That’s what I’m trying to do on my channel too--tryna save people one video at a time!
These videos are priceless! I'm having a tough time deciding whether or not to choose the academic life. I'm holding my finger over the button on recent PhD applications but not completely sold yet. :(
PhD is tough fun and rewarding But if you can earn decent salary from your master already not really a good choice to do PhD.
I would like to stay in academia in order to be in control of my own research, however, I do not like stress very much and don't handle it well :(
I'm probably not good enough anyway; I've heard only the best researchers become professors (as there are far fewer prof positions compared to the number of people with PhD's).
Thanks for the video. I'll try to find an industry job, preferably in research.... I like the vibe of universities though.
"Achadamia has life absorbing nature to it".... That is absolutely true. That is really really true...
Thank you for your insights. You have made me rethink my urge to pursue a PhD. I had a poor experience of Honours and Masters - feeling unsupported and bullied to publish. Thanks for reminding me of these and other negatives. . It is nice to feel smart, but it comes at such a price
Are we even that smart if we're pursuing this path? Lol
Your best video to date. People need to watch this before applying for a PhD. Far too many doctors floating around with no jobs.
In the humanities there's work but you kind of have to either be lucky or very pro-active and "create work" and create venues for work. You can also translate those skills to do other stuff, lite being a part of studies conducted by the state or other things. Or be a part of the never ending grant-lottery. But no, it is not for everyone..
Some UK research institutes have constant funding (e.g. MRC funded centres), so you don't rely on applying for grants (and usually don't have to teach either)!
Same in Korea; UST (University of Science and Technology)
Teaching and research need to be split absolutely. They have nothing to do with one another. The research side of academics should be paid exclusively out of grants, patents and start-ups. The teaching part should absorb all of the tuition payments.
couldn't agree with you more. there should be teaching faculty and research faculty, and they should be frequently communicating with each other.
I "gave up" on the academic life while being a substitute lecturer... Now I'll work with art!!! =D I never thought I would give my life a different turn... but, it happened and it is AWESOME! No more articles to review!!!!
I'd love to know how you did that.
@@eylam9690 Well, I had a burnout, several physical problems, went to the beach to apply for a permanent position in a university and life became clearer to me. I'm studying interior design and landscaping now.
Academic life = beg for money
😂 lol
Exactly. I might as well do that as an entrepreneur and then might even be able to make some impact. And bank. Lol
Or borrow. Most are knee deep in debt by the time they leave
Very interesting, thank you as always! Do you have any insides maybe about the acedemic life on social sciences (law, economics etc) ? Perhaps it would be a good video idea!
Haha, such a clear picture. Can't agree more. "It will look good on your CV". Admin duties just ruins your research and teaching.
I wasted a significant part of my life in jobs I hated with that same logic. It did nothing for me.
Academia folks could be earning 10x if they worked for the industry
I'm interested in PhD. Hence, your videos are so helpful for me. Thanks a bunch Andy!
You're very welcome!
Don't do it.
I can hear this guy on and on and on, I don't know , he is nice but I am sleepy and his voice is so soothing like white noise
Excellent coverage of the reality of academia. The situation is pretty worse in many other countries too.
Great video, Andy. There are some colleges and universities here in the States where grants don’t hover above you like an evil overlord. Those are the smaller to mid sized teaching focused schools. They do some research and you have to publish...and it better be with students. But teaching loads are heavier yet there is less stress I think. But you better love teaching. Lol. Salaries tend to be a little lower also.
Thanks Jeff! I've heard about those sorts of universities in the US. I would have loved a teaching position in a university but they were looked down upon and seemed to be for "failed academics" that no longer were able to bring in research grant money! Thanks for your comments!
@@DrAndyStapleton Yes my advisor said the same thing when I was a PhD student. I suppose my friends at major R1 universities look down on some fellow academics at smaller schools. But I was successful in obtaining grants but was sick of it. I love my job now! :)
Also make a video on the advantages of life in academia
Applying for research funding can throw up some surprising things. I remember one time our application for funding was refused and another University was awarded the money. Only later found out that the 'Winning' Professor had a brother in law on the committee who decided the award. You can only laugh about it. By the way,office politics goes on in academic life just like any other workplace.
Hey Andy, You cultivated other skills through out your career like making videos. Can you make a video about the importance of other skills and how those helped you start your start up?
Sure thing - I'll add it to the list! Thanks for the suggestion.
Hey Andy! Thanks for the honest review of post Ph.D. life. I'm coming to the end of my Ph.D. in New Zealand and debating on continuing into a postdoc position or if it's a good time to transition into industry; this was quite useful. A concise summary of some of the struggles I've witnessed within my own research group. Thanks!!!
Stopping me from pursuing academia / PHD 1 video at a time 😂
My university claims a 50/50/50 split. Yeah, I didn't pass that advanced math so can't explain it.
I wonder whether the apparently expected 150% apply to the workload only or to the pay as well.
@@PortCharmers not only does pay not adjust appropriately, but the university is now on year 15 of no pay raises for faculty (only administration).
Exactly the same thing here in Canada. Typical split is 40,40, 20. Those with no “research” gets more teaching duties. Very glad to be retired after 32 years of academic life.
Many people leave for 1 or 2 years and do their post-doc abroad. The return phase is quite critical. A 6-year post-doc contract at any given point almost always can be seen as a green light. It would be stupid from the perspective of any university to let people go after those 6 years.
For a male non-POC, a PhD is a ticket to unemployment unless you have clear, objective evidence that you are at the top 1/100 of 1 per cent of your field AND you have outstanding interview skills AND a strong support structure while you flail around hopping to get lucky. I found a Masters to be useful. It opened doors to me that a Bachelors wouldn't have.
What is non POC?
@@Bilge2011Person of colour. Allan is pointing his bigoted fingers, instead of taking responsibility for his own life. Sad that anyone would give this a 'like'
@@Bilge2011 person of colour.
Love the videos keep it up .. although i have one request ... You always talk about phd and other stuff... Would be really greatfull if you could make a video about career options after Masters in Basic science
Well, he could also make videos about making muffins XD
Just become a celebrity or sports team coach and the universities will employ/award you as an honorary to speak at events. You'll not only have more money, but the 'real' doctors will tell their families they met you and their families will beam with glee, because they will actually know your claim to fame.
When I worked at Raytheon, each employee was expected to have "client accounts" they could bill for their time. I really didn't like that.
All the free work is particularly bad at ivy league schools as some classes are literally free for the university as the professors work there just for the reputation.
Don't be discouraged. Yes, to be a postdoc is to be a slave. If you failed to get your tenure track within 3-4 years - quit and go to money management.
(Like quant, risk analysis and such. There your analytical skills will be appreciated).
It took me 7 years of applying to get my R1 TT position.
Here’s what I’ll say.
1. First, be absolutely sure that it’s actually what you need in life. There are a lot of other routes where you could probably be completely happy, and many are easier to get into and more pleasant to be in.
2. Go into it eyes wide open that the longer you wait, the greater the penalty is in your applications.
If you still want that academic job after points 1-2:
3. Don’t get stuck waiting in a low-paid, dead-end postdoc position. Move on with your life and treat applications as something you just do every fall. Secure better paying, permanent positions in government or industry (if it allows you to keep publishing). That way you’re living your life, and enjoying the rewards of your past career-building, even if you never get an offer. And if you do, well great!
4. Always improve yourself. As an older candidate, you increasingly can’t bank on intangible qualities like promise and potential. You need to have something to show for the elapsed time, like an increasing set of skills, leadership experience, and/or a deeper or wider bench of expertise. Fill in the gaps in your CV, for instance by being more active in your professional organization, volunteering for things that you could write about in your personal statements, making connections. Publish in increasingly diverse areas, especially in areas of current broad excitement, for instance by picking up machine-learning skills and finding original ways to apply them to your work. Get a grant or fellowship if your current role allows it. The fuller, richer cv must be able to compete with the other applicants’ age.
5. Have an intentional plan for identifying your deficiencies, addressing them, and keeping your cv fresh. If you haven’t made substantial progress in the story your cv is trying to tell about who you are, one year to the next, then there’s no reason to expect that last year’s failed application will land a hit this year. It needs to be better if you want better outcomes.
6. Consider improving your title at your current non-academia job, so that you can aim at associate prof positions eventually.
If you do these things, then you could justify applying longer. You just need to do it eyes wide open that your chances diminish over time and you should be prepared to fall into your fallback position.
My masters supervisor: if I realized 10 years ago how much work this was I would have become a doctor or a lawyer 🤣
I'm a law student and lawyers work insanely hard. The grass is always greener on the other side.
@@Jejdjejbfjf it’s more a question of prestige than work ethic - I think you would agree - a male nursing academic gets less of a societal back slap than a doctor or a lawyer. Most people in every profession work very hard in different ways.
@Crystal McLeod Yes, and also doctors and lawyers have a more well-defined job that provides a service to their clients per appointment. With research/academia there is no such job security, the pressure is on to constantly stay relevant.
@@crystalmcleod2651 Nurses are more important for society than lawyers are. I could live in a society with no lawyers but I can't live in a society with no nurses and no doctors.
I'm not sure if you have already made a video on this (ill look around) But can you talk about your thoughts on how GPA factors into being good at research (how a 4.0 student does vs a 3.0 or even 2.0 student at a PhD). Maybe talk about what kind of applicant to a PhD actually does the best work in your opinion? Thanks, love the videos
GPA doesn't matter beyond the application stage. Everyone says success in academia is not so much about how smart you are as compared to how well you can persevere.
In Australia you would probably only be offered a place (and a scholarship) if you got a first or 2:1. The main other success factors I would say are being able to write and having a strong sense of resilience!
I was out as soon as you said the word admin 🤣 I'm from Adelaide as well btw and have done all my university studies with UniSA...humanities though
How do you keep the food out of your beard? Please advise.
USA has more competition no doubt but grant writing is mostly sorted compared to Australia. Many govt agencies in USA floats the idea for research proposal question and then proposals are invited to solve such problems. In Australia, it was more like figure things out on your own and then they will decide whats good or bad. Australia does need collaborations between universities and govt bodies to decide what is the need of time. Australia barely has 40 universities and most faculties are imported or have no connection with Australian education atleast in my area. Its hard to make an academic career in Australia. I have seen people doing postdocs for upto 8 years with no chance of ending up in tenured faculty positions.
I said no to reviewing any papers and the world didn’t end😂 nobody noticed I wasn’t doing it and it freed up so much time
Academia, particular STEMs is a "sheltered workshop" for Asperger's folks.
The difference between doctorates and masters degrees are elitist pretenses.
Yeah not worth it for mugles
(Full professor here): The postdoc bottleneck is brutal. I got through it, I've helped a lot of people through it. But damn what a brutal system. Now imagine being a single mom (possibly of color) in that position. I don't mean to minimize your story, its a broadly awful system.
Once you're TT junior faculty (US) it gets way better -- as a postdoc, they have no skin in the game. When you leave they will have someone else on that line the next month. Not a problem. But once you've gotten a startup package and a TT line, that's sunk costs for *them* if you leave. You've also got a tenure decision coming up, but it's no worse than the same treadmill you were just on. But they are concentrated on getting you through with a tenure-worthy vita in 6 years (unless you're at a top-5 university, in which case you are all set even if you don't get tenure). So --> You must focus 100% on getting that TT job from before you get your doctorate. Once you get tenure you have a different set of issues.
Until recently higher academia was like corporate execs: Largely closed to all those not born into money. But now we have artificially cheap debt and heavy subsidies propelling young men into super high-risk careers both in industry and in academics.
@@samsonsoturian6013 sounds like it hasn't changed at all
@@anothenymously7054 Not really. Debt for academic studies is artificially cheap, so you can "leverage to the tits" as the wallstreetbets crowd would say and make a mad dash for high office. Many try, some succeed. This is why you see so many people with unused degrees these days.
@@samsonsoturian6013 Not just young men, but young women are also going into academic careers in the USA but maybe it is different for you if you live in Armenia and the society over there is like Kazakhstan in the Borat movie with Sacha Baron Cohen maybe?
I studied physics before going to consulting and OH MY GOD. Consulting and academia are SO SIMILAR
At least you get money though
How can you have a balance between work and life as PHD clinical scientist
I wanted to go to academia ! But I think I would rather stay in industry.
Awesome guidence
My only one question out of this - GT Bar or Bar on the Hill 🤷🏼♂️
Yaaasssss! This man speaks the truth lol
Man I dont even want to be a PI I just want to research at peace
Would you recommend a PhD in an applied research institute over a PhD in a university?
11:32 Isnt the term 'paperwork' a bit generic?
Each 'paperwork' task is fulfilling a task for yourself, the team or the university, right?
A research proposal might be 'paperwork' but this is a defined technical task which needs sone thought to be done correctly
What are the other tasks you are conpleting under this vague heading?
Australian Universities pay good money for post docs
Much better than I've been told the US unis pay for.
Thanks!
Thanks so much, Allan! Really appreciated.
Do you think that if you are out of the "field" you shouldn't review a paper? My job makes me somewhat tied to academic life, even though I work in industry. It doesn't matter either way, whether or not I review the paper. I've never heard of the 40-40-20 split. although I wish I knew about it. This is really good stuff. Like-207
I don’t have a life outside of my research. However, I don’t love my research 🙁
How are you going now?
Underrated comment, lol
go into the political please
“Five things” starts at 4:54
How to apply funding or grants?
You look so handsome then and now and remind me of my boyfriend:)
Dumb question but what makes you an academic exactly? Because you mentioned that you don’t review papers because you are not in an academic anymore? I guess I just assume that expertise in your research gives you enough right to review. Or why do you get emails about this then?
It's true in south Asia......Russia too...I an here in 🇷🇺 ,so it's all true...pay scale sucks
This is very offputting
Why wouldn't you prefer an industrial job that will be steady and well paid and hopefully acceptably interesting?
11:15 "It's like a gas. It will fill the volume you give it."
Hey I just started looking for a PhD opportunity in Molecular Biology in the USA. I am having trouble in narrowing down the university. Can you help?
Ask molecular biologists
I feel extremely bad for my choice 🥺
Are you short or tall?
Gravity certainly does have an effect on your hair, in that it seems to be growing downward from your chin.
So, essentially business determines what will be researched and what won't. Not good.
The hair went from the top of his head to the bottom.
If you didn't say that I would never have noticed it
Holy shit, chemistry/Australia PhD/postdoc sounds horrenodusly demanding...
So this sounds like academia is hyper "political"
I get tired when a stranger asks me for directions 🤣
I wonder how did Einstein get famous then D:
Did he jump through all these hoops?
Definitely very 'political'! Don't think Einstein hopped these hoops, no :) The system wasn't the same back then.
He impressed his teachers by not being a brainless brown noser
@@saraoberrauch Albert Einstein worked as a file clerk in a patent office in Switzerland instead of working in academia for most of his life didn't he? So Albert Einstein never jumped through any of these hoops. There was some university that allowed Albert Einstein to teach one single university class but Albert Einstein was supposedly unable to cope with the administrative paperwork involved in teaching one single university level class?
So... there's no way to maybe do 20% teaching, 20% research, and 60% free time to just do whatever? 🤔That's the kind of academia I want to do. 😁
Nope.
Grants! There is no second place. There is only first loser!
The videos these days are too long.. it would be really wonderful if you can cover the topics sub 10 min
Hi Suhas. I tried to let the video be as long as it needs to be to give the topic some credibility and depth. Have you seen my short videos? but I shall take your constructive criticism on board!
It sounds like a U.S. style liberal arts college would be a much better fit for you.
We're no different
It sounds like a lot of these environments should be unionized.
What makes you those idiots are any different?
"Meet the New Boss, Just like the Old Boss"
They unofficially are a big union unless you aren't a research professor.