First, what is “academia”?
It is defined as the environment or community involved in research, education and science. In terms of jobs, it refers to positions at universities, colleges, and research centers. The jobs usually involve a mixture of research, teaching, and mentoring. There are lots of related jobs (for example at funding agencies, research for private companies, etc.)
Second, what are the steps in an academic career?
An academic career involves climbing the steps in an hierarchical pyramid system. Throughout the steps, there is a transition from learning to independence. It’s a pyramid, because not all people progress from one step to the next.
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This four step structure is global, but there are local adaptations to the duration and expression of the different steps. The European University Institute had a good overview of the variations in different countries (archived pages are available). |
The first two steps involve education and obtaining the degrees that are required to advance in an academic career. The undergraduate stage usually involves a Bachelor’s, and potentially a Master’s, degree. The graduate stage differs more according to country, here are some examples of the differences for three countries I have been in (for more info, see link above)
| Country | Germany | USA | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | ~4 years | ~7 years | ~ 3 years |
| Position | Supervisor’s research project | Assistant in a department | Own research project |
| Payment | Work contract | TA/RA plus external funding | External funding for maintenance allowance plus tuition |
| Special requirements | Need a Master’s | You might have to pay | Need to find own funding |
After finishing the education, the hope is to acquire a permanent position (usually as a professor). Usually, there is first a postdoc phase, where the expectation is that you develop an independent research profile and acquire teaching experience, to demonstrate that you are able to perform in a professorship position. The specific expectations and requirements again differ by country. Different positions have a different balance between the three core activities within academia: research, mentoring, and teaching. For example, if you choose an independent research fellowship, your focus will be more on research.
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Figure 1 (page 38) of a report (in German) comparing academic careers in different countries shows the huge variation across countries in the percentage of post-PhD academics in permanent positions where they can perform independent research (labelled as “Oberbau” in the graphic) versus in short-term contracts where they perform guided research projects (labelled as “Mittelbau”). In addition, academic institutions also hire people on part-time contracts for particular jobs (e.g. teaching) (labelled as “Nebenberuflich”). Within both the permanent and short-term contract positions there are different steps (tenure-track). |
It is very difficult to step into the pyramid from outside. The first two steps, undergraduate and PhD, are requirements. Spending time outside of academia after the PhD can be perceived as not being committed, and can make it more difficult to acquire the expected qualifications. But that does not mean that there is only one path through the pyramid, you should explore your own path. The variation across countries, and even within countries, can offer opportunities to figure out what most appeals to you. In part 2, I explore the reasons for and against exploring a career in academia.