Perhaps the Grass is Greener in Academe

Peter Weddle paints a pretty grim picture of the 21st century employer in his book, Work Strong: Your Personal Career Fitness System. While I agree many corporate employers engage in inhumane activities that show little regard for their employees, I believe most colleges and universities are more compassionate toward their employees. For many higher education professionals, this is part of the attraction to working in academe in the first place. With few exceptions, higher education employees make less money in academe than they could in the corporate world. But, as part of the tradeoff, they usually enjoy a more humane, intellectual workplace, and the satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of others through teaching and research.

For one thing, compared to the corporate world, layoffs are rare in academe. Hiring freezes and furloughs may be common in higher education when times get tough, but layoffs are usually a last resort. During my own experience in higher education, I can't recall any layoffs at my employer, and firings (even if they were arguably warranted) almost never happened.

And, despite the current economic downturn, the number of jobs in higher education was actually up 1.3 percent during the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to 2008. And, since 2005, fourth quarter growth in the number of higher education jobs has averaged annual growth of 1.8 percent. (For more information, see the HigherEdJobs.com Higher Education Employment Report.)

Now, I don't want to sound naive and say academe is perfect. You may have a co-worker or supervisor who frustrates you to no end, political issues may affect your ability to get promoted or receive tenure, or you may simply be burned out on your career. These are serious issues that can be intensely frustrating. Furthermore, if you have been personally laid off or are having trouble finding a new job in higher education, it doesn't matter what the national trends are. Your experience is the only one that matters.

My point is, no matter how frustrated you may get with your career in academe, keep in mind that life could be, and often is, worse in other industries. More importantly, to paraphrase Weddle, take charge of your "career fitness" as an academic professional. You can't assume your institution, department, or supervisor is interested or even capable of looking after your best interests. At the end of the day, no one cares for you like you.

So, don't assume your current employer has to be your last. Hopefully, you love where you are at. If not, keep in mind there are over 4,000 accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. alone.

And, take charge of your own career growth. Ideally, you have a great supervisor who serves as a great mentor and who genuinely wants to see you succeed. If not, do whatever it takes to be the best at what you do. Use your network to find another mentor. Get involved with your association.

Be passionate about what you do and take your career seriously. It may sound like obvious advice, but look at your co-workers. How many of them are truly passionate or take their career seriously. There are no guarantees, but if you are passionate and take your career seriously, you'll increase your odds of rising through the ranks. And, even if you don't, you'll be more satisfied with yourself and have an easier time changing jobs.

If you have a moment to comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts on working in academe. Do you agree working in academe, on balance, is a better environment than corporate? Or, is it just the same? More importantly, how have you taken charge of your "career fitness" in academe?