tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9071757402186489670.post4661360074029929141..comments2023-03-25T21:50:50.891+13:00Comments on Bavardess: More thoughts on academic careersBavardesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10737120234578385755noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9071757402186489670.post-11080795887038298362009-07-06T10:06:18.131+12:002009-07-06T10:06:18.131+12:00My impression is a combination of both, but Magist...My impression is a combination of both, but Magistra et Mater had an interesting post a while back where she reckoned that the the proportion of post-docs not getting jobs in the sector was about the same as twenty years ago, so impressions are obviously off. However, there has been a desperate shortage of jobs in the UK at least in the last couple of years because of the Research Assessment Exercise running, so there have piled up a lot of hungry applicants I think. It may ease in a year or so. Or, of course, since posts don't materialise any quicker in a recession, it may not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9071757402186489670.post-77080906669257994492009-07-04T14:38:24.190+12:002009-07-04T14:38:24.190+12:00Tenth, the set up at my university does make it mo...Tenth, the set up at my university does make it more welcoming to 'non-traditional' students, which is bound to skew the age distribution a bit. But I'm curious to know whether you think the increasing number of applicants for jobs in medieval history is due to an overall increase in graduates or a decline in available positions, or a combination of both.<br /><br />And Belle - I appreciate your point about the non-financial rewards. However, I'm also conscious of concerns being about the increasing inability of NZ universities to attract the best candidates from around the world, because the salaries are just not staying competitive enough (especially given recent government budget cuts). If you happened to look at the salary chart I linked to, remember the numbers are in $NZ so knock off about 1/3 to get an equivalent in $US, and nearly 60% for UK pounds.Bavardesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10737120234578385755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9071757402186489670.post-50676130323786734982009-07-04T01:02:27.721+12:002009-07-04T01:02:27.721+12:00Non-trad here. FWIW, the satisfactions of professi...Non-trad here. FWIW, the satisfactions of professing are, at least for the historians I know, not monetary. Sure not for me! Yes, I could earn more IRL, but I did that, and was profoundly uncomfortable out there. The academic path I took is by no means easy, nor was it much fun during the process, but the pleasures I get now are far more valuable that mere cash, salary or benefits. Doesn't mean I like being poor or earning less than I'm worth. I was out there and discovered that academia is better for me. Not that I fit well here either, but I feel better about self and place.Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10849272391043604637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9071757402186489670.post-60965012241446020592009-07-04T00:20:33.655+12:002009-07-04T00:20:33.655+12:00I think you may have an extreme case there, though...I think you may have an extreme case there, though I would agree that more and more people are coming to graduate study as a way not to be bored once they've found a professional niche in the real world. However, the increasing frequency of jobs in medieval history garnering 100+ applicants where it used to be half that suggests that there's no shortage of future talent...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com