PhD Question

thesecretforme

Once you get your PhD what happens?

I know that sounds like a dumb question, but can someone take me through it. I'm thinking History, early-modern.

2Scoops

thesecretforme wrote: »

Once you get your PhD what happens?

You frantically look for a job before realizing that the recession has made your specialty subject an unnecessary luxury in a newly-impoverished society. :pac:

Seriously, though, after your PhD, you can look for post-doctoral research position, if that's your thing (short term contracts only fyi), or try to find a job in teaching or archiving or something history-related. Or just leave history altogether and try to get a job somewhere else - PhD credentials, even irrelevant ones, can impress people in high-up places.

thesecretforme

Well, I need to know the rudiments of how the entire thing works. You know. I mean I'd like to do a Phd in History and I'd like to think that I will be able to find employment in it afterwards too. I don't want to be moping around the place with a piece of paper unable to get a job.

This has nothing to do with the recession, just a general remark.

We've been told to be more employable will depend on the skills we acquire at College and also on conferences and published material. Can anyone else explain that to me. I know I might sound stupid.

2Scoops

The best thing you can do is imagine you have a PhD in history right now. Go look for a job (you should know better than me where the history jobs are). Look in universities, government bodies etc. See what the requirements are for the jobs. I can't imagine there are a whole lot of jobs directly related to history PhDs, though.

Esmereldina

With a Phd in History, you are directly qualified for little besides academia. Outside academia it may be true that PhDs impress some employers, but they also make you overqualified for most jobs which isn't a great position to be in. Depending on the type of history you do, it might also be possible to work in a museum for example. Think about the type of history you do, and if there are any museums connected with it. If it was more modern history, there might be connections with politics and government policy research but I think you mentioned early modern. To become an archivist or librarian you would need to do another postgraduate course.

If you are interested in getting into academia, it is an extremely difficult area to break into and as far depends as much on luck and the type of history you do as anything else. The job market is extremely competitive though, so yes publications do help. If you have teaching experience from working (tutoring for example) during your PhD too, then this will also help. Depends what type of job you're going for, whether teaching or publications are most important. Typically you might work part time in one or more places for the first year or so before getting a full time position. If you are lucky then you might get a post doc or one year full time position. It is still very difficult to get a permanent position though even after postdoc or one year position.

I know this sounds a little bleak, but the job market really isn't great for humanities phds at the moment... at least you know what you might be getting yourself into now If you're stilll really enthusiastic about it then go for it though... and who knows, this could even be different in 4 years when you're finished!

petethebrick

Basically decide if you want to go into academic lecturing and research. If so then do your PhD. Yes it is hard to break into as others have commented, but it's no more difficult than breaking into other fields - if you're organised and do the work you'll succeed I'm sure.


If you finish the PhD and decide you want to do something outside of academia then the qualification itself will open many doors for you as many employers will judge it on the skills you have acquired rather than solely on the content of your degree.

If you already know now that you don't want to go into academia then you shouldn't be doing a PhD -there's no point. You would be much better off doing a specific MA course someway related to the area(s) you see yourself working in.

thesecretforme

I like the area of history I'm in.

I dislike the competive nature of people, the fakeness and the artificialness. It does my head in. I've made maybe 2 good friends so far, who are genuine feet-on-the ground people .

The rest of the people are full of BS.

Does this get better?

I don't see myself doing anything else. The only other thing that niggles me, is that I would to settle down in at least the next 10 years. Is that feasible?