Sam, a recent Ph.D. in social psychology who turned down his one academic job offer because of dual-career issues and who now has a government research job, responded to my last column with the following:
In the academic market, my problem is that I went to a top-tier research university, but my love in graduate school was for teaching. I'm stuck now: Research schools think I'm not committed enough to research, and teaching schools wonder if a graduate from a top-tier research university can really be a teacher... My question is what if you love teaching but cannot get an academic position and have decided to take a non-academic job?
If you see yourself in Sam (not his real name), first ask yourself how committed you are to teaching per se and how committed you are to teaching in a traditional educational institution.
If you really want to teach in a traditional setting, such as a liberal-arts college, then the question would be: Can you really not get a teaching position? Have you exhausted all possibilities?
In this case, Sam apparently went on the market for only one year and was constrained by a spouse's career needs. What can he do within those constraints to improve his chances of getting a teaching job?
Since academic job-hunting advice is the purview of other columns here, all I will suggest is that he make sure his C.V., teaching portfolio, and academic references make the strongest possible case for his dedication to and excellence in teaching. He should also consider getting an adjunct teaching job to demonstrate his commitment and to gain a local network, and he should go on the academic job-market at least one more season, in places that work for both him and his wife.
If you want to remain in a traditional college environment but don't feel compelled to teach full time, you have at least three options. First, if you want to stay in your field, you could look for academic administrative jobs that would allow you to teach in your field part-time, either as part of the job or as an adjunct.
At Harvard, for example, senior tutors (based in residential colleges) are expected to spend half their time teaching; in addition, a number of administrators here teach undergraduate or extension courses on the side. A historian I worked with found an editing and administrative job in a research institute at a Midwestern university where his wife got a faculty position. He negotiated a teaching spot as part of the deal.
A second option is to find an academic administrative job with teaching as a significant part of it. The best example is the position of consultant at a teaching and learning center, which entails instructing faculty and teaching fellows in the art of teaching and may also permit you to teach in your own discipline.
Another good example is the growing field of instructional technology. Ph.D.'s (from all fields) with interest and some expertise in computers have been hired to work with faculty members to develop computer and Web-based instruction and distance-learning courses. Distance learning in general is another growing field for would-be teachers.
Third, you can take a non-academic job that allows you to "moonlight" as an adjunct professor at a traditional institution nearby. For this to work well, the job would have to be somewhat flexible and not demand undue energy or travel.
If you love teaching but aren't wedded to the traditional academic environment, you have several possibilities:
Have you considered teaching in a community college or another non-traditional institution? An English Ph.D. I know has for many years been very happily teaching both English and -- inevitably -- composition at Northern Essex Community College. She finds great satisfaction in helping first- or second-generation Americans increase their social and career mobility. A Ph.D. in Middle Eastern history with a long-standing interest in the arts is enjoying teaching the required world-civilization course (among others) to aspiring musicians at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Have you considered high-school teaching? Private schools have been hiring A.B.D.'s and Ph.D.'s who show an interest in and some experience working with adolescents. They are particularly eager to hire math and science teachers.
Lately, public school systems have been experimenting with ways to attract better-educated teachers by waiving state certification requirements (and then providing certification as professional development). If your university has a school of education, you might try cross-registering and picking up state certification while you finish your Ph.D.
What about teaching in non-academic environments?
If you are willing to venture into the business world, you might well gravitate to the field of training and development. Training can include everything from technical and substantive education to writing and presentation skills to career development.
A number of A.B.D.'s and Ph.D.'s I have known have gone this route: one anthropology Ph.D. with little computer experience had a successful training career at Digital Equipment Corporation, and several humanists have taught writing and presentation skills (among others) in Booz Allen's professional-development program. Other consulting companies (Boston Consulting Group) and think tanks (Rand) have hired in-house writing instructors (sometimes with Ph.D.'s) for their staffs.
It is also possible to gratify your love of teaching more indirectly within the for-profit sector. Several science Ph.D.'s who have gone into patent law (or technology transfer) find teaching a central part of the job, whether they are educating federal patent officers about the technical aspects of the inventions, the inventors about the business and legal aspects, or juries about both.
Sales is another route. A historian of science working for the Advisory Board Company (a medical research firm) finds himself constantly calling on his teaching skills as he presents the results of the company's studies to clients worldwide.
Finally, a related question that has come up before: "Can I get back into academe after a career outside?"
It depends on two things: how closely related the career outside is to the field in which you want to return, and whether you are able to publish in that field. For example, I know a biology Ph.D. who came back to academic research after a career at Merck and an economist who took a tenured university professorship in health policy after a 20-year career in a think tank. And a political-science Ph.D. who worked for 18 years as a foreign-policy adviser for several senators returned to teaching at the National War College.
In general, if you have outside industry or government experience, it is easiest to return to an academic position in a professional school. But unless it's an explicitly "practitioner" teaching position, you would need to demonstrate relevant research and publications. Outside experience is also viewed as a plus for upper-level academic administrative positions.
Margaret Newhouse is assistant director of career services for Ph.D's at Harvard University. Even though she cannot answer e-mail personally, Ms. Newhouse appreciates comments, stories, and suggestions. Please send your comments to ivorytower@chronicle.com
