Beyond the Ivory Tower

Starting at the Bottom

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By Susan Basalla May

When Anthony Russo got his first job on Wall Street, he tried to persuade his new employers that his Ph.D. in psychology from Claremont Graduate University entitled him to special consideration. Although he had no experience in the world of finance, Mr. Russo thought it was unfair that he should be treated the same as the 22-year-olds who could have been his students a few months before.

He argued that his valuable analytical skills entitled him to a higher starting salary than the other entry-level employees, but his new boss was unconvinced. "It's a nice bonus for us that you have a Ph.D.," his employer said, "but you don't have any relevant experience. You'll start at entry level like everyone else."

Many years later, Mr. Russo founded Noonan-Russo Communications, a biotechnology public-relations firm where he now sits on the other side of the hiring desk. Although he likes to employ Ph.D.'s because they learn new material quickly, he agrees with his former employer's practice of starting Ph.D.'s without experience in entry-level positions. He always warns academics during the interview that, "If you want to change careers, you're going to have to pay your dues."

Mr. Russo believes his policy benefits employees and employers alike. "If you only have the skills for a $30,000-per-year job, you shouldn't be in a $50,000-per-year job," he says. "The employer will have unrealistic expectations for you, you'll miss out on learning fundamental skills, and others in the business will resent your leapfrogging over them. On the other hand, if you start low, you can move up quickly and have a string of successes."

People with Ph.D.'s who start at the bottom are not doomed to remain there, Mr. Russo says. Since academics are usually skilled at absorbing new information, they may be able to grasp their responsibilities more quickly than a 22-year-old starting at the same level. "At my firm, we've promoted people within six weeks," he adds.

While it may be difficult to reconcile yourself to starting at the bottom after years of graduate schooling, I can vouch for the wisdom of this approach. My first job after graduate school was as an entry-level reporter for a medical newsletter. My editor was younger than I was, and my fellow reporters were all fresh out of college. My ego took a little bruising, but I soon realized that I was starting at the right level. Although I had strong analytical skills, I needed to learn how to work on a team, manage a staff, and negotiate office politics. In retrospect, I can see that I would have been a disaster if I had started out as an editor instead of a reporter. Happily, I was asked to become an editor after six months -- a remarkably speedy promotion -- and was able to move into my new position with confidence.

My experience is a common one in the world of postacademic careers. While interviewing hundreds of former faculty members and graduate students for my career guide, So What Are You Going to Do With That? (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2001), I discovered that nearly three-quarters of the people I talked to had made the transition to a postacademic career by paying their dues for a short time. In many cases, the people didn't even realize that they were laying the groundwork for a new career -- they were just trying to earn a little money, or volunteering for a cause that was important to them. But in each case, a small amount of relevant experience, combined with a Ph.D., added up to rapid advancement and long-term success.

Of course, it's important to understand how different careers are built before you sign on for an entry-level job. In publishing, for example, everyone starts out as an administrative assistant. If your goal is to become a management consultant, however, you will have to be hired into that job directly -- it's rare for someone to be promoted to consultant from a lower position in the company. Do your research carefully so that you don't end up paying your dues in a dead-end job.

Once you've decided which industry you'd like to tackle, you'll need to find a company that will give you room to grow. Here are a few ways to find companies that are more likely to suit your needs:

• The more employee-friendly and flexible the workplace is, the better your chances of moving around in the company. Look for magazine articles listing the 50 best places to work in your area.

• Talk to people who work in the field about how to get started. Ask which companies are best to work for and what kind of job you could expect to start in. Compare notes from a number of different people.

• When interviewing for a job, ask about the usual career track for the position. How long does a person usually spend in this job? What criteria determine whether he or she is promoted? To what job is he or she usually promoted?

• Emphasize your willingness to work hard and learn the ropes. While it's important to make it clear during the interview that you're interested in future promotions, you don't want to sound arrogant or dissatisfied.

• When you are offered a job, ask for a six-month salary and performance review to be written into your contract. Remind your boss about your review when the time comes. A six-month review will force your boss to acknowledge how quickly you've adapted to your new position and give you a chance to ask about taking on more responsibility.

While it may be discouraging to hear someone advocate entry-level jobs for Ph.D.'s, the experience of learning a field from the ground up is well worth swallowing your pride. In a relatively short time, you will find that the skills you learned in graduate school will have helped you build a successful foundation in an entirely new career.