Academics - How worried should I be about spending cuts and career prospects

[BiggleBoggle]

Hello all academics! I'm currently doing a postdoc, I've got until autumn 2011 to find new funding or a job. But talk of all these spending cuts is terribly depressing. So mainly I was wondering, those of you with more experience of the field than me, how bad do you think it's going to get, honestly? Tell me, I think I can take it.

My CV is fairly 'bluechip' I guess you'd say in terms of academics, and the next two years are focused on publishing from existing research, and conducting some new research and publishing (I hope) from that. I'm cross-disciplinary, so a number of departments might employ me (social science based), so I guess that might help, but on the other hand, my opportunities for moving round the country in search of short-term contracts are limited by a husband who has to be commutable to London, and two young kids. I also feel as though my competitors/peers are working all the hours they can whereas it's simply not possible for me to work at quite that pace and be the kind of Mum I want/feel I need to be. So I guess the other thing I ask myself is whether I'm mad to be trying to build this new career (I came to it a bit late) whilst also bringing up a very young family.

What do you think? Is this an impossible dream! Sometimes I look ahead and think there's no way this is going to work!

[BiggleBoggle]

Sorry, computer froze so pressed post twice!

[toadstool]

Hi, I've been a lecturer for 15 years [old emoticon]. I'm afraid I'll say what you already know about the academic jobs/funding situation: It is dire. But - you are flexible and based in the SE so there's a lot of choice for you. One possibility for you may be teaching-only posts, because I suspect they are going to grow now that the research-intensive (expensive) posts are being frozen or cut. Hmmm... (sorry, just read the news about KCL, so not feeling cheerful). HTH.

[BiggleBoggle]

Thanks for replying Toadstool. Yes, just seen that news about KCL. And Queen Mary. It's very depressing. I suppose all I can do is keep plugging away for now and hope for the very very best when I finish my Postdoc, but I guess I'll be competing in the job market with far more established academics who have been made redundant. At least I could go back to my previous career, perhaps, so I know I'm in a better position than some academics who are made redundant, which is awful. It's just that I left that previous career because I hated it, and have now found the thing I want to do, so will be very sad if it's just not possible. We'll see I guess. Thanks again for your response!

[Acinonyx]

Hi Boggle I don't have advice but I'm also concerned. I finished my PhD last year (also later in life) and I'm now writing papers (v e r y slowly...) in order to write a postdoc grant.

I also can't move to get an established post although I could just about commute to London if I didn't go every day. Not keen to do that due to young dc just starting school.

Like you I left a 'career' I had come to hate but now I worry that it will fizzle to nothing if I don't get a postdoc locally. It's very demoralising. I also totally sympathise with the comparison with others working habits - I just cannot put in that number of hours with a dh who has a heavy job and travels.

I really feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Did you get your postdoc straight after your PhD? Was it in the same dept? Did youpublish during your PhD or after? I left the papers uuntil after in order to finish on time.

I get weary trying to explain my surrent position to non-academics. Basically - there are no funded postdocs in my specialty at my institution so I have to write a grant with a senior researcher - and that require papers first.

Sorry for the novel - I am going stir crazy at home trying to get thise papers out (with co-authors who do not agree on anything it seems).

Remind me again - we chose to do this, right? Because it was fun...hahhahahahah

[BiggleBoggle]

Hello Acinonyx! Really sorry to hear about your struggles - but it's nice to know that I'm not alone. I had my first baby just after finishing my Phd, and took time out, partly deliberately and partly because I didn't have a job to go to! Was very very fortunate to get this postdoc (different department and institution) with no publications. I hadn't published primarily because although I did have funding, I was also working a lot to provide further financial support during my Phd. Pushing out an OK but no masterpiece thesis seemed frankly easier and quicker than doing the four paper model, but now I wonder if that was a bit short sighted! So anyway, I'm really focusing on publishing now - and doing this new research. But the writing/publishing is a slow old process, I agree.

It IS hard isn't it - but I guess that's also what makes it potentially so rewarding. It's also the uncertainty that gets me though, of not knowing where I might get a job, if at all, although I know at the moment uncertainty is a characteristic of very many people's lives so I shouldn't really complain.

[Acinonyx]

I also dropped my hopes of 4-paper model just to get the thing finished. I am doing a bit of teaching but not a lot - barely constitutes the label 'part-time'.

I think if you have this postdoc and a number of publications your are in as good a place4 as you could be wrt getting another job. Then the BIG ISSUE will be chasing tenure

I think if I just knew I would get a job eventually I would chill. I used to thrive on uncertainty - but I'm a sad old bag now and it just doesn't thrill me like it used to!

[BiggleBoggle]

Yes, tenure's really interesting. I'm just not prepared to move my kid's from school to school until I get tenure - assuming of course that I get a job at all! Good luck to you though - I hope you get some papers out soon and good luck with the grant application(s).