Every year, colleges churn out far more PhD graduates than can possibly replace retiring professors. It should thus come as no surprise that only a small percentage of PhD graduates land coveted tenure-track positions. In fact, according to the National Science Foundation, less than 17% of PhD candidates in the sciences manage to obtain tenure-track jobs within three years of graduation (this might seem like a tight timeline, but most people can’t afford to job-hunt indefinitely).
This situation is exacerbated by the prevalence of precarious and part-time work in academia. Roughly 50% of all faculty teaching positions are now part-time, as tenured professors are rapidly being replaced with sessional lecturers or adjuncts, and over 70% of academic appointments are non-tenure track. Yet, despite this marked decline in available tenure-track positions, the number of PhD graduates continues to rise each year, making stable academic jobs extremely difficult to land.
In response, many PhD graduates are turning to alternative academic, or “alt-ac,” jobs. Below, we’ve collated a list of five possible alt-ac pathways for graduates, all of which offer highly skilled, stable job opportunities that might just beat sticking to academia.
1. High school teacher
Teaching high school students can be a fun, rewarding, and challenging job. Plus, as a PhD graduate you’re already a trained teacher: your work as a teaching assistant has prepared you for lecturing on difficult material, explaining concepts clearly and patiently, marking coursework, and offering students feedback and support. You’re also at an advantage for finding employment, since you’re an expert in your field—especially if you earned your PhD in a core high school subject like math, history, or English.
2. Academic publishing
Chances are that if you’ve graduated from a PhD program, you’ve had several papers published. You’re thus likely familiar with the academic publishing world and well-versed in the conventions of your field, including jargon, citations, reference lists, and peer review processes. This makes you a great candidate for a job at an academic publishing house or scholarly journal, especially if you enjoyed the writing and editing side of your dissertation.
3. Non-profit organization (NPO)
NPOs tend to look favourably on high levels of education, especially for research- or communication-related roles. Not only do PhD graduates excel in this kind of work, but many also love it: NPOs offer plenty of new learning opportunities, along with career mobility and the chance to work with interesting people from diverse professional backgrounds.
4. Government jobs
As it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a stable job with health insurance and a pension plan, the competition for government jobs has grown fiercer than ever. Fortunately for you, government employers often look for candidates with impressive academic backgrounds. Moreover, communication, research, and data analysis skills are invaluable for a career in policy-making—and are skills that every PhD graduate likely possesses.
5. Academic administration
Even if you don’t want the pressure of working in academia, you may still crave an academic environment. With a job in academic administration, you get the best of both worlds: a stable career, but without having to leave campus.
Further resources
While this is not a comprehensive list of possible alt-ac career paths, these suggestions can be treated as jumping-off points for further exploration. It’s best to tailor your alt-ac job search to your specific area of expertise, and there are several tools that can help you narrow down your options. For more information, check out alt-ac blogs such as VersatilePhD or Alt-Academy or read some of the useful books available on this subject.