Post-PhD Career Trajectories

Post-PhD Career Trajectories

Lynn McAlpine Cheryl Amundsen Post-PhD Career Trajectories Intentions, Decision-Making and Life Aspirations

Lynn McAlpine Professor of Higher Education Development at the University of Oxford, UK and Professor Emerita at McGill University, Canada Cheryl Amundsen Professor, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada ISBN 978-1-137-57659-0 ISBN 978-1-137-57660-6 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-57660-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016941771 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identified as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: Détail de la Tour Eiffel nemesis2207/fotolia.co.uk Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London

With sincere appreciation to those whose stories are recounted here. We feel privileged to have been invited into their lives during the years of their participation in our study. It was their willingness to open up their lives to us over a long period of time that has made this book possible.

CONTENTS Part I Introduction 1 1 Overview of Book 3 How We Structured the Book 3 The Terms We Use in Describing Careers 4 Why We Wrote This Book 5 Our Suggestions for How to Read This Book 6 2 Understanding the Global Context 7 Introduction 7 How Do Individuals Experience Nested Contexts? 8 How Did Participants Experience Nested Contexts? 10 Same Language Different Meanings 11 Doing a PhD in Another Country 11 Research Funding Regimes Differ Internationally 13 Careers: International Public/Private Sector 14 Careers: International Academic Sector 14 Conclusion 15 vii

viii CONTENTS 3 Identity-Trajectory and Career Development 17 Introduction 17 Agency: Efforts to Be Intentional 19 The Personal: Essential to Identity-Trajectory 20 Work within Identity-Trajectory 21 Past-Present Influences on Career Decision-Making 23 Conclusion 25 Part II Intention and Careers 27 4 Achieved the Vision (Non-research-Teaching) 29 PhD to Teaching Immediately after Graduating 29 Themes across the Cases 31 PhD to Professional Immediately after Graduating 32 PhD to Professional 32 Themes across the Cases 35 PhD to Research Professional 35 PhD Back to Academic Professional 36 Overall Themes 37 5 Achieved Research-Teaching (Researcher Route) 39 Four Social Scientists 39 Themes across the Cases 43 Five Scientists 44 Themes across the Cases 48 Overall Themes 49 6 Achieved Research-Teaching (Non-research Routes) 51 PhD to Research-Teaching Position 51 Themes across the Cases 54 PhD to First Then Second Research-Teaching Position 54 PhD to Teacher to Research-Teaching Position 55 PhD to Research Professional to Research-Teaching 56 Overall Themes 57

CONTENTS ix 7 Maintained the Vision But Not Yet Achieved 59 Those More Recently Completing the PhD 59 Themes across the Cases 66 Those Who Completed the Phd Some Time Ago 66 Themes across the Cases 70 Overall Themes 71 8 Changing Career Intentions Away from Academia 73 The Social Scientists: Shifting to a New Career 73 Themes across the Cases 78 The Scientists: Trying to Make the Shift 79 Themes across the Cases 83 Overall Themes 83 9 Still Looking Forward 85 Maintaining the Vision 85 Themes across the Cases 87 Shifting Away from the Vision 88 Themes across the Cases 91 Overall Themes 91 Part III Conclusions and Resources 93 10 Agency and Resilience 95 Introduction 95 Learning and Strategizing During the PhD 96 Post-PhD: Settling In or Still In Waiting 98 Ramping Up in a Research-Teaching Position 101 Conclusion 102 11 Resources 103 Overview 103 Exploring Career Possibilities 104 Developing Your Institutional Knowledge 106 Developing Your Interpersonal Network 106

x CONTENTS Developing Your Intertextual Network 107 Developing Your Intellectual Abilities 107 Being More Agentive and Goal Oriented 108 Resources A 109 Resources B 111 Resources C 113 Resources D 114 Resources E 117 Resources F 120 Glossary 121 Index 123