Is it difficult to get a teaching job right after getting your PhD in history?
Apr.15, 2010 in
College Jobs
I would like to get a PhD in History but am a little nervous about finding jobs. Most of my history professors are old and Im beginning to wonder if it is hard to find university teaching jobs straight out of college. What do recent grads do and why aren’t they teaching? Is it hard to get a higher ed teaching job straight out of school?
April 15th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Me know lots of history stuff
April 15th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
depends where you apply
April 15th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
It depends on how many history teachers are available and how many are needed, Sometime between 1973 and 1979 a history instructor told me that “History instructors are a dime a dozen.”
I don’t know what it is like now. One of the history instructors or
counselors at your college should be able to answer this question or tell you where you can find the answer.
April 15th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
It is indeed difficult to get a job right out of a PhD program, but if you are any good, your dissertation advisor (and committee) will help you through the process.
The job market is not good because there is a glut of PhDs, and not enough openings. However, that being said, there are some fields in history that are more open than others. In the US, American history / American studies is usually open to some extent. Also, it is predicted that the market will open up soon because so many Baby Boomers will be retiring, and students are attending college in higher and higher numbers.
You also asked what PhDs do when they don’t get a job right away. Well, they mostly adjunct (which is difficult, and underpaid), but sometimes they just take any job available until they find a suitable position. Many folks manage to find a community college job, or a one-year position, and they keep taking these until they secure a solid tenure-track position.
Bottom line: if you are considering doctoral-level study, you must realize that you’ll never be rich, you’ll never get to choose where you live, and you may have a year or two after you receive your degree when you are having a hard time making a living. So unless you are completely passionate about your studies, and cannot imagine doing anything else with your life, you might want to reconsider your goals.