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Improving avenues for philosophical career development

I happened to look at the APA website today–specifically, at the APA's Mission Statement and Principal Activities. Among its principal activities, the APA lists "Career Development." Under this heading, it lists:

  1. PhilJobs: Jobs for Philosophers
  2. The APA's fair equality of opportunity statement,
  3. The APA's resources for academic job candidates, and finally,
  4. "information about careers outside the academy".

I want to suggest that the APA, and graduate departments, could do–and should do–a whole lot more when it comes to (4).

There is currently a discussion going on over at The Smoker on whether it's worthwhile to pursue a graduate degree in philosophy. An anonymous undergraduate wrote:

This is off-topic but here goes– I'm a senior undergraduate philosophy major at what is apparently, according to the philosophical gourmet report, one of the top 15 philosophy programs in the English-speaking world. I am extremely passionate about philosophy and would be perfectly happy spending the rest of my days reading, writing, and teaching philosophy. I have a good GPA, transcript, GRE scores, etc., and could presumably get into a good grad program if I applied. That being said, I'm well aware of how tough the job market is for young academics, particularly for philosophers (especially after recently stumbling upon and reading through this insightful blog). Despite my passion for philosophy, I'm not sure if I'm willing to risk the stress and dissatisfaction of un/partial employment. It seems safe to assume that the people engaging with this blog are also extremely passionate about philosophy. Any thoughts or advice for a young, potentially-aspiring philosopher?

The response to this query was overwhelmingly negative–and in my experience this is not uncommon. I've encountered more professional philosophers who say they tell their undergraduates to avoid graduate school in philosophy like the plague than I can count. And, why I don't entirely agree with that advice, I'm sympathetic. My own career in philosophy has been a bumpy road indeed, one that almost came to a bitter end more than a few times.

All of this raises the question, however, of whether we could do better as a profession. It's a real shame, I think, that so many of us feel the need to deter bright, interested, and passionate people from pursuing philosophy on the grounds that it is most likely career suicide. Now, of course, there is unfortunately little that we can apparently do to "fix" the academic job market. Although I think we could probably do more than we do to make philosophy relevant and marketable within the academy, this is tough to accomplish (anyone who has tried to market philosophy better in a university probably knows what I'm talking about!). But, are there other things we could do? I think there are.

My wife is a PhD student in industrial-organizational psychology. One of things that in all honesty makes me a bit jealous of her career choice is that in her field, PhD students can go into two different directions: academia or applied-work. Programs in her field–and indeed the field as a whole–prioritize their students making connections and working outside of academia while completing their research. Now, of course, this is easier to do in a field with obvious applications in industry. But, I want to suggest, (A) there are significant areas of philosophy (e.g. moral and political philosophy, philosophy of science, logic, etc.) that have applied features that programs and our field as a whole could develop to our common benefit (side-work/internships at political think-tanks, etc.), and (B) regardless of that, our professional organization, the APA, could do a whole lot more in terms of empowering career development opportunities outside of the academy. Such as, you ask?

Consider, for instance, Helen De Cruz's recent three–part series at NewAPPS interviewing philosophers working outside of academia. Given recent estimates that 70% of all jobs are obtained through networking, one thing that the APA could do is set up a career-networking system for people with MA's and PhD's in philosophy! If I had left academia and found employment in some other industry, for instance, I sure as heck would do everything I could to lend a hand to a fellow philosopher in need of work befitting their skills and education. And I suspect many others in a similar position would do the same. As such, given the fascinatingly diverse set of careers Helen's sample reported being in, if the APA put some real into a networking service of some sort, it might dramatically improve the opportunity and ability for academic philosophers to move into a variety of industries. Not only that, by forging connections among previously-academic philosophers, it might help produce new applied, philosophically relevant industries (e.g. philosophical think-tanks, etc.–one can only imagine what kinds of innovative business or non-profit ideas that groups of philosophers might have when brought together outside of the academy!).

Anyway, these are just some ideas–but, or so it seems to me, they are the kinds of ideas our discipline, graduate programs, and the APA should think more about. What do you think?

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7 responses to “Improving avenues for philosophical career development”

  1. Anonymous Undergrad

    I will post in the same vein as the quoted poster, and ask a sort of off-topic but sort of not off-topic question.
    I’m in a similar boat as the quoted undergraduate. I’m a junior majoring in philosophy at a ranked PGR school. I really like philosophy, and my love for it has only grown the more I learn about it. I want to get a PhD in philosophy. Partially I want it because a lot about the (tenure-track, which I know I’d be more likely not to get than to get) academic life that really appeals to me. Partially it’s because I find the idea of teaching philosophy (even at the lower levels) appealing. But if I’m being honest, the main reason I want to go to graduate school in philosophy is so that I can engage with the field in a meaningful way, and maybe, if I’m lucky and have good ideas publish something meaningful. I know odds are that I won’t be lucky nor make a meaningful contribution, but I want to have the chance to do that. The “what-ifs” would be nagging at my mind if I didn’t.
    Which leads me to my question: can somebody (assuming they have good ideas) be published and taken seriously as a philosopher in the modern English-speaking world without working in academia? What if they only have a masters or bachelors in philosophy, but kept up with the field and honed their craft as an audodidact?
    I know in some academic fields, like computer science, people who don’t even have bachelor’s degrees in the field are sometimes published, taken seriously, and are more influential than professional academics. However, philosophy seems more elitist than fields like computer science. The recent posts on this blog about the overvaluing of a philosopher’s pedigree and journals not taking blind review seriously seem very discouraging.
    If I knew that, were I to have valuable ideas, I could engage with the field without a PhD, that would change my priorities. Graduate school would go from being my post-undergrad Plan A (even if, maybe I take a year or two off), to one potential post-undergrad plan among others of equal value. Graduate school would still have it’s appeals, but it would no longer hold the “I have to try, even if I fail” place in my life.
    I hope what I’ve said made sense.
    (Great blog, by the way!)

    Reply
  2. Marcus Arvan

    Anonymous Undergrad: Thanks for your comment, and for your kind words on the blog.
    You ask: “can somebody (assuming they have good ideas) be published and taken seriously as a philosopher in the modern English-speaking world without working in academia? What if they only have a masters or bachelors in philosophy, but kept up with the field and honed their craft as an audodidact?”
    It is not unheard of for people not working in academia to publish and be taken seriously. One example is Terence Tomkow (http://philpapers.org/profile/522 ), who although he received his PhD (in 1977), is not (to my knowledge) in academia but has continued to publish in good journals (he has a co-authored piece forthcoming in the Journal of Philosophy of all places!).
    At the same time, this sort of thing is quite rare–and I do not know of any cases off the top of my head of people with only a Bachelors or Masters in philosophy who do this. I suspect this is partly due to the fact that professional philosophy requires a great deal of training, but also due to the fact that it is hard to sustain an interest in what it takes to publish in academia if one has a career in another field.
    Again, none of this is to say it is impossible–it is just to say it is almost never done.
    In terms of your concerns about entering the field, I guess I would direct you to my earlier post on this (http://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2014/11/why-you-should-still-maybe-be-a-professor.html ). I think that if you’re looking for a professor’s life, philosophy is not the way to go. The chances of getting the life you want are too small. If you want to be a professor, it would be better to go into a field with much better academic job opportunities (such as my wife’s field). On the other hand, if you truly love philosophy, it may be worth taking the chance on an academic career in it. You just need to know that you’re taking immense chances with your future–a chance that you may turn out regretting. But this is true of many difficult life choices, and I think the only one who can answer that question is you.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous Undergrad

    Thanks for the response, Marcus!
    So it seems that one can, if they’re passionate enough, publish without an academic job if they have a PhD (though it would be difficult), but not without one. That’s good to know.
    I do think I’d enjoy certain aspects of the professor’s life, but I’m really in it for the love of philosophy, the professor’s life would be merely be a non-essential cherry on top should I get such a position. I would not hesitate to get a PhD if I was guaranteed at the very least a TT community college position, or a long-term lecturer position with benefits, but it seems even those are hard to come by.
    I know I love philosophy enough to continue to study it after I graduate whether or not I go to grad school, and I love it enough to go to grad school. I’m just not sure right now that I love it enough to risk being stuck in low-paying adjunct positions for 5 years, possibly working multiple part-time jobs, and then having to start over in another career.
    The article you linked has given me something to think about (and is a breath of fresh air from the almost comical amount of negativity in advice to undergrads from other sources).
    You’re right that it’s a tough decision! I guess I’ll wait, keep the PhD door open, and see if my passion continues to grow in the next year and half or not.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous Graduate

    Hey Marcus (and anyone else willing to comment),
    I’ve been following this blog for a while and I think it’s really helpful and important to the profession. I am in a similar position to the posters above.
    I have graduated with an MA in philosophy a couple of years ago. I am currently working at a non-profit in higher education (which I very much enjoy) and am preparing applications to PhD programs for next fall. But I’m wondering if I should even bother, and the question for me hinges on what value I find in the PhD.
    I am not in this to get an academic job. I know that even if I am able to get admitted to a top program an academic job is almost certainly not going to happen. An academic job is a pipe dream, but I am fine working outside of academia and using the skills gained in a PhD program toward other ends. There is some instrumental value for me in getting the PhD: if I wanted to continue in the higher education non-profit career path, I would need a PhD to get any position higher than the one I currently occupy. But this is a relatively small niche and I could get non-profit, university administration, or private sector jobs with just the MA I have now.
    There is an additional factor in my case regarding loans: The amount of loans I had to take out to complete my MA means that even if I am fully funded for my PhD and don’t need to take out any more loans, the amount of debt that I already have would mean that the interest I accrue while completing my PhD would amount to almost $30,000.
    On top of all this, I am recently married and we are looking to have kids in 2-3 years. My wife makes good money but not enough to support both of us and a child on her own. I want to be able to contribute equally to our expenses and savings.
    All of these practical considerations suggest that I should walk away, and if an academic job was my goal then I certainly would. But I keep coming back to the idea of getting my PhD, partially to open up doors in a career track I really enjoy (higher education non-profit work and administration), and also for the personal intrinsic value I find in becoming an expert in my field and developing valuable skills one gains when completing a PhD. Even with an MA I feel like I am just starting to get a grip on my areas of interest, and I want to really deepen my knowledge on these subjects. Just having a PhD has its own value, in my opinion, for what it says about the knowledge, skills, drive, and potential for original contribution to the field of those who hold the degree. In other words, while we can argue about what the details of its value are, I think there is noticeable value in simply having a PhD, regardless of whether one gets an academic job out of it.
    But since this value is not directly instrumental, is it foolish or (when a family is in the picture) irresponsible to pursue this value when the costs are so high? Given my financial and family situation, do you think it is too foolhardy or selfish to enter into a PhD program if my reasons for doing so boil down to possible alt-ac career advancement and personal fulfillment (or validation of some kind)?
    I’m sorry if my request has begun to derail the purpose of the thread from a discussion of improving alternate career development within the philosophical community to an advice-seeking column. This blog has been and continues to be extremely helpful to me, and I really trust the even-headed opinions and advice of its contributors.

    Reply
  5. Andy Specht

    Marcus, I think your suggestion for the APA is excellent! As a recent PhD who opted not to pursue a traditional academic job, I found the APA’s current resources on non-academic employment lacking (there’s a job guide from 1999 and a committee that looks to have been entirely defunct for the past few years). You’re right to emphasize the importance of networking, and that’s something the APA is in a very good position to facilitate for graduate students.
    This is something that departments can also help with on a smaller scale. Since most departments now do a pretty good job of tracking placements, they could take a more active role in connecting current students with non/alt-academic alumni. Perhaps by organizing events?
    I suspect some faculty members think that there is little interest among the grad students in alternative careers, because they don’t hear much expressed interest from the graduate students. However, I think it’s important to remember that most philosophy PhD programs effectively function as professional programs, i.e. to prepare you for a particular career (being a professor). That’s fine, but in that environment, I would expect many students to be uncomfortable expressing interest in other careers out of worry that their professors won’t support them, or won’t view them as serious students, or even that the department will be less likely to offer financial support. I don’t think these worries are always completely justified (in my case, I was pretty lucky to have supportive mentors in my department), but I think it exists for many students.

    Reply
  6. Marcus Arvan

    Hi Anonymous Graduate: thanks for your comment, and sorry for taking so long to reply!
    I’m not quite sure what to say about your case. I’m only familiar with people deciding to pursue a PhD in philosophy to pursue an academic career. Is it really the case that a philosophy PhD is likely to aid your career prospects outside of academia? If so, then I guess I don’t necessarily see anything wrong with going for it–provided you and your wife are aware of all the potential costs/benefits. One thing I would encourage you to think about, however, is the fact that the average completion rate at PhD programs is somewhere on the order of 50%. So, I would say, you and your wife need to ask each other: is a 50% bet on spending 7+ years to possibly complete the PhD a good bet, all things considered? (Note: don’t assume that you will be one of those who finish, even if you are a resilient person. There are tons of very capable people who don’t finish, and for reasons that cannot be anticipated. Nobody expects themselves to fall in the 50% who don’t finish…but stuff happens. Finishing the Phd is tough).
    Anyway, I don’t know your career path–and, given that, I hesitate to offer advice. But, since you asked, I shall give: to me, it sounds like the marginal benefit to a career in non-profit world is probably not worth the risks. Again, you have to take seriously the fact that you might be among the 50% who never finish. Will you and your wife be willing and able to live with a 50/50 prospect of spending 7-10 years not getting the degree you wanted for your non-profit career to begin with? That is the risk–and only you and your wife can say whether that is something you are willing to hazard, all things considered.

    Reply
  7. Anonymous Graduate

    Dear Marcus,
    Thank you for the reply and your honest advice. You bring up a great point. Ironically, while I have been able to detach myself from the idea that I would somehow be one of the lucky few to land a coveted TT position, I have been running on the unquestioned assumption that I would be able to obtain my PhD. Despite knowing the staggeringly high attrition rates, I didn’t question the thought that I would be able to finish the program. Thank you for bringing this to bear.
    On the one hand, my thought is that if I am able to get into one of the several excellent programs in my current city, the effects on my wife will be (not small, but) minimal; she’ll be able to retain her stable job that she has worked very hard for, and we won’t have to move. On the other hand, not only does this limit my chances of obtaining entrance into a program, it still doesn’t solve the issues of 7-10 more years of me not being able to contribute significantly to family finances, and stalling our ability to settle down.
    Finally, I just wanted to reiterate that going for a PhD is not solely for the (admittedly very marginal) benefit to a career in higher education non-profit. If it were solely for this miniscule instrumental benefit I would not consider applying. It is primarily for the great personal value it has for me and the intrinsic worth the PhD has in itself. My question (and worry) is that this reason is no more compelling, given that I have a wife (and future kids) to consider.
    On the count of pursuing a PhD for its intrinsic worth and personal value to me, is this motive too selfish to responsibly act upon? Do I have a familial–and perhaps even moral–obligation not to pursue a PhD and instead find a well-paying job that will support my family?

    Reply

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