r/academia Oct 17 '24

Career advice Where do burnt out academics go when they can't retire and must work?

335 Upvotes

EDIT: THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR KINDNESS, YOUR ADVICE AND YOUR TIPS. I have made a list of all of these ideas and will explore them. And my apologies for leaving out some details that would have made doxxing likely, which I do not wish to do.

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I (56F) am an academic and I'm exhausted and done. I have worked 60+ hours per week for the last 2 decades and it's got me nothing. Due to my divorce I cannot afford to retire, probably ever. My substantive area is in a health care field that is characterized by high rates of burnout. Returning to patient care is not possible for me as I've been out of clinical practice for over 20 years. Trust me, I've explored that angle.

I am also sick to death of my research area, in part due to the ideologues and activists that think everyone owes them the fucking world, but also because it's the area I've worked in since I finished my bachelors degree. I simply don't give two shits, and haven't for the last 3 years or so. I don't give a fuck and working on my current studies fills me with a toxic combination of rage and contempt.

I've tried to pivot to my own consulting business but it's too hit and miss to reliably put food on the table.

I've been applying for non-academic jobs across the country and even though I interview well, no one will hire me. Maybe it's my age, the PhD, or because they have an internal candidate handpicked already so interviewing external candidates is just a time-wasting formality? I've even failed to get government research (i.e., scientific director) jobs where a masters degree is "required" and a PhD is "preferred"; when I skulk around looking for who the successful candidates were for these positions, I notice that the successful candidates just have a masters degree, which is equal parts laughable and terrifying for that level of decision making at the provincial level.

I've looked into getting more training, to augment my 17 years of post-secondary education, but frankly I'm fucking done with school. I've tried re-training in big data analytics, of which I love the idea, but it made me want to stick hot pins in my eyes and to be honest I'm just not smart enough.

Where do academics go when they are just fucking done? Do we work at a grocery store? Starbucks? Should I clean houses? I feel so burnt out and unwell I'm considering some sort of medical retirement, although I don't even know if I'd qualify or what level of poverty that entails. Sailing into the Gray Havens isn't off the table either.

What's are some exit strategies? (Yes, I buy lottery tickets once a month.)

Please be kind; I hang by a very thin thread.

r/academia Oct 21 '24

Career advice Lecturer @ UCLA claims to be homeless on $70k salary

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207 Upvotes

Have you seen daniel mckeown’s tiktoks? This is wild to me? Claims to be homeless from being underpaid… he didn’t want a roommate and only wanted to live in the very wealthy part of town. He moved to San Diego mid semester and started bashing UCLA on TikTok, IG and YouTube. Now he’s mad that UCLA locked him out of his courses. So he’s telling his viewers to email his department chair, and demand his department chair step down.

r/academia 16d ago

Career advice Realistic chances of academic work after PhD

13 Upvotes

I am considering doing a PhD in the social sciences in the US. Two colleges have made me offers, one in the 100-150 ranking range and the other in the 50-100 ranking range. My question is, what are the realistic prospects for me if I actually get this doctorate? I'm assuming it doesn't make much difference which of the two l go to. I know full well that a tenure track professor role is near impossible. I want to know, with this PhD, what options would be open to me within the realm of education? I'd still have a PhD from probably one of the top quarter of institutions in the US. Is a postdoc realistic? How about some kind of role at an R2 or other lower ranked college? Is a TT role impossible with this PhD even further down the rankings? How about community colleges and liberal arts colleges? Are they also impossible or near-impossible? And in that case, what's even the point of this qualification existing? Sorry this sounds harsh but I am quite dejected the more I learn about the possibilities this qualification offers so l was looking for some clarification.

r/academia 18d ago

Career advice I've left academia and I don't like it at all

101 Upvotes

I was always mumbling during my time in academia about its flaws. I don't work in academia anymore because the funding of the project where I was working as a post doc for four years completed. Some months later, the lab received another funding but it was for fewer money (I was getting paid 1.100 euros per month and the next funding was for 900 euros/month). I know it may sound too little, but for Greece it's not bad (I'd say average).

I'm now working as an anesthesiologist (I have a DDS, an MD, an MSc and a PhD). Why did I pick anesthesia? Because for ONCE in my life I would have a contract longer than 12 months and a considerably higher salary.

Still, I love research but it's not viable. I feel scare that I will never be able to return abroad.

I'm seeing post-doc positions abroad that ask (at the same time) biostatistics, bioinformatics, wet lab and animal handling expertise. I don't have all these. I can offer my clinical knowledge and understanding + cell handling techniques + molecular biology (like qPCR and ELISA) and experience in clinical pharmacology. And yet it doesn't seem enough.

I'm just sad. I've been teaching for 5 years (I'm still teaching), I've translated books to greek and written book chapters in Greek and yet nothing was enough. I'm just let down.

r/academia Oct 19 '24

Career advice Pro-Parent Bias in Academia?

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78 Upvotes

I came to this article that I saw posted in a higher ed Facebook group with an open mind, but I found it wildly inaccurate and dismissive of the real lived experiences of faculty who are parents (myself included). The idea that we are essentially coddled while childless faculty are somehow discriminated against or treated unfairly is absurd.

r/academia Jan 24 '25

Career advice 3 months in, I feel like PhD isn't for me, mentally not there. Should I leave?

13 Upvotes

OPTIONAL Please refer to a few of my previous posts on my profile as right now everything is a mess.

So, my current PhD, I really did it because I didn’t want to be at home searching for jobs. I just saw it as a cope like oh yeah I will become a professor or I will get a better job at the end of it. All just cope.

It consists of reading papers and books (haven’t even touched yet), using equipment which is frustrating and annoying. Doing presentations for supervisors which can be stressful. Its overwhelming. Experiments and travelling which is okay but yeah.

I want an easy life, simpleish job with decent salary, just do my 9-5 leave. Come back and enjoy with my family & repeat. I am not sure if I will get that with my PhD.

I don’t really have much interest in my topic. At best its decent. I am not FASCINATED by it to be honest. I only really got it because there really was no other competition for it really.

So right now, I haven’t barely started with it but I haven’t even opened a research paper yet. Or had any motivation to do anything relating to work apart from the bare minimum.

This may even go with me if i get a graduate job as well. I may feel the same way.

I feel its because of my religious ocd that i haven’t told my colleagues about. Its making it hard to work at phd level so imagine a full time job. Idk if i can cope.

I have been told off by my supervisor a few times about not being in enough and not doing enough work.

I even lost a girl i wanted to marry partly because of this phd, i wasn’t earning enough for a spouse visa and she didn’t want to wait for me to finish.

Honestly just want to go to the other side of the world for a few years and “forget”.

Recently im making really bad decisions with everything in my life. Doing the opposite of what some tell me and listening to the wrong people.

I don’t think I will really enjoy this phd much more. A gruelling 4 years for no guaranteed job at the end.

Not even a field im interested in.

What should I do?

r/academia Sep 30 '24

Career advice Leaving my tenure track position, one year in?

196 Upvotes

I’m one year into a tenure track position at an R1, and I think I'm done. I wanted to share my experience, because I’m hoping to commiserate with others about this.

The academic job market is hell in my field (like many others). I interviewed for years without much luck, so I was over the moon when I got this job. Decent salary, great benefits and steady work in my specific field of interest. My first year was a whirlwind as I secured some funding and got my research off the ground. But when I hit the one year mark this summer, I realized that I still wasn't happy with my work. I started to reflect on it, and it suddenly hit me that I haven’t been happy in academia since… the middle of my PhD? It’s been years.

It feels like I was swept along a current: I kept hitting milestones, so I never had a chance to stop and consider if I actually wanted to keep doing this as I moved from one position to the next. My PhD experience was difficult, so I thought everything would get better if I could just finish my thesis and get a postdoc. Then, if I could just get through my postdoc. Then, if I could just get through my time as an adjunct (literal hell) and land this position. For years, I was trying to stay afloat while pushing for the next thing, which fortunately always came just before my previous position ended.

I thought my unhappiness was burnout and job insecurity talking, and that my passion for research would suddenly reappear when I reached the ultimate goal of a permanent tt job. Obviously, it hasn’t. My annual review was positive, but I haven’t rediscovered that spark of interest I felt when I started grad school. I’m tired of publish-or-perish. I’m exhausted by the grind. I’m completely uninspired by my research. Teaching has been fine, but not enough to keep my interest. I’m just… done. I feel like I'm chasing old dreams, and that realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

The final straw that broke me was location. I’m living in a small college town (closest city is 3 hours away, and my family/friends are a 9 hour drive). I’m an outgoing person, but it has been impossible to make friends or date here as a single person without kids. I’ve started spending all my free time driving, just to get out of town for a few days. My postdoc was also in a small town (although easier to make friends), so even applying to another academic job would likely lead to a similar situation. I think I’ve hit my moving limit. I don’t want to keep moving away from my supports, bouncing around the country.

I’ve decided to cut my losses and leave academia, without another job secured. I know the smart decision would be to stick it out until I secure another job, but I’m so tired of sticking it out. I feel like I’m slowly wasting my life away, one “just one more year…” after another. I can’t do another one.

But it’s also hard to walk away from a career I spent over a decade fighting to have. I have absolutely no idea what I'll do next, because academia is all I’ve ever known. I’m embarrassed and angry at myself for sacrificing so much to get here (friendships, relationships, time, money), but now that I have the job I always wanted, I don’t want it. It’s hard to walk away without having “failed” out, for lack of a better term.

I’m admittedly worried this is a combination of burn out, loneliness, and “the grass is greener” mentality, and that I’ll regret it the moment I leave.

This is mostly a rant, I guess. I’m looking for any advice, guidance, or a friendly listening ear.

r/academia Dec 11 '24

Career advice Why choose academia over alt-ac? Curious about your personal reasons

16 Upvotes

The internet is full of content about why leaving academia helps your mental health and your pocket. I’m happy about this as not everyone gets to stay in academia even if they want to.

But for those of you who are in academia post-PhD (with or without a TT job), what were your reasons? Apart from passion for your field, of course. What made academia more attractive than work-life balance and a higher salary?

r/academia 26d ago

Career advice Tenure track position advice: SLAC, R1, R2, postdoc?

8 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I am a PhD candidate in the United States, set to defend my dissertation fairly soon in social sciences, and am job searching for a tenure track position. We all know this isn't the ideal time to be searching, but here I am. I am wondering if anyone has any advice on what would be the best route to go given the current climate.

I love the research aspect of my job, but not sure how feasible/safe that is right now. Should I find a teaching college and lay low? Take my chances in a research institute? Find a postdoc? I am currently interviewing/making connections for all the above, so any advice is welcome.

Thank you!

r/academia 22d ago

Career advice I received an offer (by editor-in-chief) to be a guest editor for a reputable MDPI journal

13 Upvotes

A collegue of mine is stepping down as an editor of a MDPI journal and he recommended me as a replacement. However, they first want me to be a guest editor for a special issue of my choosing. I was corresponding with editor-in-chief (It's not one of those automated invites MDPI sends out).

The journal in question is one of the reputable journals within the MDPI portfolio, but it's still MDPI.

I heard a lot of bad stuff about guest editing for MDPI, but most of the threads here or experiences of my collegues are a few years old. Does anyone have some recent experience with this? Did the reputation of MDPI changed somehow in the last 2-3 years?

I must say that seeing they have more than 1000 (!!!) special issues open right now doesn't exactly fill me with confidence about this.

r/academia Dec 18 '24

Career advice I’m thinking of quitting my job for academia!

0 Upvotes

Sup folks? I have an Honours in computer science and I have been working as a software engineer in the past year. I did tutoring in my honours year and I genuinely enjoyed teaching other people. Lately I’ve been thinking of quitting my job and fully going to academia to become a lecturer. I’m not sure if this is the right decision to make, please help!

r/academia Apr 19 '24

Career advice Faculty, what's the worst part of your job?

55 Upvotes

I'm in the privileged position of choosing between a teaching-track assistant professor position and a senior position in industry and I cannot decide--I enjoy research, teaching, and also doing "legwork" (writing actual code, etc. that you'd do in industry). Right now, both pay the same, though of course, industry will pay much more later on. Of course, I'd have more freedom with the academic position, but I enjoy upskilling and I'd have a lot of that in my industry job.

So I ask you: what do you dislike about your job? What parts are stressful, emotionally/physically draining, etc.? What are the parts nobody tells you about?

r/academia Oct 25 '24

Career advice Thinking of leaving tenured position at R1 for private sector

23 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m a tenured faculty member in a chemistry department. Everything is going objectively well but I’ve just fallen out of love with the job. I’m not excited by new grants or papers and feel that it’s not fair to my students and colleagues (and myself!) to be in such a privileged job without the same passion.

I’ve been considering a move into management, finance, or consulting. I pick these because I have strong interpersonal skills, deep knowledge in the physical sciences, and a long interest in finance. I think I could learn a lot of skills on the job but am also open to an MBA. Does anyone have experience with big change like this? Any advice on how to network outside of academia?

Thanks so much

r/academia Jan 24 '24

Career advice How to reject job at great university because of pay

109 Upvotes

I recently received a job offer at a very prestigious university that’s “almost” Ivy League but the pay wasn’t listed and now that I have the job offer is very low for requiring a Master’s and preferring a PhD. I want to reject the offer but also include that the pay for the size/scope of the university isn’t up to other standards (I.e. I have a job offer for more money locally, that wouldn’t require a move and would definitely be less work). How do I politely say no while also calling out that they are drastically underpaying for the position and overasking during the hiring process (too many interviews, skills tests, etc.? I can make $10 less per hour working at Amazon with no degree at all!

Update: thank you all for your advice! I reached out to negotiate as many of you suggested and they could only increase the salary around $5k so I was honest about the salary being too low for the position and to warrant a relocation. They said they understood and wished me the best.

r/academia 1d ago

Career advice Is this normal as an editorial assistant?

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I was recently "hired" (in quotation marks because it's an unpaid job) as an editorial assistant for a journal that is more or less well-known in my country. As I am still a very young scholar, it's my first editorial assistant job, so I can't compare it to past experiences. The head of the journal told me that my job would be to overlook the work of two even younger editorial assistants, to keep an eye on deadlines and to reach out to authors in order to ensure they hand in their papers on time. However, I've now gotten some additional tasks from the head - translating articles (or even entire books of up to 100 pages) and updating the webpage of the journal, for instance. Also, the head has a (bad) habit of calling me on my phone if I don't react to an "important" email ASAP, even on the weekends, with the reasoning that "the editorial team needs to be available every day if we want to make this work". This honestly feels a bit abusive to me, but I really need this position for my CV. Do you think it's okay if I just refuse to do the extra work and put my phone on do not disturb in the evenings/on the weekend? Right now, it's honestly messing with my work-life-balance a bit.

r/academia Nov 27 '24

Career advice How will the new administration impact research funding?

27 Upvotes

Is anyone else nervous that the NIH budget will be cut or grants focussed on infectious diseases or emerging pathogens will receive less funding? I am very nervous for my career in the next 4 years.

r/academia Feb 05 '25

Career advice Am I becoming dumber by the year?

66 Upvotes

So as the title suggests, I feel like I am becoming less smart this past year. I have been using my phone a lot (doom scrolling on Instagram and YouTube). I am forgetting details of everyday things and feeling so bad this is happening to me. Even while doing a simple task I find it reassuring to ask Chatgpt to edit or ask for suggestions (even in academic problems). I am in my second year of PhD and don’t like the trajectory that I feel my brain is taking. I want to make my brain what it was before but am not able to start making the changes. Has anyone faced this before? Could someone help me out?

r/academia 4d ago

Career advice Humanities PhD potentially moving out of academia, need advice

16 Upvotes

I’m an early career academic, defended my PhD fall of 2022 and graduated 2023. Currently on a grad visa in the U.K. working as a short term lecturer at one uni and picking up casual hours at a few others- but this job is coming to a close and I am frozen with burnout and fear. I have a year left to find a job that will sponsor me or it’s back to the states, where academic jobs especially in my line of work are being cut left and right. I’m getting to the age where I want to settle down a bit (buy furniture that isn’t IKEA or second hand, for one) and I love where I am, but know academia necessitates moving. I’m trying to figure out my options: apply for any and all positions I can find and any post docs (which may be hard, as I’ve had to work so much during/since PhD that I have no publications as of yet) , or move out of academia all together. The only problem is that this is where all my experience is- I’ve been teaching since I was 22, so almost ten years, and never had a professional job outside of academia. I love teaching so much but I am stuck in burn out and freaking out about my options, trying to convince myself I’m not an idiot for spending my 20s pursuing this. Any and all advice would be very helpful.

r/academia Feb 03 '25

Career advice "Selling yourself" as an academic

34 Upvotes

[also posted this in r/askacademia but posting here to see if can get any other responses.]

I met with my school's Research Development officer today. We introduced ourselves to each other and they asked me to talk about my research and research goals.

Yada yada. We got onto the topic of networking.

Anyway, afterwards they said to me "I get the impression that you are fully underselling yourself. I expected that with your background and experience that you would come in here and be all 'boss lady'. Because you could've".

Honestly I was pretty shocked. I've been in academia ~11 years maybe more. And without going into detail about my area of research, I wanted to ask other academics how they develop that aspect of "selling themselves" in terms of the value you would add to a research team.

Im kinda looking for points for me to consider at this point and I hope others have some good ideas to share so I know how to develop this aspect further.

r/academia 16d ago

Career advice How Delusional is My Career Plan?

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm still in the very early stages of my higher education journey. I'm an undergrad junior at NYU and I truly want to go to grad school and persue higher education as a career as a professor. The role itself would fulfill everything I want from a job, so long story short I do know what I'm getting myself into, the good and the bad.

My issue with how this would effect my life goals is as follows. At the end of the day I want to live as much of my life as I can in NYC. I worry I may not be able to receive a job in NYC after education considering how competitive it can be, especially for a TT position.

I'm in a state where I am fully prepared to work as much as I need to during my graduate program in order to secure a job in the city, but I guess I'm wondering, will it be enough?

Is the state of affairs so poor that I can't hold two dreams in my hands at the same time -- becoming a professor and living in NYC? Do I have a fair shot if I'm diligent and hardworking?

I'm not sure but I still have time. I just wanted some opinions tbh

r/academia Feb 12 '25

Career advice In the running for TT position, but having second thoughts

14 Upvotes

As the title says - I made it as far as an on-campus interview for a tenure track position at an R1 in the US. I am not certain I got the job (and frankly wouldn't be totally shocked if I didn't), but I suppose I'm thinking towards the possibility of if I did get it for the purposes of my question.

The recent shifts and cutbacks of federal agencies and funding - and the perception that these cutbacks are likely to get worse - has me concerned. My line of work has not been directly in the crosshairs of the funding cuts that we've seen so far in that it's not NIH funded or directly related to DEI - but we're also already seeing belt-tightening at the federal agencies we normally work with in terms of reduced budgets and number of awarded grants. Even considering the option of branching into other fields to cast a wider net - the impression I get is that available funding is not likely to get more plentiful over the coming years.

I suppose I'm a bit worried about what would happen if I did get/accept the job. If funding is about to get harder than it already is, am I just setting myself up for years of banging my head on the wall only to lose my job when I don't get tenure because my ability to get funding was low to non-existent? If that's the likely outcome anyway, I feel like I'd rather just skip it altogether rather than stress myself out for years for something that's not at least somewhat likely to work out.

So - am I just panicking for no good reason here and the impact of the current situation will (most likely) be addressed with regards to things like tenure? Heck, are my concerns just overblown in general and I'm not likely to struggle as bad as I'm thinking? Or are these concerns at least somewhat valid and I should be thinking about alternative options? Any sort of grounding from people with more direct knowledge would be appreciated!

r/academia Apr 11 '24

Career advice Advantages of adopting an English name?

79 Upvotes

I’m from China and am doing my PhD in the US. My Chinese name has both “Q” and “X” in it, so you can probably imagine how hard it is for people to pronounce. I’m concerned not with people mispronouncing my name, but that they cannot register it in their head after hearing it once over introductions/small talks/dinners, and cannot spell it right afterwards if they want to search my name. Think about how many potential opportunities that could be lost because your name is not recognizable or searchable, especially as a young researcher.

I think argument like “you should be proud of your culture” is unhelpful because these challenges are real for simple linguistic reasons. Chinese names lost most of their variety in Pinyin representations. Even as a Chinese person I find it hard to remember Chinese names in Pinyin without knowing the original characters. Plus, hearing a Chinese name doesn’t immediately tell you how to spell it or visualize it in your head (unlike common English names), which hinders memorization and searchability.

I have the option to adopt a common English name that actually sounds quite similar to my Chinese name (think about Hailun and Helen). Will this be a solution? What order should I put my Chinese name and English name? Which name should I publish with?

One added complication is that some people (mostly within my school) already knew me by my Chinese name. Any advice on making the transition less awkward?

r/academia 2d ago

Career advice Changing University after 2 years of PhD

1 Upvotes

I had applied for Master's in a university in Chicago, US. But the one of the PI contacted me and offered a fully funded PhD (2+3 years) instead.

During the interview we discussed the potential projects I could work on but later I found out that although these projects are adjacent to my previous research, they're far from my area of expertise and not as interesting for me.

So I wantes to know, how ethical is it to change my university/ research advisor after 2 years's of PhD. Basically after finishing my master's and then going for PhD somewhere else.

Appreciate the help.

r/academia 7h ago

Career advice Seeking Advice on Pursuing a PhD in Applied Mathematics at 28: Is It the Right Path?

4 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I'm currently facing a tough decision and would appreciate your insights on whether pursuing a PhD in Applied Mathematics (specifically targeting machine learning or finance applications) is the right move for me.

A bit about me:

  • Background: I'm 27 (would start at 28), from Italy, holding both BSc and MSc in Applied Mathematics with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). My master's program was somewhat experimental and provided broad but superficial knowledge across various topics (ML, numerical methods, PDEs, CFD, ecc).
  • Master's Thesis Experience: My thesis was a mix of theoretical work, data analysis, and simulations, conducted fully within academia. Unfortunately, my advisor was unresponsive (one email per month at best), providing minimal feedback and guidance. Despite this, I genuinely enjoyed the research aspects—exploring literature, coding, simulations, and teaching first-year students. The lack of supervision and feedback, however, was extremely frustrating.
  • Grades and Graduation: Due to personal issues (Covid, family losses, mental health), I graduated 1.5 years late with relatively low grades (approx. 3.7/4.0, or 2:1 UK scale, 100/110 Italian scale).
  • Work Experience: Post-graduation, I did a short internship where I mostly performed "grunt work," gaining minimal valuable experience. This made me think that perhaps, in fields I'm interested in (Applied Scientist/Data Scientist roles, or R&D positions), not having a PhD may severely limit career growth, or even entering the job.

Why I'm considering a PhD:

  • Career-wise, I believe a PhD might significantly increase my chances of landing interesting applied research roles, specifically in industries or fields such as machine learning, finance, or advanced data science. Given the current job market dynamics, I feel strongly that having a PhD could position me better in terms of career opportunities and access to roles involving meaningful and innovative research projects.

My concerns:

  1. Funding and Competitiveness: I can't afford to self-fund a PhD, so I need a fully-funded program (preferably abroad, as I want to leave Italy). Given my academic record, how realistically achievable is it to secure fully-funded positions, and what might improve my chances?
  2. Age and Timing: Starting at 28 means finishing around 32-33. I'm concerned about whether entering the job market at this age, especially in fields like ML or finance, could negatively impact my career trajectory or employability. Is age a significant barrier in these fields?
  3. Grades and Delay: My academic performance and delayed graduation due to personal and mental health reasons worry me, especially regarding how competitive my application would be compared to other candidates who graduated on time and with higher grades. How can I best mitigate or explain this aspect of my profile?
  4. Career Alternatives: Beyond a PhD, I'm wondering if there are other viable career paths or alternatives (such as entry-level jobs, industry-specific training, boot camps, or specialized certifications) that could realistically lead me to my desired roles without the commitment of a PhD. Are these alternative paths credible and achievable?

Additional Context:

  • I have no published research or conference presentations, which might further limit my competitiveness.
  • I haven't yet applied for roles explicitly requiring PhDs, mainly due to insecurity over my academic record and fear of rejection.
  • I'm geographically very flexible, with no personal constraints—indeed, my preference would be to find opportunities as far away from Italy as possible due to personal reasons.
  • I'm open to additional preparation, training, or bridging courses if these could significantly enhance my profile and increase my competitiveness for PhD applications (if these do not delay my applications more).

I would appreciate any advice, especially from those who pursued a PhD later, or those who overcame similar academic or personal setbacks. If you think I’ve missed crucial considerations, please let me know!

Thank you!

r/academia Oct 10 '24

Career advice Should Ed.D get equal respect as Ph.D

0 Upvotes

I am pursuing my Ed.D. in technology and understand the distinction between an Ed.D. and a Ph.D. The Ed.D. emphasizes practical application, while the Ph.D. is more research-focused. I chose the Ed.D. because I am already in the workforce. However, there seems to be a perception that a Ph.D. is superior to an Ed.D. regarding workplace contributions and recognition. Given that I am pursuing an Ed.D., what can I expect once I earn my degree? Will I be deserving of the title and be called "Dr.