Some universities offer seminars to help students refashion their resumes for the corporate world. But these efforts are spotty, and for the most part, Ph.D.'s who are looking for non-traditional careers are on their own. That's partly because professors are still loath to see their Ph.D.'s seek jobs anywhere but within academe. Many Ph.D.'s say that even after they have amassed piles of rejection letters from colleges and universities, their professors urge them to keep looking for a tenured slot. It is difficult, the graduates say, to abandon the academic market and still be respected by your mentors and peers.
Many professors acknowledge that they are disappointed by graduates who step off the academic path.
He estimates that he has directed 20 dissertations in the past 15 years. You might say this is just ego. But these students are, in a sense, your children. You want to see it happen for them. A professor of history at the University of Michigan is not so offended.