Invited Commentary: Doctoral Students' Guide to a Successful Academic Career

When your mother asks, "Do you want a piece of advice? " it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.- Erma BombeckA recent story in The Economist (Anonymous, 201 1) using the subheading, "Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time," talked about how we produce more doctoral graduates than we have academic job openings. The article seems to sidestep the fact that many PhD graduates go into industry or to other countries, and that there is great variance from discipline to discipline. However, this does not mean the topic is without merit to advertising education. Even in our discipline, not all PhD's who seek academic jobs succeed in landing one. Simply put, not all PhD's are created equal. It is a competitive market, and only the prepared survive.Over the years I have witnessed some doctoral students who are miles ahead of others in their preparation for the job. As I prepared to teach a newly created Doctoral Pro-Seminar, I realized that I had a unique opportunity. This course is designed for beginning PhD students, so I would be encountering them in their first year of the program. It was a chance to point them down the right path before they wandered too far in the wrong direction, but the challenge to me was how best to nudge them toward success. So, I decided that I would gather the best advice I could, from a wide range of PhD's, and pass it along to my students. I consulted some of my colleagues at my own school, and I posted an inquiry on the academic listserv AdForum. The advice received certainly is a worthwhile beginning for these new scholars, and it spans a range of issues, as you will see below. I have taken the liberty of categorizing and paraphrasing the comments I received.StudyThe first bit of advice involved the idea that it is much easier to study some topics in school than it is on the job. Statistics is a good example. The advice: The more study you do while in school, the less work you'll do after you graduate.The second, related, piece of advice: Be proactive about reading journal articles and getting work done, even if it is not part of a class assignment. Again, those who learn the most in school tend to be the most prepared for a job interview.And to be able to do this in the most efficient manner,oneacademicsuggested: Figureoutyour real interest, then create an independent study course to read material specifically in that area.DissertationAdvice: Start focusing on your dissertation from day one. Too often students get to the point where they need to write a dissertation, and they come to faculty hunting for ideas. With well-prepared doctoral students, that should never happen. Students who are the most competitive tend to have started crafting their dissertation topic their first semester of the PhD program, or sooner.Those who take that advice will be prepared for the next piece of wisdom: Try to write papers for your classes that also fit into your chosen dissertation topic area. This is just common sense. The paper then does double duty, fulfilling the class requirement and preparing you for your dissertation. In fact, if done carefully, a paper might later be re-used as a chapter of the dissertation.Next: Remember that the dissertation should not be the best thing you ever write. Hopefully, you will only get better. The point here is to avoid setting up too many obstacles to completion of this document. While there is a difference between a good dissertation and one that is weak, there also is a point of diminishing returns.At the same time: Don't take the easy way out. Just because your advisor or your committee will allow you to do a "lesser" dissertation - after all, some have higher standards than others - does not mean you should do so. A well-crafted dissertation can help you get a job. More importantly, it can start your career off on the right foot. After all, a few academics have achieved instant fame with impressive research in their dissertation, which makes the next steps in their career much easier. …