Karen Kelsky

Catalina gifted this to me, and I never put it on my "Currently Reading" shelf because I picked through it rather than reading it cover to cover.

The book is a frank, clear, and concise set of advice for navigating PhD programs and beyond into academia. It is especially relevant to women in academia, who have a far steeper uphill climb. Its written in a style that is professional yet academic, personal yet objective, and I've already put a lot of its advice and tips into effect to enhance my CV.… (mere)

Karen has put together an excellent reference and essential guide for Ph.D.'s in the job market. I found this book an interesting read though, not for myself, but for my husband. The job market for academics like himself is particularly bleak. After finishing up his second Master's degree and considering a Ph.D., for which he was already accepted, the elephant in the room that surface was the job market. With his current level of education, salaries remain roughly the same for Masters and Bachalors level professionals, at least for our area and academic work is hard to find. So, is the Ph.D. worth the effort if all the jobs with salaries on par with the appropriate letters following ones name are non-existent, or at at least appears to be non-existent?

The Professor is In waves away all the mystery surrounding academic work, the job market, and questions of the value in higher education. I would recommend this book to all those who are considering higher degrees, but also those who are already struggling with this problem right now; it's not too late! Grab this book!… (mere)