Ph.D. students hear career talk

Congratulations on getting settled at Penn. Now it's time to start thinking about getting a job. Such was the sentiment at the Annual Academic Career Conference for doctoral students held Wednesday in the Annenberg School. "What's really amazing is that you will be able to earn a living doing things other people only do for hobbies," Vice Provost for Graduate Education Janice Madden told a small crowd of about two dozen interested first-year doctoral students. On that upbeat note, Madden described the current job market for Penn's doctoral students. "The vast majority of Ph.D.s are getting jobs in their fields," she explained. "However, there will be less tenure in the future." It's not too early to think about what you want to do after you earn your degree, Madden advised. She cautioned that students should not expect to have the same jobs as their mentors. Also, only a small fraction of Penn doctoral students wind up with tenure at Ivy League schools, Madden said. Students instead can end up in a variety of careers at other universities, museums, research institutes and high-tech firms. "Although today's job market is promising, we know little about predicting the future of the labor market," warned Madden, herself a labor economist. She advised the students to be open to a wide range of topics and to pursue areas of genuine interest. After Madden finished her opening remarks, a panel of experienced graduate students offered their advice. "Expect ups and downs," cautioned Laura Carpenter, a Sociology graduate student. "Your classes will sometimes bring you to tears, but those feelings will pass." "This is just one part of your life," added Immunology graduate student Marielena Mata. "Make sure you have plenty of friends who support you." Other students offered advice that was more related to work. "You will be assigned more work than you can handle," said Carlos Norena, a graduate student in the School of Arts and Sciences. "It is important to prioritize." The panel also advised students to plan ahead. "It's good to have a calendar to see the whole semester at once," said Norena. The panel also encouraged the students to plan several years ahead and to start thinking about their doctoral thesis. Many of the first-year doctoral students said they felt the conference was helpful and were encouraged by the seasoned graduate students' advice. Anna Vortmann, a Fine Arts graduate student, said she felt the meeting was useful. "I feel more at ease now," she said. Some students, however, said they felt the atmosphere was too future-oriented, saying it was too early to think about their theses and the job market. "The material was applicable, but it was too geared toward the distant future," said Natasha Ruiz-Gomez, an Art History graduate student.