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I spent part fo Saturday talking to a friend out on the west coast. She is a former academic--we met in the popular culture and indigenous studies circles--and she has slowly been removing herself from academic life. She's taken to web design, developmental editing, and career coaching for her income; she also teaches online for her former university. As she put it: she gets the benefits of access to the library and its databases, and has healthcare for the next 18-24 months, but attends to department or committee meetings. She also has no requirement to publish.
We talked...she knows about my depression, and she asked how much of my identity remains tied to an academic position. I tell her it is complex: I earned the PhD but am not respected for what I got the PhD in, at least not at this shit-house institution, so I have a chip on my shoulder. I'm stuck in a bit of a loop, trying to teach myself tech skills while also writing. So far it has proven exhausting and I'm not keeping up.
Her point -- that I remain too focused on my student debt, that I've let that drive me for years, even to the point of losing a long-term partner (or two). She asked -- why not go for a technical writer job? Unlike most writers, I actually have the writing and technical background. Apparently these jobs are paying what I make and more, given they are in cities with tech companies or contractors, including DC.
Another friend contacted me about a different opportunity. Again, I'd have to return to wearing a suit and a tie, probably, but this one would take advantage of my teaching, curriculum development, and academic strategic assessment and planning. If he is right, it also pays almost twice what I'm making.
I'm thinking I need to look into these options. That the academic identity has become corrosive, it reduces my sense of worth and it demands all my time, with little rewards.
We talked...she knows about my depression, and she asked how much of my identity remains tied to an academic position. I tell her it is complex: I earned the PhD but am not respected for what I got the PhD in, at least not at this shit-house institution, so I have a chip on my shoulder. I'm stuck in a bit of a loop, trying to teach myself tech skills while also writing. So far it has proven exhausting and I'm not keeping up.
Her point -- that I remain too focused on my student debt, that I've let that drive me for years, even to the point of losing a long-term partner (or two). She asked -- why not go for a technical writer job? Unlike most writers, I actually have the writing and technical background. Apparently these jobs are paying what I make and more, given they are in cities with tech companies or contractors, including DC.
Another friend contacted me about a different opportunity. Again, I'd have to return to wearing a suit and a tie, probably, but this one would take advantage of my teaching, curriculum development, and academic strategic assessment and planning. If he is right, it also pays almost twice what I'm making.
I'm thinking I need to look into these options. That the academic identity has become corrosive, it reduces my sense of worth and it demands all my time, with little rewards.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 08:00 pm (UTC)From:the identity trap
Date: 2019-01-29 09:16 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2019-02-03 05:59 pm (UTC)From: