Careers in the Academy

As a doctoral student, or a prospective student planning to pursue a PhD, preparing for the job market is an essential part of your academic journey. For students who aspire to a career in the academy, it is important to consider your personal approach to practicing the academic “Big Three”:  research, teaching, and service. This milestone guide will walk you through tools and resources you can use to develop a strategy for your career, from defining and refining your research to building scholarly connections.

DEFINE & REFINE RESEARCH

When you applied to the PhD program, you submitted a goals statement that can serve as the scaffolding for your dissertation. At the end of each academic year, review, revise, and expand the statement with the help of your advisor and other faculty. The statement should include potential research questions, faculty with whom you may work, research methods you might explore, and relevant literature in your fields.

Familiarize yourself with Schar School Resources

Familiarize yourself with Schar School research centerscoursesfacultyresearch methodology, and scholarship and journals relevant to your academic field.

Identify and Refine your Research Topic

Develop your Research Question

Research questions help writers focus their research by providing a path through the research and writing process. Mason's Writing Center provides a guide on how to create a research question that is clear, focused, concise, complex, and arguable.

Consider the Theoretical Foundation of your Dissertation and Develop your Research Methodology

  • All dissertation research needs a theoretical structure. Think about how to understand, select, and integrate a theoretical framework into dissertation research
  • The academic job market will favor candidates familiar with a wide range of research methods as well as those with expertise in key methodologies of the field. Beyond the requirements of your program, you may take additional methods courses through the Schar School, other Mason departments, or the consortium. Offerings like GIS, econometrics, survey methods, agent-based modeling, large database construction, and advanced statistical analysis are available throughout the academic year.
  • Learn more about research methods tools via Mason Libraries' GRAduate Student Skills page and Workshops & Events
  • Explore the offerings and support of Mason’s Digital Scholarship Center (DiSC)
  • Find summaries, book chapters, and case studies on research methods (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed) with Sage Research Methods.

BUILDING SCHOLARLY RELATIONSHIPS

One of the best ways to identify opportunities and positions in higher education is to connect with peers, faculty, thought leaders, and researchers. Connections made both in-person and virtually are valuable; the key is having tools for both approaches, being flexible, and finding out what works best for the people you are trying to connect with.

Use Similar Research Interests to Build a Relevant Connection

Connect through Virtual Means

In-Person Connections

  • Speak to your faculty advisors and instructors - building these scholarly relationships opens opportunities for you, and helps you gain a better undetstanding of what the academy is like.
  • You can plan to build scholarly connections at conferences - reach out in advance to set up conversations.
  •  Attend seminars, guest lectures, talks, and chat with people.

Identify Experiential Opportunities with Academics and Researchers

Explore resources such as CareerShiftHandshake, and Organizational/University Websites.

CONFERENCES

Attending conferences will familiarize you with the latest findings in your field, provide you feedback on your research, and allow you to build your scholarly network. In the first year of your PhD, plan on attending conferences or meetings of the academic associations related to your field. Volunteer, observe, make connections, learn. By your second year, you should begin submitting papers (co-written or solo authored) for presentation.

Funding

  • Students can apply for Schar School Grants to present their research at conferences.
  • First-Year PhD students can apply for grants to support conference attendance without presenting, though awards are limited. 
  • The Office of the Provost has funds available for student travel to professional conferences, both domestic and overseas. Please see the Graduate Student Travel Fund for more information and an application. 
  • Mason’s Office of Graduate Fellowships has info sessions, workshops, and other guidance for graduate students who want to pursue external funding.

Connecting at a Conference

TEACHING

Teaching is an integral part of an academic career, but how much teaching experience do you need? Ultimately, you want to be able to discuss your teaching philosophy and speak to your experiences in designing curriculum and working with students.

Teaching Opportunities

  • Strive to design and implement your own course: As an advanced student, teaching as an adjunct at an area university or community college provides opportunities to expand teaching skills and repertoire.
  • Other teaching opportunities include Osher Lifelong Learning in Fairfax or Encore Learning in Arlington.
  • Look for short-term or informal teaching opportunities, such as serving as a tutor or working with Math Camp. 

Workshops, Training, & Professional Development

FELLOWSHIPS & GRANTS

Funding through fellowships and grants can help you practice within your field and expand your research experience and scholarly network. When you develop and submit grant applications while in graduate school, you strengthen your CV for the academic job market. Developing the habit of pursing grants and fellowship can open up pathways for funding and research opportunities while working on the degree, and lead to post-doc fellowships after graduation.

Search for Fellowships and Grants and Identify Your Eligibility

Do Your Research

  • Network and conduct an informational interview with previously successful candidates.
  • Make contacts within the organization to learn more about the project you’re interested in applying.
  • Attend information sessions.

Use Your Campus Resources

  • Engage with faculty advisors when planning a research project or applying for a fellowship. Fostering relationships with faculty not only helps you develop your ideas, it enables faculty to be able to attest to your skills and interests when serving as recommenders.  
  • Reach out to Schar School Career Development with questions about crafting CVs/resumes, interviewing, and writing proposals.
  • Learn about more George Mason Office of Graduate Fellowships resources, including their Tips & Advice.

PUBLICATIONS

Journal publication enables you to share your research, and publication in peer reviewed journals demonstrates to the academy your skills and contributions to your field. Below you will find information on how to plan your writing process and convert existing material into journal-quality work. Additionally, here you can explore avenues for publication and learn how to make your article submission competitive. 

How to Write a Journal Article

Choose Where to Publish

ACADEMIC JOB MARKET

The academic job market can be complex and overwhelming. Approaching the process with a multi-step plan can help mitigate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in the search process. The following are some guidelines for preparing your plan for tackling the academic job market.

Tips on Constructing your CV

  • A CV (curriculum vitae) is different from a resume in format, purpose, and length. It lays out the full history of your academic credentials. Start by looking at the CVs of assistant professors in your field and those of recent graduates who have secured tenure-track positions. Their CVs can serve as models.
  • Constructing your CV
  • How to Write a CV for the Academic Job Market: Dos and Don’ts from Inside Higher Ed

Where to Search

Job Talks

  • We encourage PhD students to attend Job Talks to learn more about their field and to prepare for their future job talks. 
  • Find out when faculty searches are happening at your university or at your alma mater. Look at the job postings, and attend job talks of candidates. 
  • Do a practice run of your job talk before an interview with colleagues and faculty at a research forum, or set it up through PhD Student Services

Do you have questions about your PhD journey? Contact the Schar School's Office of Graduate Student Services at schargss@gmu.edu.