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Life is also pretty great if you win the lottery. But it's not wise to plan on it. One of the main points brought up here and elsewhere is that getting a tenur
by scott_s 8y ago
Life is also pretty great if you win the lottery. But it's not wise to plan on it.
One of the main points brought up here and elsewhere is that getting a tenure-track position is hard: you're basically in a giant tournament. And that tournament continues to actually get tenure. So I don't disagree with you, but you're starting from the assumption that one has tenure, which is very much not a given for the vast majority of grad students.
(Yes, yes, I'm aware this is not strictly true and that many lottery winners end up declaring bankruptcy and often report being miserable. But it works as an illustration.)
- yodsanklai 8y agoGetting a job in academia is not entirely random :) Just like for any competitive job, it's important to objectively assess chances of success and reconsider them along the way. There are many things to consider. How bright you are, what is your research topic and will it be popular in a few years, who is your PhD advisor, are you willing to work abroad and so on... But I agree that there is uncertainty for most people and graduate students should have an exit plan, e.g. keep their research or teaching work relevant to the job market.