Think (a Bit) Like an Academic

The traditional view of careers looked something like a straight line that hopefully sloped in an upwards direction. Professionals would seek to get more money and bigger jobs, year after year, until they just couldn’t do it any more.

But this is a model for a world that changed slower than ours does today. Social media is even toppling entire governments today, so how can you expect a career path that goes in a straight line?

In this environment, you have to be flexible. Leave your expectations behind, and change as the world changes. The future belongs to the most flexible, not the strongest or smartest.

Some have proposed that academic careers might serve as a new model for all careers. I found this passage of particular interest:

...lateral and even downwards movement are accepted (e.g. when a Dean returns to serve as a Professor, conducting research and teaching, it is not considered “demotion”). Upwards mobility is limited, even not desired (becoming a Dean might take scholars off the research route)... Sabbaticals are part of the career. Perhaps more fundamental, the academic career model builds on networking within and across organizations. [4]

The main reason this idea caught my attention is that while professors aren’t always known for their flexibility, they are expected to continually conduct research and drive learning in their chosen field. This quest for knowledge should drive your career as well. Thinking of your career through the lens of this “academic” model might lead you to a much more interesting and robust career than you would get from employing a traditional corporate mindset.

One more thing... academics frequently collaborate with other academics, and collaboration is a very good idea.

[4] Yehuda Baruch, “Transforming careers: from linear to multidirectional career paths; Organizational and individual perspectives,” Career Development International Vol. 9, No. 4, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, 2004.