What A Special Education Professor At Ohio State University Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Higher Education Industry
Associate Professor Carly's career path highlights a key challenge in academia: limited job availability, requiring significant geographical flexibility. The need for this flexibility, something Carly wishes they had known earlier, impacted their career trajectory, emphasizing the importance of preparedness for a potentially mobile professional life.
Job Search, Career Development, Overcoming Challenges, Industry Realities, Geographic Flexibility
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Carly Blustein Gilson
Associate Professor of Special Education
The Ohio State University
University of Florida, 2010
Boston College, M.Ed. in Secondary English Education (g. 2011); Vanderbilt University, Ph.D. in Special Education (g. 2017)
Creative Writing, Journalism
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Limited job availability in academia requires geographical flexibility.
2. Academic positions, especially in specialized areas, may not open every year.
3. Consider family and partner's flexibility when planning an academic career path.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
One challenge is that the jobs are limited. You might not be able to get a job at the place where you want to live. If you want to work in academia, you'll likely be at a university.
Oftentimes, these positions do not become available every year, especially in very specialized areas of research. So, you have to be flexible in terms of geography. I've moved around the country a lot because of different job opportunities, and I think that can be really challenging for someone who is tied to a certain location.
That's something I wish I knew about. It wouldn't have changed my path, but I wish I had been more prepared for it when I was finishing my PhD and entering the job market. I wish I had known that the available jobs were limited.
If I wanted a job that fit the responsibilities I wanted and matched what I was trained for, I would have to be flexible in terms of where I lived. So, I think keeping that in mind, especially if you plan to have a family or a partner, is important.