Academic Career

Alumni's Experiences on the Way to a Professorship

2023

Many paths lead to a professorship

There is no patent remedy for an academic career. In the online event “BGHS Alumni's Experiences on the Way to a Professorship”, six former BGHS members reported on their personal and concrete experiences and showed that there is no one ‘right’ way to a professorship, but that many different paths can lead to it. These paths can only be planned to a limited extent; rather, they emerge step by step. And precisely because luck and chance often play the decisive role, one should concentrate on the path on what one likes to do and what seems to make sense to one.

„Strategically, it’s probably best in the post-doc period to teach as little as possible and focus on research. For me that just was never so interesting because I always wanted to do teaching and research. It’s not the smart thing to do but I’ve never been much of a strategist. I think in this academic field […] the chances are so low anyways and if I start doing things that would look good on paper but don’t make me feel good and in the end I fail then it wasn’t worth anything.” (Sebastian Teupe)

BGHS alumni in conversation with BGHS coordinator Clara Buitrago:

Bettina Mahlert, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria
Edvaldo Moita, Professor of Public Law at the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Viktoria Spaiser, Associate Professor of Sustainability Research and Computational Social Science at the University of Leeds, UK
Li Sun, Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds, UK
Raphael Susewind, Associate Professor in Qualitative Methods at the London School of Economics in London, UK
Sebastian Teupe, Assistant Professor of Economic History at the University of Bayreuth, Germany

Paths to professorship

When asked by Clara Buitrago how they got to their current position, the researchers each told their own stories.

 

For Viktoria Spaiser, now Associate Professor of Sustainability Research and Computational Social Science at the University of Leeds (UK), the path led from the BGHS via a postdoc position in Sweden to her current tenure track position at the University of Leeds. She reported two important things along the way: her willingness to be internationally mobile and an intuition for what scientific topics will be important next in her field. This made her a perfect fit for her current positio

Li Sun, Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy also at Leeds, cited mobility and a fit for the labour market in the form of publications and presentations as important prerequisites for her career. As a Chinese woman, she was not committed to an academic career in Germany from the outset and has oriented herself internationally. Many of the tasks she was confronted with at the start date of her current tenure track position were new and unfamiliar at first. But she found people who supported her and says today: “Try to be open-minded to learn as much as you can in the first years”.

After completing his doctorate in Bielefeld, Edvaldo Moita returned to his home country of Brazil, where he is a professor of public law at the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. Professionally, he is qualified for this position by a completed law degree and doctorate in sociology. Now, the legal rules for public service employment in Brazil are completely different from those in Germany or the UK, for example. Edvaldo told us that he had to take a written exam when a suitable professorship was advertised. This exam was then the basis for his recruitment.

For Sebastian Teupe, the only historian in the round and currently assistant professor of economic history at the University of Bayreuth, the restructuring of the department played an important role. He already had a postdoctoral position at the University of Bayreuth when it was decided there to strengthen the field of economic history by establishing an assistant professorship. It was a perfect situation for him, as he was already there and knew the conditions in the department as well as the interests of the colleagues. So he prevailed in the appointment procedure. A small drop of bitterness, however, is that his professorship is without tenure track.

As a single mother with a full-time job, Bettina Mahlert has already completed her doctorate under challenging conditions. However, her profile as a systems theorist subsequently helped her to obtain a postdoctoral position in Aachen, where she wrote her habilitation. At that time, she was able to commute between Bielefeld and Aachen because her son was old enough to manage on his own a few days a week. Her professional profile also qualified her for her current position as assistant professor of sociology at the University of Innsbruck (Austria). At this point you can see how tight the academic job market is: an Austrian assistant professorship is equivalent to the German junior professorship. Actually, these positions are supposed to replace the post-doctoral habilitation qualification. Bettina, however, only got it as a habilitated scientist. However, her position is tenure track, i.e. after successful evaluation she will be able to remain as a professor in Innsbruck.

Raphael Susewind decided early on against an academic career in Germany, which had to do with the difficult conditions in the German academic system, but also with his field of research, social anthropology. He applied for around 50 positions all over Europe and received two acceptances for tenure track positions. One of them was at King’s College in London, where he worked until recently. He is now employed at the London School of Economics (LSE). He attributed the fact that he prevailed in the application procedure not to his better qualifications or fit for the job, but to luck and chance. He emphasised that all applicants are very good at what they do and told us about his daily work: for an advertised position in his institute at the LSE, there are 120-150 applications from all over the world that he and his colleagues have to read and rank within about one working day. Fifty applicants are then perfectly qualified to do the job, and 20 of them are also a perfect fit for the institute. It is a matter of chance which of them will be taken on. That is why it is important to have a plan A - not plan B - in case the academic career does not work out. You can't just live for science, you have to have time for other things, for your family, for example. He says: “You need to protect your limits and your health”. Raphael also has two children and was a single parent for a while. He gave himself a year to find out whether the job in London worked for him in this situation - and fortunately it did.

„You do a lot of things that have nothing to do with being a good researcher.” (Raphael Susewind)

The professorship - a dream job?

The alumni made it clear that they enjoy their jobs and the many opportunities they have to shape them. But there are also very different conditions for this. While Viktoria and Li can devote themselves extensively to their research, which they see as a great advantage, other participants emphasised that teaching is important to them and that they enjoy it. However, it is astonishing how little time professors actually have for their own research in the end, especially when one considers that they usually get the job because of their own research profile. But as a professor you spend a lot of time on teaching and administration or management. It is important to concentrate on what you really want to do. That could also be teaching or involvement in self-administration or for the scientific community.

“There is like a hierarchy, an evaluation in the academic world like research is on top and has the highest prestige and then there is teaching and the third is administration. And we do not necessarily have to share this evaluation because I think people are different and there are different strengths and preferences.” (Bettina Mahlert)

Social aspects of the profession, such as giving students ‘development aid’, which in the case of first generation students can have an impact on entire families, as Edvaldo emphasised for Brazilian conditions, but also the writing of reviews or the development of a study programme obviously contribute in no small measure to the fact that the activity is experienced as meaningful. In most of the stories, the professorship did not appear to be a dream job, which is due to the tight labour market and the abundance of tasks, but it is obviously a job that gives pleasure, creates meaning and is experienced as responsible.

„Over all, it’s a quite entertaining position and to some extent you get this feeling that you’re helping people improve their careers […], an improvement that can help the whole family.” (Edvaldo Moita)

Tips for paths to professorship

The BGHS alumni named flexibility and mobility, preferably international, as the most important prerequisites for academic careers. These qualities are absolutely necessary due to the tight labour market. However, publications and, as a rule, a postdoc position after doctorate are also important for the path. One challenge is to develop a clear profile and position oneself in the system. A certain overview of the conditions in the system is necessary for this, which one can gain by participating in the system and exchanging ideas with others.

But other qualities are also useful, such as being able to deal well with rejection, because you will inevitably experience that. A certain pragmatism is also an advantage, which helps to get things done and to achieve good quality in the process, but not necessarily to strive for perfection. Patience and perseverance also pay off, because chance plays a big role in academic career paths.

„Be good at failing because you will fail a lot […] and take initiative.” (Viktoria Spaiser)

And don’t forget: Science is not everything! Being a professor is a professional activity that must also leave room for other things in life.

„Collectivise! […] Join the trade union, treat your work as work, […] not as your identity, not as who you are. […] The collectivisation also means be helpful, give care, build community, share ideas, share advice, share teaching resources. […] so that you can be proud of how you attempted to get there.” (Raphael Susewind)

2024

„No ‘laundry list’” – paths to a professorship

Career paths in academia are highly individualised and many paths can lead to a professorship, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Or as Karolina Barglowski puts it: "You will not hear like a 'laundry list', do A, B, C and you become a professor." Of course, the conditions of the academic system provide the framework for career paths, but everyone has to find their own path. At the online event "BGHS Alumni's Experiences on the Way to a Professorship" in May, four BGHS alumni reported on their paths and gave valuable tips.

BGHS alumni in conversation with BGHS Coordinator Clara Buitrago:

• Gleb Albert, Assistant Professor of Modern General and Eastern European History at the University of Lucerne (Switzerland)
• Karolina Barglowski, Associate Professor of Sociology, Social Interventions and Social Politics at the Université du Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
• Yaatsil Guevara González, Assistant Professor for Migration and the Americas at the University of Heidelberg (Germany)
• Mahshid Mayar, substitute professor of English Studies at the University of Mannheim (Germany) in the winter semester 2023/24, currently postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bonn (Germany)

For the four BGHS alumni, the professorship is a great job, even though three of them do not yet have permanent professorships or positions. "It's a very prestigious job with a variety of tasks, with a lot of autonomy," says Karolina. Whether it is a 'dream job', however, is another matter.

 

 

Gleb Albert: „Make stuff that is fun with friends”

Gleb Albert, for example, did not dream of becoming a professor in Germany because he shied away from being an "egg-laying wool-milk sow". In other words, a professor who is not only a researcher and teacher, but also a manager and therefore a kind of 'little boss'. After completing his doctorate at the BGHS, he therefore tried to find a job in an Anglophone country and made several applications in the UK. However, he actually ended up in a postdoc position in Switzerland and, in view of Brexit, is now glad he did. He has made good use of his time in Switzerland:

„I did something that is completely counterintuitive for a professor. I completely changed my topic.”

And so he moved from Eastern European history to the history of computing. But that also meant that he had to work on a completely new topic and build up a new network. It was worth it though. With this topic, he was awarded a five-year assistant professorship by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) with the 'icing on the cake' that he was allowed to determine the denomination of the professorship himself. Since September 2023, he has been working as an Assistant Professor of Modern General and Eastern European History at the University of Lucerne.

The professorship is temporary and without tenure track. This means that Gleb will have to live with this uncertainty for some time to come. But the opportunities offered in academia are more important to him:

„For me the really important part of my academic career for the past almost 20 years was actually to make stuff that is fun with friends. This is also what academia is about. And if it was not, it would be a very sad place to be honest. […] There are many great, sympathetic, nice, awesome people who work in the same fields as you. ”

And he recommends enjoying this, especially during the doctoral phase. He himself made the most important and best friendships during this time. You shouldn't focus exclusively on your doctoral thesis, he says, but rather take a broader view. „It’s good for your career, it’s fun and helps you to stay sane.”

Karolina Barglowski: “Stay who you are and see how far you get”

Karolina says that during her studies and doctorate, which she says she was lucky to have done at the BGHS, she didn't think about becoming a professor at all. Over time, however, it became clear that an academic career suited her.

„What is more important is if the job fits what you expect from a job. If you don’t want to commute or move a lot, then it’s probably not a good job for you, you know? You need to be honest with yourself. What kind of person are you and what kind of life do you want to lead?”

And because the academic career suits her, the uncertainty of the career path did not play a major role for her.

"The most important thing is if you can handle many years of insecurity. If you're a person who is okay with that, go for it. If you start to shake and to feel very bad because your contract is ending in five months and you think like I cannot handle this state of being for some more years I would think maybe it's not the right job."

She herself successfully applied for a junior professorship after her doctorate and a few years later for her current position as Associate Professor in Sociology, Social Interventions and Social Politics at the Université du Luxembourg.

From Karolina's point of view, it is important during the doctoral phase to do research, attend conferences and familiarise yourself with the system. This also includes learning how to speak to whom.

„This is nothing natural, this is something that you learn. This is something that you learn while attending conferences, while maybe also observing how others do stuff. This is the time in life where you will have time to read. It will be good when you once become a professor that you have a solid foundation of readings in your past and in your back you can draw on.”

She provides encouragement by pointing out that you don't have to have the perfect career plan from the outset, but that you need to create coherence in your career path.

“Pursuing an academic career is also about constantly creating consistency where there is no natural consistency. Everything that you have done needs by you to be brought into a coherent narrative.”

The support of other women has helped her along the way. She recommends: "Stay who you are and see how far you get." And then she has another piece of advice especially for women: “Take care to have a partner who sees your job as important as his job!”

Yaatsil Guevara González: “Navigate the system”

For Yaatsil, who comes from Mexico, the fact that she was able to complete her doctorate in a research assistant position played an important role. This meant that she was not isolated, but part of a project team and learnt a lot about academic life and the system in Germany. "That gave me the possibility to navigate in different contexts at university."

Originally, she wanted to return to Mexico after her doctorate. "But life course is very, very different," she says. She had a daughter and initially stayed in Bielefeld. However, it was important for her path to a professorship that she moved to a postdoctoral position at the University of Mainz, because such changes are expected in Germany - unlike in Mexico.

„In Mexico, it would be actually the opposite. That people would ask: ‘why is she actually changing a lot of jobs. This is not a good sign. Maybe she’s not that good.’”

During her time in Mainz, she not only met many new people, but also expanded her scientific expertise. From her point of view, this led to her application for the junior professorship at University of Heidelberg being successful. She accepts that her professorship does not have a tenure track, and says:

„For me this uncertain path doesn’t play a huge role. Maybe because in Mexico, it’s very normal not to know if you hold your position for the next years.”

Yaatsil believes it is important not only to have successfully completed a doctorate, but also to show what other experience you have gained. From her own experience, she recommends building up an interdisciplinary network, organising workshops, attending international summer or winter schools, etc. In her opinion, the smaller events are particularly helpful, as they give you more detailed feedback on your own work and allow you to build up more intensive contacts. She also reports on her positive experience at Linie 4, the public lecture series organised by the BGHS together with the VHS Bielefeld, which gave her the opportunity to gain experience in science communication.

„That was great because you’re not isolated in this academic bubble because as a professor you have also the responsibility to encourage the knowledge transfer in other types of audiences.“

Mahshid Mayar: “Situations of precarity”

A doctoral scholarship from the BGHS enabled Mahshid to focus her doctoral project on both American Studies, from which she originally came, and History. The interdisciplinary orientation paid off, as she was offered a postdoctoral position in American Studies at Bielefeld University immediately after completing her doctorate. There, she initially pursued a project on computer games, which she found exciting. However, shortly before her position in Bielefeld ended, she was advised by experienced colleagues to pursue a more conventional project in American Studies. At this point, she had been at Bielefeld University for about ten years, she first became familiar with the conditions of the German Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG) and realised that her employment opportunities in fixed-term positions were not infinite. She then moved to the University of Cologne, substituted for a professor at the University of Mannheim for a semester and used this time to submit an application to the German Research Foundation (DFG) for her own research project. She was successful and has been carrying out this project at the University of Bonn since February 2024.

In comparison with the other three alumni, Mahshid emphasises the difficulties of the academic career path. For example, she found commuting from Berlin to Mannheim during her time as a substitute professor stressful. As a result, she had few opportunities to get to know her colleagues. The uncertainty of her academic career also presented her with challenges. In addition to the requirements of the WissZeitVG, there are other obstacles for internationals that have to do with their legal status. For example, you cannot apply for German citizenship if you receive social benefits, such as unemployment benefit.

„And that meant for me something existential. […] That was about what it meant for me having brought my husband to a different country. And all sorts of questions […] like: what might happen to us actually? And what does it mean for a migrant knowingly to put themselves in a situation of precarity more than academia itself is precarious?”

Mahshid strongly advises international doctoral researchers: "Make sure to learn German if you want to have even five per cent of a chance to get a tenured position." You might get a postdoc position without knowing German, but not a tenured position. You need to know German to be able to take part in committee meetings. And you are often asked questions in German during job interviews.

„It’s difficult but the earlier and the faster you start the better for you. This is an investment in your career and also for your life.”

And in view of the uncertainty of an academic career, she has a second piece of advice: „Have serious well-thought-about alternatives in mind.”

Conclusion: stay flexible

The stories of the four BGHS alumni make it clear that you have to deal with the realities of an academic career if you choose this path. One thing in particular obviously helps: remaining flexible. Along the way, it may be necessary to change the field of research and the place of work, perhaps even the country. And a willingness to engage in interdisciplinary work and international exchange is also important. This is no guarantee that an academic career will work out, but it increases your chances enormously. Karolina describes it like this:

„There is this narrative: ‘it’s so improbable and it’s so contingent’ and this creates the image as if the people who become professors are there by accident. But I would say most of the professors I know are not by accident where they are.”