I am a graduate student (GIS) in the US, and I am interested in pursuing a career in academia. I’ve heard from friends that after completing a PhD, it’s usually possible to join universities that are ranked lower than your current institution, but it’s rare or nearly impossible to secure a position at universities of similar or higher rank. Is this generally the case? Previously, I assumed that research quality was the main factor in securing a position at a better university. How much influence does the reputation of my current university actually have on my future academic job prospects?
Comments
Permanent jobs are vanishingly rare.
Minimum wage adjuncting can be competitive in many places.
Look around your graduate program. How many students are they graduating a year? How many faculty positions are they hiring for each year?
You should have an extremely strong back-up plan.
Best case, you graduate, postdoc for multiple years and after 2-5 major moves, you find a position at a small institute or struggling regional university.