My expectations

I am a business professor, and being in academia is a brilliant career choice, in my opinion. My tasks involve teaching, doing research, and serving on various committees. Few other careers offer the combination of intellectual and practical freedom; the chance to indulge curiosity and eagerness for learning; opportunities to engage with brilliant minds; the intense highs that come with the acceptance of a manuscript in a high-tier journal; and the potential to add to knowledge and build upon theory.

I was pondering some of the hopes and expectations I had about 12 years ago, just after my PhD thesis defence, about my new faculty position. My ideal scenario, at that time, was to spend three days a week on teaching preparation and delivery, two days a week on research, and the other two days with family—also, as governance duties arise, I would attend to them. I was keen on governance because I would have a voice shaping the department, faculty and university.

My realities

Looking back, these expectations did not occur as planned. I worked five days a week, at times the weekends too, on teaching and governance. I spent more hours than I would like on teaching preparation. Indeed, I wanted to impress my students that I was knowledgeable about the subject. At the end of the week, I was exhausted to turn my attention to research. The family also deserves some attention, hmm!

Now let me break it down. Teaching involved the development of course material, preparing and delivering classes, setting exams, proctoring exams—midterm and final, and grading exams. I am also a firm believer in the case method of learning. I incorporate real-world business cases in my classes- it is one of my favourite ways of offering an enjoyable classroom experience. Forgive my rambling. I wrote this to say I do grade case analyses.

During conversations, especially toward the end of the semester, my students let me know how much they enjoyed the course, which most of the time led to a request for a recommendation letter. So, I do much informal advising with students who want to apply to graduate school or want to be recommended for some award or scholarship.

It seemed that young faculty were asked to serve on various boards regarding governance work. Moreover, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the number of meetings I attended, whether formal (i.e., research committee meeting) or informal (a student achievement night), face-to-face, or electronically mediated. In addition, many distractions came up–the need to reschedule a student’s exam because they fell sick the day of the exam. A visiting fellow is in the building, and you have to meet them and exchange pleasantries, a request to review a student appeal documentation, etc.  It is straightforward to find all your time consumed by teaching and governance or service obligations.

Something has got to change

This was my reality for a couple of years. I was overwhelmed by some aspects of my work while neglecting other parts and compromising my home or outside-of-work life. More importantly, tenure time was approaching fast. I will deal with tenure track and tenure matters in a separate blog.

I engaged in cognitive problem-focused coping strategies; I tried to find ways to address this stressor. The most important lesson I learned during this time was that my creative potential was compromised when I was worried and stressed about whether I would meet the tenure criteria. I was also concerned that I was overworked, preventing me from satisfying the tenure requirements.

There is no need to ruminate- it is not productive but rather problem-solve. Engaging in problem-solving provides a pleasurable experience.

So, I scheduled 2 to 3 hours every morning of every day of the week to write and analyze data. This was one of the best strategies I incorporated into my work routine. It has been the best strategy that has helped me write articles for conference presentations and peer-reviewed journals. A book I wish I had read was, How to Be a Happy Academic: A Guide to Being Effective in Research, Writing and Teaching, authored by Alexander Clark and Bailey Sous. The book lays out the realities of academic work and offers brilliant wisdom for navigating the scholarly career process despite its associated challenges. I encourage you to read it.

Takeaways

• When you land your first academic job, don’t try to change the world.
• Focus on your research, I stress, focus on your research. Indeed, start early during graduate school.
• Develop the habit and commit to daily writing.
• Do the best you can with teaching. Also, endeavour to teach in subjects that align with your expertise and negotiate to teach multiple sections of it.
• Attend department, faculty and university meetings- be visible; optics is everything. Accept discussion ad nauseum. Have conversations with and learn from the senior professors; they are filled with information.
• Serve on boards that handle matters you are passionate about. For example, I was a member of the University Senate Student Services Committee and the Department Personnel Committee. These committees allowed me to contribute meaningfully. I was present rather than feeling like I was a presence. A caution here: do sit on too many boards. As with everything, balance is vital–manage your time well, and your career and family will love you.

Ivy XO

I HOPE YOU CAN RELATE TO THIS POST! I LOVE TO KNOW YOUR REALITIES AND HOW YOU BALANCE THEM ALL.