A reader writes:
I am a Visiting Assistant Professor who is weighing returning to a temporary position versus exploring other, non-academic career options. I am still holding out, at least in the near term, for a permanent position, and I have been “close” to acquiring one in the past. However, I am also concerned that I will be in the same position of uncertainty next year.
I was wondering if your readers could comment on the following questions. First, is it more difficult to publish while not having an academic affiliation? I am not necessarily concerned about the inevitable constraints on time another job would entail (regarding writing and research), but does the likelihood of acceptance diminish without an “edu” on your email? Second, does taking a year or two break from academics severely reduce the likelihood of landing a job? I realize PhDs tend to “stale” after time, but I’m wondering if a year or two break, especially in this economic climate, would be looked at as unfavorably as it would be in more normal times.
My take: (1) publication, at least with journals that run a legitimate peer review process, should not be harder; (2) hiring departments tend to be skeptical about people who have been away from philosophy, unless there is good evidence that they have remained intellectually engaged with the subject. Comments are open for other perspectives; post only once; comments may take awhile to appear.
