Good Work If You Can Get It: How to Succeed in Academia

by Jason Brennan

Do you want to go to graduate school? Then you're in good company: nearly 80,000 students will begin pursuing a PhD this year alone. But while almost all of new PhD students say they want to work in academia, most are destined for disappointment. The hard truth is that half will quit or fail to get their degree, and most graduates will never find a full-time academic job.

In Good Work If You Can Get It, Jason Brennan combines personal experience with the latest higher education research to help you understand what graduate school and the academy are really like. This candid, pull-no-punches book answers questions big and small, including

- Should I go to graduate school--and what will I do once I get there?
- How much does a PhD cost--and should I pay for one?
- What kinds of jobs are there after grad school, and who gets them?
- What happens to the people who never get full-time professorships?
- What does it take to be productive, to publish continually at a high level?
- What does it take to teach many classes at once?
- What does it take to succeed in graduate school?
- How does "publish or perish" work?
- How much do professors get paid?
- What do search committees look for, and what turns them off?
- How do I know which journals and book publishers matter?
- How do I balance work and life?

This realistic, data-driven look at university teaching and research will make your graduate and postgraduate experience a success. Good Work If You Can Get It is the guidebook anyone considering graduate school, already in grad school, starting as a new professor, or advising graduate students needs. Read it, and you will come away ready to hit the ground running.

Genres: Nonfiction, Academia, Self Help, Education, Science

192 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Jason Brennan is the Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. His books include Against Democracy and The Ethics of Voting.

Reviews

[Kaylyn Ling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong 3.5 -- I read this entire book although I don't plan on pursuing a PhD, and I still found many of Brennan's arguments interesting and illuminating. Picked it up after it was recommended in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d4158.... (Note: this book is written broadly enough to apply to all academic fields. A balance of humanities and STEM examples - don't go into it thinking this is a jargon-heavy science book.)

Brennan writes an honest, statistically supported analysis of a) the real expectations of pursuing a PhD in America and b) how to recognize academic work for what it really is -- a JOB. He speaks directly to potential/current PhD students. He's clearly done research in the industry and I don't doubt his findings.

Even if you are a non-academic, this'll give you insight into true life of a grad student or professor. For undergraduates, this will demystify the life of a reclusive TA, lecturer, or professor. Spouses of academics will benefit from this book. They'll leave with a better understanding of the pressures of academia and can turn to their partner to ask, "Do you really spend 13% of your day (or more) just on email?"

I really enjoyed the bite-size sections of information. The book never dragged its feet, despite being about subjectively boring info, and the statistics did a great job of furthering the argument. Brennan brings in salary figures, demographics, economics, and more to prove his point, and I thought they all provided much-needed perspective.

Despite all of its strengths, there are some real shortcomings to the book. Personally, my main issues deal with Brennan's tone. Brennan constantly walks a fine line between condescending, pessimistic, and simply a proponent of "tough love." Although I knew he was going to be blunt, sometimes his tone is so caustic that it turns me off from reading. He constantly berates the system and often suggests quitting. I almost wish he talked more about the "Exit Options" he throws in at the very end to assuage his demoralizing "give up" suggestion. Brennan does try to invert his harsh realizations with advice and the occasional reminder that academia is "good work," but it doesn't really work. He says at one point that he loves his job, and after hearing him criticize academia so much, I'm not that convinced of it. I also, as a side note, think the cover is poorly designed. JHU Press dressed the book like a family-friendly, lighthearted expose book, but it doesn't quite match Brennan's data-driven tone.

I was also sensitive to the way he spoke about college students. I recognize that I might be taking it personally although I don't need to at all, but Brennan dismisses undergraduates largely as disinterested and lacking potential in an unappealing way. He condemns students to mediocrity and makes it clear that he believes research -- and thus tenure, status, publication, and money -- comes before teaching. He justifies sending student emails straight to the trash. His recommendation about adopting other class syllabi from the Internet, among other things, seems uninspired to me. This complacency toward a professor's responsibility as an educator generally turned me off, but I understand where it's coming from.

[Heather Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a cynical (perhaps realistic) take on what it currently takes to succeed within academia, primarily targeted at the US job market. He makes it clear that this is all about what works in academia as it is, rather than making any claims about what it should be, and as such it's useful practical advice, even if a little depressing in context.

[Kyle van Oosterum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brennan pulls no punches in this incredibly realistic guide to getting work and being successful in academia. Recommended reading for anyone interested in pursuing a career in academia and understanding what actual concrete steps one has to take.

[Matt Berkowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, condensed read chalk full of stark truths and excellent advice about how—or whether to try—to succeed in academia. This book does not make any claims about how academia ought to be, just how it actually is, and how to succeed given the reality.

Brennan has done a community service for those considering a career in academia. What proportion of students who start a PhD finish their PhD? Once you’ve finished your PhD, what are your chances of securing an academic job, or even better, a tenure-track job? How much effort should you place on publishing vs other activities (teaching, community service, etc.)? What are typical salaries at the variously ranked colleges/universities? Which disciplines does a PhD pose good career prospects for outside academia? How should you manage your time when doing your PhD? These are some of the many questions Brennan tackles.

To answer some of the above, roughly half of those who start PhDs will finish them. Roughly 1/5th of those will get a full-time faculty job and 1/20th will get a tenure-track job, but your individual probability varies tremendously depending on your circumstances—number of publications, what journals you published in, length of time in graduate school, etc. 70% of professors at four-year-or-greater colleges have published fewer than 10 pieces in their whole careers, and most of that research is on relatively narrow, highly specialized topics that are of little-to-no interest to other people in the field. (I can certainly vouch for this, having just submitted my PhD thesis.)

Brennan recommends going to the highest-ranked grad school program you can get into. Before going, look into job placement rates and the kinds of jobs students get. Choose a supervisor based on some combination of your compatibility personality-wise, publication record, and job prospects of their recent grad students. If only academic jobs are available, what will you do if you can’t get one? In many STEM fields (engineering, math, statistics), private sector jobs are plentiful for those with PhDs, but for many others (English, art history, sociology), there are few if any other options besides academic positions. Brennan borrows advice from Tyler Cowen to suggest you should always have at least three papers under revision (after submitting to journals) at all times, which seems like quite the tall order, especially in the early stages of grad school.

Time management is a huge key to success. Don’t implicitly buy into the labour theory of value, the economic theory that posits that the busier you are (the more labour time you expend), the greater your value. Aim to use your time wisely. Don’t get bogged down with community service roles or eschew the importance of publication. If you spend 60 hours a week reading dozens of papers, perfecting your teaching, and serving as some grad caucus head, but don’t publish, this is going to be worth much less than if you worked 40 hours a week and have many publications to show for your efforts. Set yourself a time budget, whereby you are only allowed to work so many hours per week or month, and if you exceed your budget, you must make up for it later. This helps avoid burnout and ensure you use your scarce time wisely. Lastly, channelling advice Brennan heard somewhere on Twitter, “A good dissertation is a done dissertation. A good dissertation is a published dissertation. A perfect dissertation is neither.” As such, don’t aim for your dissertation to be perfect, just good enough. No one beyond your examining committee will likely read your dissertation. Papers are what count.

I always try to find something to criticize in every book I review, but it’s hard in this book. I agreed with nearly piece of advice. One possible exception is that Brennan suggests being able to explain your research to educated people outside your domain and why it’s important. I think this could be useful, especially if you plan to speak to the general public in some capacity about your research, but I fail to see how this is much of an asset for succeeding in academia. As someone in statistics, I can tell you it’s notoriously difficult to package what we research into comprehensible language to those on the outside, and even more difficult to explain why it matters (most of it doesn’t, to be frank). Regardless, this is a minor quibble I had.

All in all, getting an academic job can be one of the most rewarding, low-pressure, high-paying jobs you can get, with large amounts of freedom (especially for tenured positions). But getting such a position is hard and not for everyone. Have a plan B and be ready to pursue your plan B if your plan A is getting a good academic job and you’re not having success. Of course, if you don’t try, you’ll never succeed, but you also have to know when to try something else when shooting for the stars doesn’t pan out exactly as desired. Brennan has written a blunt, wisdom-filled piece about how to navigate these waters.

[Santiago Alarcon T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Work If You Can Get It: How to Succeed in Academia (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020)

Una lectura para quien este interesado en el mundo de la academia en los Estados Unidos, es especifico para personas que quieran ser profesores universitarios en el sistema norteamericano. El libro se puede ubicar entra la economía y la auto-ayuda, si algo por el estilo existe. Se lee muy rápidamente, además de estar escrito en un estilo ameno y de fácil lectura.

Algunas ideas que me llamaron la atención:

1. La teoría de señalización explica mejor que la teoría del capital humano porque alguien con un doctorado tiende a ganar más dinero. No son las habilidades que adquiere sino el proceso mismo que atraviesa.
2. La paradoja de la universidad al nivel de doctorado es que la formación es en investigación pero el trabajo de profesor es principalmente en enseñanza (obviamente, no aplica en todas las áreas).
3. El Graduate School funciona como un trabajo. Por lo tanto, según el autor, hay que enfocarse siempre en el trabajo principal (tesis), siempre tener en mente las publicaciones y graduarte a tiempo

Y como la cereza del pastel:

"Of all the people who start a PhD, roughly half will graduate. Roughly one-fifth will get a full-time faculty job. Slightly more than one-tenth will get a tenure-track job. Around one-twentieth will get a tenure-track job at a research-intensive school."

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and an excellent go-to for those anxious nights second-guessing myself.

[Hannah Gordner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book skips the fluff and gets right to the point. It really challenges the reader to consider if pursuing a PhD and a career in academia is for them. Easy, informative read.

[qs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most horrifying (but necessary) books I've read. A hard-nosed, no-holds barred description of what academia actually is - publish or perish culture, the grind for tenure, hyper-competitiveness. The statistics are bleak. Important reading for anyone consdiering academia.

[Daniel]

reading this in tandem with "the prince" is instructive; they are both by philosophers about harsh realities in domains that have an aura of moral elevation (academia and governance). "the prince" had its own antithesis, the rebuttal book "anti-machiavel" by frederick the great--the german "good king" and queer icon. frederick, just before taking the throne, criticizes machiavelli for catering to the impetuous spirit of a teenager--telling youthful men that the world coincidentally works in such a way that your default selfishness is helpful. for all of brennan's moralizing about *hard work*, this book likewise encourages youthful bad behavior: brennan tells you to go to office hours with your headphones on, be inaccessible and steely etc., so you can work on your submission to nous or whatever. what's next, pull out your cell phone at the dinner table? but if you're in academia for the long haul, you want relationships. dipping into realism is a treat, or medicine, for those tight situations and strenuous moments of competition. but it's the most banal point imaginable that the realist, ambitious disposition becomes self-defeating when it's your default mode; you don't want to be the stand-up comedian that forgets how to jest because they spent the lead-up to their set stewing in envy at those going first. regarding governance, we can imagine frederick would have relented some of his criticisms of machiavelli over his career, as he got into the details. thus, apropos academia, the truth is probably somewhere between this book and a hypothetical rebuttal book titled "anti-brennan".

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any young student considering to pursue academia. While some of the advice and perspectives are grounded in American academia, at least for most western universities similar principles most likely apply. It as a highly practical, deeply critical but also generally unbiased view of what it takes to get into tenure track academic positions or the alternatives. In a world where job market clarity and transparency are important for people deciding on the careers they choose to pursue, the information Brennan provides is crucial. It can sometimes take years of staying in academia to understand 'the rules of the game'. Why? Because as with many hierarchichal organizations, the rules are obfucated, unwritten, purposefully hidden, unclear, etc.

Two main take aways for thos in BA or MSc/MA programs. 1. Think about what would happen if you don't get the super star job and what that means for your life. The statistics in this book are brutal, but its better to know what you are aiming for than to blindly go in and loose a lot without understanding why you lost. 2. If you want to be strategic and increase your chances, then this book is one of the more simple road maps. If you are willing to pay the price then go for it. But understand the ways to get there and the assisted cost/benefits.

[Alesia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book full of useful advice for any aspiring academic.
I really liked the advice to write simple prose
Some quotes that stuck with me:

“Your research is competing with Game of Thrones, drinking craft beer, playing tennis, taking a nap, prepping classes, chatting with co-workers, revising the reader’s own research, and reading all the other research out there.”

“Aim for a twelfth-grade reading level or lower. Cut fifty words from each page of your writing sample. Read every paper out loud. If it doesn’t flow, rewrite it. (…) These tips won’t make you come across as less sophisticated. On the contrary, anyone with a thesaurus can write in a convoluted, ornate way. Anyone can hide a half-baked idea behind vague, opaque prose that creates the illusion of profundity. To be able to explain a profound and complicated idea— say, quantum mechanics—in plain and simple English requires genuine talent. You can’t fake that around experts. It proves you’re smart. (…) Further, forcing yourself to write in simple language often reveals to you where the gaps in your argument are. Sometimes your argument only seems airtight because even you don’t understand what you really mean.”

“Tortured writing is easy. Writing that seems effortless takes real skill.”

[Anahiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a teaching practicum course I'm taking this semester. I think it was definitely something I needed to read. Brennan talks about the harsh realities of what it's like to try to get a job in academia and what it's like after you get one. It starts off with discouraging statistics for those who want to work in academia, but is also encouraging in a sense because Brennan offers tips and tricks to get a job in academia. It made me think a lot about whether I want to be a professor, what kind of college or university I would want to teach at, and what my goals are for my career. And it wasn't all necessarily in a negative sense, but an eye-opening one. I think it was really useful, but the book at times was also quite a bit repetitive which was a bit annoying (hence the one star off). Still, I found myself quickly reading through each time I got to sit down and read it because I am just so interested in learning about this world that I want to participate in but barely know anything about. Anyway, I feel like I'm making this review a little more about myself than the actual book so I'm off the soap box. This is the end of the review.

[Alex Strasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and enjoyable read. Backed with citations and statistics, Brennan gives a no bs guide to surviving in academia (and how to know if it is not for you and find good work elsewhere).

One of the biggest surprises is that the problem with the academic job market is not a shrinking number of academic jobs, but a much faster growth of producing PhD graduates than the growth of faculty positions (which more closely follows undergraduate enrollment). Also, 13% of PhD graduates get a tenure track position (17% in science specifically), which is better than I thought. Though taking these stats and applying them to yourself as your chances is fallacious, as Brennan would say that many graduates have effectively 0% chance for xyz reason. There's also the fact that 50% of PhD students will not graduate.

He gives lots of great tips on doing academic research, managing projects, effective and efficient teaching, etc. There is also guidance on the academic job search process. It made me more excited to get a PhD and pursue a tenure track job.

[Dr. Ziad Abuelrub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read book for a new faculty member and a post graduate student who want to find a job in academia. This book gives a realistic view on the world of academia, i.e. where to focus and which areas to give your minimum. In a nutshell, the world of academia is a hierarchical business, you go up by getting your phd from a good university, by being a good researcher, and a modest teacher. To succeed, you need to have good time management and sense of priority.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on success in academia. Concrete, practical, interesting, easy to read and not overlong. I have no interest in a job in academia but still a fantastic read. Lots of useful advice: the wisdom of backwards induction, the falsity of the labour theory of value, excellent interview advice and useful commentary peppering the realities of academia. A good reminder of the value of philosophers knowing some economics and drawing more effectively on empirical studies.

[Morgane Golan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and wish it were longer. I think it was the perfect time for me to find it (thanks, Nature!), as I'm just beginning my PhD program, even though it isn't really targeted at students in the biological sciences, like myself. The data was very interesting and I'm hopeful that a lot of the advice and insight Brennan shares holds true across disciplines.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful and honest

As a graduate student, I have thought about many of the topics Brennan goes over. Rarely have I ever heard honest & practical advice. Brennan's book was a much-needed read. It served as a sort of advice book, one that told me to "grow up, get your stuff together, and see academia as it is."

[Zach Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book plainly explains a lot of useful things, like what each faculty job title means, what kinds of colleges are out there, and gives lots of good advice about how to navigate PhDs. I wish it talked more about conditionals, how probabilities of getting certain jobs depend on things like academic field and PhD department rank.

[Elijah Broadbent · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cold hard truths you need to set yourself up for success in academia. Honest, forthright, and liberating.

[Yaniv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for anyone considering a PhD or an academic career in the U.S. I wish my academic friends would’ve read something like it before starting their doctorate programs.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not an academic (nor do I plan to be), but this book was well written, and really helped me better understand higher ed.

[Naked Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward and practical, but sometimes sounds a bit too detached. A must read to shatter illusions and realize that you’ve already been doomed to find a TT job.

[Bermúdez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every PhD student, in fact every person considering doing a PhD, should read this book.

[Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be on the night stand of anyone trying to enter academia, especially in the humanities.

[Frederik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably worth your time if you might want to work in academia. Has some useful advice and Brennan is a great writer

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book; I wish it had existed earlier. I've recommended it to every PhD candidate I know, and if I ever acquire an academic post, I'll be sure to continue to do so.

[Mary Beth Dicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for every 20-something googling "Should I get a PhD?"

[Victor Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most useful and soberly realistic books I've read in this genre.

[Cora Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Advice! I am even more excited about pursing a PhD after I read it.

[TMeadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable, seems like good advice. Probably worth the time for anybody who’s thinking about academia or already embroiled.