Navigating the Academic Career

There is an urgent need to provide academic professionals with individual, institutional, andcontextual accounts of their careers and career-making endeavors. An individual account makesacademicians think about what they do and how they might do it better. An institutional accountmakes academicians reflect upon the organizational environment in which they function andponder what they might do to improve it. A contextual account connects academicians and theirwork to knowledge, the knowledge enterprise, and the larger social structure so that they know andunderstand the impact they and their career-making efforts have on themselves, academia, andgeneral social processes.This book examines academic careers and career-making activities with respect to their mainaspects, milestones, and general pathways. In content, it divides into four identifiable parts. Part Ifocuses on professional preparation. It examines education, degree, reeducation, job search, and job change. Part II centers onorganizational employment. It investigates position, research, teaching, service, and tenure. Part III revolves around professionalnetworking. It looks into publication, conference presentation, application for grants and awards, and membership in academicassociations. Part IV rises above specific issues. It explores general career pathways and overall scholarly identity.