Jace Harker edited textbf_My_name_is_Jeff__.tex  about 9 years ago

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These were solid enough plans, I thought. Especially when I talked to professors. Or people in industry. Despite their differing outlooks, both groups seemed to agree on one thing: go straight to your PhD.  Skeptical inquiry, however, wouldn’t let me stop and enjoy the summer. I did a little research. Against the academic path, I found a \href{http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7508-256a}{Nature essay} by Dr. Jessica Polka  that concluded only 10\%  of all recent biology PhDs, \href{http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7508-256a}{only 10\% eventually PhDs will  end up in tenure-track faculty positions}. Dr. Jessica Polka's positions. This  stark but necessary analysis was exactly what I needed to read. Industry it was, then! After a PhD of course. 

Starting pay for many highly experienced doctorates in my field was little more than that of a postdoc. That is, if...  \begin{itemize}  \item ...they were actually doing science: ending science. Ending  up on Wall Street or consulting with a PhD negated why I pursued science in the first place. \item ...their specialty was even industrially relevant: most relevant. Most  basic research done by grad students is years from commercial applications. \item ...enough industry jobs even exist: the exist. The  myth of the "STEM shortage" has become increasingly obvious. \end{itemize}  With time running out to take the GRE, secure rec recommendation  letters, and apply, I barely knew which way was up, let alone the way forward. What was the point of pursuing academia if it was actually a cut-throat route of publish-or-perish anxiety due to scarcity, while scarcity? But  industry was effectively the same thing, but with more substituting a  focus on shareholder value than for  inane metrics like "impact" and h-index. Then I heard about \href{http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/22/authorea-seed/}{Authorea}.\\  That they were looking to change the entire \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/3/articles/10564/_show_article}{approach} of scholarship. That they wanted to experiment with how \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/6973/articles/8213/_show_article}{metrics} and \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/2/articles/20770/_show_article}{peer review} worked.\\  And that they were hiring. \href{http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/22/authorea-seed/}{Authorea}.  So I contacted \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/3/articles/21032}{Alberto} and quickly saw eye-to-eye on many issues plaguing academia we both wished They were looking to change the entire \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/3/articles/10564/_show_article}{approach} of scholarship. They wanted  to help solve. And so here I am. experiment with how \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/6973/articles/8213/_show_article}{metrics} and \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/2/articles/20770/_show_article}{peer review} worked.  The problem of the PhD is still And they were hiring.  When I contacted \href{https://www.authorea.com/users/3/articles/21032}{Alberto}, we quickly saw eye-to-eye  on my mind, but if many issues plaguing academia we both wished to help solve. And so here I am.  If  I do go back, my experience researching in  academic publishing at Authorea will be invaluable. I'll also know how to use But the problem of the PhD is still on my mind.  What should  a powerful collaboration tool. recent graduate do?