The academic job market is notoriously challenging and very few PhDs are able to find a job after they graduate. For years, universities have been turning to contingent, adjunct labor, dramatically reducing the amount of full-time tenure-track positions. Some studies reveal that “depending on the discipline, as few as one-fourth and as many as one-half of PhDs get hired in academic jobs at all and that only a third of these jobs are on the tenure track”. Thus, the odds of any given scholar getting a tenure-track job lie between 10 and 25 percent. 

How can a PhD find a job in this demoralizing market?

This was the problem facing a colleague of mine who was working in a full-time contingent academic position. He was an international student who recently completed his PhD. The chances of continuing his job were slim as there was no guarantee that this position would be renewed, as many scholars in contingent positions find. If  unable to find another job, he, along with his family with him, was faced with a return to his home country. At the time, his home country was embroiled in violence and high rates of unemployment. Returning home was a terrible option for his career, his family’s safety, and for their collective future. 

Aware of his situation, I paid close attention to job opportunities and one position looked very promising for him. Not only did I share the position with him, I offered to look at his cover letter, which he sent to me not long after I sent him the job opportunity, as well as coach him at different stages of the process (assembling the required documents for application, preparing for a virtual job interview, and preparing for a virtual campus interview). Long story short, he was offered the job. I even helped him negotiate a higher starting salary. 

With his success and the success of others who I have helped guide through academic job processes, these collective experiences inspired me, Dr. Bertin M. Louis, Jr. to create NHE - Navigating Higher Education.

“Dr. Bertin M. Louis, Jr., substantially coached and supported me to join the field of African American Studies when there was no professional space to include my anthropological praxis even in the discipline of anthropology itself.

I am forever grateful to brother, friend, and mentor Bertin, for his inspirational leadership, selflessness and steadfast support. His manner of dedication to my professional success continues to serve as one of my important guideposts.”

Kalfani Ture, PhD

Assistant Professor of African American Studies

Mount St. Mary’s University

Bertin M. Louis, Jr., PhD

Founder and Owner

With over 10 years of experience, I have developed a strong expertise in various aspects of navigating academia. I have chaired and served on hiring committees, allowing me to understand the intricacies of the selection process and the qualities that institutions seek in candidates.

Additionally, I have advised countless graduate students and academics on how to successfully navigate the competitive academic job market, providing them with valuable insights and strategies. I also have offered academic career advice as the former Editor of the Conditionally Accepted column for Inside Higher Ed and as a regular contributor to Higher Ed Jobs. Building on this experience, I am a co-editor of Conditionally Accepted: Navigating Higher Education from the Margins (University of Texas Press, 2024).

“Dr. Louis, an exceptional career coaching consultant, empowered me during my final year of my doctoral program, guiding me through job applications and ultimately securing a job. His genuine care for client empowerment sets him apart as a true catalyst for success.”

Goeun Lee, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, University of Kentucky

Instructor of Anthropology and Sociology

DePauw University