Ashley
What is the outlook for Philosophy careers currently?
#career #teaching #philosophy #education #career-advice
2 answers
Esther Smith
Esther’s Answer
Many people may discourage you from going into Philosophy because they feel it will be difficult for you to find a job when you graduate. That may be true because many people do not understand what a philosophy background involves. To overcome this dilemma and to pursue your interest in this topic, I recommend adding a 2nd major in college... Something else you can study in addition to philosophy that will give you more "marketable" skills. What else are you interested in? Design? Journalism? Business?
I hope you will continue to pursue your special interest Ashley. We need more philosophers in the world!
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Jeremy Shi
Jeremy’s Answer
Hello Ashley. Thanks for your interest in philosophy. There are two ways to interpret your question -- first is "what kind of career(s) would I have if I major in philosophy in college", and the second is "if I want to build a career in the field of philosophy -- as a professional philosopher -- how is the outlook of the job market"?
To answer the question with the first interpretation, I would say there is definitely some value in majoring in philosophy. It helps horn your critical thinking skills, reading and writing skills, etc. Philosophy majors are arguably on top of the GRE score list. (See http://dailynous.com/2019/10/11/philosophy-majors-gre-updated-data/). These skills are definitely what many employers put emphasis on. Many famous people also major in philosophy too, according to this site -- (http://blogs.lmu.edu/philosophy/meet-some-philosophy-majors/famous-philosophy-majors/) and the comments here https://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2011/03/famous-philosophy-majors.html . And personally, one of the most valuable things I learn in philosophy is how to grasp some concepts by myself quickly and how to explain them to people outside my field. I think they are very important skills.
Now let's look at the second interpretation of your question -- if you love philosophy and do well in college, why not go to grad school and pursue a career in philosophy? But the sad fact is, it is hard to find a job even with a PhD in philosophy from a famous school. There isn't just a big demand for college professorship in philosophy, which is what most philosophy PhDs do afterwards. Philosophy departments in the country are also in their own existential crisis and because of pressures from many different aspects, they have to justify their existence and make sure they don't get cut from their school. And when old professors retire, they don't get easily replaced, which make new philosophy PhD graduates hard to find jobs. For more information, you can check it here -- http://dailynous.com/category/philosophy-job-market/. On a more positive note, you can find some facts and encouragements from here -- https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com From these sites, you can have a general idea of the life of being a graduate student or young/un-tenured professor in philosophy. Afterwards, you can make an informed decision on what you should do after college.
After all, for now, I would say just focusing on college first and there are so different opportunities ahead of you and don't worry too much about the dark side of being a professional philosopher. Just focus on learning it to your best capability.
Btw I studied philosophy for 9 years, which might be too long. So definitely don't be like me! :)
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