Academic Careers from a European Perspective: The Declining Desirability of the Faculty Position

Internationally, the fault lines of an uncertain academic career are becoming increasingly apparent. Despite extensive preparation, young academics confront restricted opportunities to become regular members of the academic community. Many of them are on a temporary contract, often with poor working conditions and uncertainties about reappointments. A long academic career seems unobtainable, which can lead to a negative image for academic employment. Those who opt for an academic career run the risk of moving from one contract to another without the opportunity to establish a particular research program. Finkelstein, Seal, and Schuster (1998) found that a large segment of the new academic generation in the United States have entered into "temporary" positions not part of the traditional academic career ladder