I came to Tulane degreed, ready to work and ready to achieve. To my disappointment, I found that many departments are fiefdoms, with mid-level management types prepared to do very little to ensure the employees they are supervising can plan a successful career trajectory. Promises of advancement (low, and hard won), promises of mentorship (zero), there were many unrealized promises. The only two perks worth their salt are the tuition waiver, and additional vacation days due to the academic schedule. I'd prefer to have industry-standard pay instead of the embarrassingly low paycheck. This is not an unusual or solitary opinion. The people I've noticed who are appreciative of their jobs are the caste-system types who are at the top of the pecking order, stranded on their ivory towers. Good for you Doctor/Dean/Chair/Vice/Level III employee/Professor-whoever. The rest of us are sucking wind. I have a peer who left TU after applying internally for 23 jobs. Most departments didn't reply to him; the other small percent who responded indicated that the position had already been filled. Word is that most jobs have someone hand-picked for the position before the job listing is live. In light of his struggle, I applied to industry, not academia, and have secured a position that is already helping dig me out of debt.
