Recruiting and Developing Second-Career Academics in Universities

Abstract

Second-career academics are people who choose to work as university academics after spending a considerable period of time in a different profession or domain of practice. While they hope to contribute to academia based on the competencies acquired in their first career, they also hope to derive greater job satisfaction and work-life balance from their second career. Many universities are recruiting second-career academics actively to infuse their academic activities with a measure of practical orientation. Although all higher education programs can benefit from such a practical orientation, it appears to be especially relevant for taught programs at the postgraduate level. Academics without adequate practical experience in a relevant industry or profession would find it difficult to satisfy the curiosity of postgraduate students, many of whom would look for value addition beyond the text book. However, recruiting and developing second-career academics seems rather fraught with issues. While some of them adjust to their new career with relative ease, many of them experience the career transition to be a rather stressful, even traumatic experience. Research on second-career academics suggests a variety of strategies for inducting them into academia and supporting them adequately to derive the benefit of their experience. While some of them would need career counseling, others may need operational support, broader exposure, or simply greater recognition for their contributions. Selecting the right mix of strategies is important and it should be based on an adequate understanding of the issues and challenges second-career academics face in adjusting to their academic lives.