The discussion revolves around the implications of a perceived oversupply of PhDs in academia, as highlighted by a recent article discussing specific and often contradictory job criteria in academic job postings. Participants explore whether these stringent requirements are symptomatic of a larger issue within the academic job market.
Participants express differing views on the nature and implications of job criteria in academia, with some focusing on the seriousness of the oversupply issue while others engage in a more humorous discussion about physicists as superheroes. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the broader implications of these job criteria.
The discussion reflects a variety of perspectives on the academic job market and does not resolve the complexities surrounding the oversupply of PhDs or the implications of specific job requirements.
The study's authors, Inger Mewburn and Rachael Pitt, highlight how some overly specific descriptions could become contradictory and confusing. One sentence in a lengthy job description stated that the candidate was "expected to exercise independence and creativity while being a part of the team, and to be prepared to learn new skills and adapt to new problems."
Oh well. Everyone has those qualities to some extent, just make sure you mention them. More interesting are harder criteria. The ideal candidate has a PhD, 5 years of job-relevant working experience in 3 different countries, speaks all those languages fluently, and is 22."expected to exercise independence and creativity while being a part of the team, and to be prepared to learn new skills and adapt to new problems."
Hornbein said:Heisenberg = The Watcher