Academic Woman Amplified

What is “mid-career” for academics? How long does it last and where can you go from here? The answer to that last one may surprise you.   In North America, we have a 3-tiered promotion system. Your early career starts at Assistant Professor, you move to Associate Professor after you pass tenure review, and the final stage is Full Professor. (The UK system uses different terminology but is similar.) So what’s considered “mid-career” and why does it matter? How can you move forward after tenure and what does it take to make a push for the final step in the system? Let’s dig in.   Early Career: On a Mission The early career stage for academics lasts about 5-6 years. It’s the period where you’re starting to define your identity, and answering the question: who am I as an academic? It’s also the period when you are pursuing tenure. You may not have a crystal clear criteria for reaching tenure, but you have requirements, a pathway to follow and milestones to meet.    Mid-Career: What Now? Once you get tenure (or pa