Dr. Jesse Barker, former PhD student in Hispanic Studies at FHIS and now lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, reflects on his career development and shares advice for landing an academic career.
I graduated with a PhD in Hispanic Studies from UBC in 2011. For me, the PhD program was a return to studies after seven years of living in Spain after completing my MA. To be honest, I also wanted to return closer to my home state of Oregon after 14 years of living elsewhere.
Of all the PhD programs in the region, UBC’s was the most attractive to me with its diverse and dynamic faculty.
The faculty members were what I enjoyed most about my time at UBC — both those who directly supervised my dissertation and the others. They offered me a great deal of support, direction and hands-on mentoring, as well as friendship!
Tell us about your career.
I am currently a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, which is the British equivalent of Assistant Professor. I teach a broad range of courses, from Spanish language, to introductory courses on Spanish literature, to advanced courses on Spanish film, literature, and culture. I recently published my first book titled Affect and Belonging in Spanish Film and Fiction: Crossroads Visions.
What I like most about my career is that it funds me to do what I like: reading, writing, and discussing literature and film with others.
The most challenging part is balancing the different duties of teaching, researching, and administration.
What challenges did you face when launching your career?
The biggest challenge was getting a job in the current market. I was facing the cliff-edge of having graduated and not having a job for the next academic year, but the year I finished my PhD, I was lucky to find a temporary position at the University at Albany: the State University of New York. This position provided me with a base to land on. A year later, I was hired for my current permanent position.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
I, for one, am much better at doing my job than convincing a search committee of how well I would do it. Job interviews are highly stressful make-or-break situations, so if you want to get an academic job after completing your doctoral degree, I would recommend practicing how to handle job interviews over and over again!
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Learn more about Dr. Jesse Barker.
