44: 5 Myths About Your Tenure Prep Experience

Are you believing any of these 5 myths about the tenure prep process? You could be setting yourself up for unneeded stress and worry, so let’s bust those myths.   Now that you’ve landed that tenure track job, it’s essential to cut through the clutter of what you think you have to do, kick guilt and overwhelm to the curb, and create a process that works without the burnout. Consider this my permission to stop believing these 5 myths, and stop acting as if they’re true.   Myth #1: You have to be quiet. Don’t believe the myth that you can’t speak your mind during your tenure process and need to keep your ideas to yourself to avoid retribution or not being thought of as a team player. At a healthy institution, your committee wants to know more about you: your views, your ideas, your style. So speak up!   “There’s this myth that you have to lay low or fly under the radar until you have tenure…”    Myth # 2: You have to work a 60+ hour work week. This myth isn’t relegated to the tenure-track process; many academics believe this one about their careers. It’s not true! To bust this myth, you need to learn project management, put systems in place, get clear on your academic mission, and put writing at the center. In my programs, we teach you all these skills to enable you to fit your work into a 40 hour workweek.    “You can get more done than you think.”   Myth #3: You should say yes to all publication opportunities. This myth stems from the fear based scarcity mentality that is all too common in academia. Many institutions are vague at best about how many publications you need to secure tenure, so it’s tempting to jump at every possible opportunity. But not all publications are created equal! Clogging up your pipeline slows down all your projects, including the ones that really matter. Ignore this myth, and choose wisely.   Myth #4: Everyone has it figured out except for you. Everybody loses when you play the comparison game. Our experiences are all different, and we can’t know what someone else’s experiences and circumstances are really like. Trust me when I say, no one starts out the pre-tenure process with everything figured out.   “The work of pre-tenure is the process of figuring it out.”   Myth #5: It has to suck. We’re programmed to believe that the pre-tenure process has to be a grueling slog, and that we should just put our heads down, accept the overwork mentality, and struggle through. That mindset leads to burnout and collapse, so don’t accept it! In my Navigate and Amplify programs we teach the skills and systems to make pre-tenure manageable, and surround you with like-minded women who aren’t willing to let the process grind them down.    Don’t miss out on Amplify! Don’t let these 5 myths get you down; there’s a different way to approach the pre-tenure process, and we’d love to show you how inside our Amplify program! Find out how to navigate it on your terms, click here to learn more.   Included with the Amplify program: Our whole Navigate: the Writing Roadmap program Mastermind calls with a cohort of 8-10 womxn who complete the year-long program together One-on-one coaching on whatever you need Peer review, using a system created by one of our wonderful coaches Live trainings and a library of resources Writing retreats (virtual, for now) A community of like-minded womxn to support and encourage you!   As of this writing, we have 12 spaces available in 3 cohorts, but we want them filled by 9/30/20, so don’t wait! Click here to apply for Amplify: Faculty Writing Accelerator.  Connect with me: Website Facebook Group Facebook Page This episode was first published at cathymazak.com/episode44.