My department held its annual PhD info session for MA students but I wasn't able to attend so here's what I would have said: don't even think of doing a PhD, at least in the humanities, without looking very closely and realistically at the future that awaits you when you're done.

Don't look to your professors as models of how your future could look. Academic careers are like seeing stars from a distance: just like the light you see is from millions of years ago, the current faculty represents the academic landscape from a decade ago, or more.

Even faculty hired into tenure-track jobs *this year* started their trajectory a long time ago so the light you see now is from the past. There are virtually no liveable careers waiting for you. So what is the future? Mostly short-term, low-security, low-paid contract work.

These jobs can be satisfying but have very high workloads. The dream you have now of the life of the mind, of doing your research, teaching, having a comfy office like your current profs have is an ever-vanishing prospect. It's not you. You could be great. It's systemic.

Universities are cash-starved, lacking in vision, and moving increasingly toward transactional models of content delivery. Your current profs may be fighting this current but by the time you're done, the classes you dream of teaching will likely be MOOCs and we'll all be fired.

Seriously, I know it sucks. And I know there are exceptions. But please believe me: the future you think you might have becomes more unlikely each year. PhD programs will do everything they can to woo you but remember: they need you. They need bums in seats.

So do your homework very, very carefully. Unless you're doing a PhD for fun/edification, and not a career, dive deep into data about PhD outcomes. Look at how many jobs there are each year vs. how many graduates. Look at salaries. Look at job descriptions.

Some of your professors have (relatively) cushy jobs, splitting time between research and teaching. Others are rushing between three different campuses a day, juggling a slew of contract courses, reapplying for their jobs each year. You may not know who has which job. Find out.

And remember that PhD programs *want* to recruit you. It's like a form of catfishing. So make sure you know what you're getting yourself into or you might find yourself at the end of your program older, broker, and lost because the future you thought was coming is gone.

And yeah, sure, there are exceptions, of course. But you should at least know the odds before you play them. So, while I hate dashing prospective students' dreams, what I hate more is perpetuating the lie that turns those dreams into a nightmare.

Oh, I should add: after hearing my speech, students are sometimes afraid to ask for a reference for PhD applications. But if they honestly survey their prospects and still decide to pursue the PhD, I'll write the strongest letter I can, and hope the odds are ever in their favour.

I was driving thru mountains yesterday so missed notifications on this thread, which got away on me. Gotta catch up on work but thanks for engaging. I think there are good reasons for doing a PhD and I love working with and supporting students but they should know the truth.