Today's employment market is a turbulent affair. Employers create churn by minimizing their commitment to workers, keeping costs low and flexibility high. Employees respond by becoming increasingly mobile, and by aggressively seeking advancement and remuneration. It's not all bad: the opportunities are there to find the ideal career and the perfect position. But loyalty, on both sides, is wasting away. Job security is minimal. Pressure is high, with relaxation time at a premium and opportunities to put down roots few and far between.
In short, the post-training job market is beginning to resemble a giant, endless postdoc circuit.
If that's true, perhaps there is also a role for that Shangri-la of academia, tenure. Is tenure still valid for academia and, if so, might it offer something to other professions?
For outsiders like me, there are more basic questions: What exactly is tenure? Who is eligible for it, and why? What ...
