Career Paths Inside and Outside Academia

The academic workforce is recognised as being key to the ability of both modern economies to innovate and societies to solve current problems and avert future ones. However, the German academic system is characterised by increasingly fierce competition and offers young researchers career prospects that are difficult to plan. This special issue aims to understand the social mechanisms behind the career decisions, prospects and paths of higher education graduates both inside and outside academia. It sheds light on employment trajectories and monetary returns, the embedding of careers in private and professional social networks and academic recruitment processes. The contributions in this special issue provide the latest research in a vibrant research field. With contributions by Simone Bartsch Khulan Bayarkhuu Frerk Blome Aaron Bohlen Guido Buenstorf Sara Connolly Thorsten Euler Christina Elhalaby Nurith Epstein Stefan Fuchs Lea Goldan Christiane Gross Isabel M. Habicht Channah Herschberg Ester Höhle Steffen Jaksztat Martina Kroher Kathrin Leuze Mark Lutter Kai Mühleck Richard Münch Laura Naegele Nicolai Netz Jessica Ordemann Anne Otto Knut Petzold Brigitte Schels Andreas Schmitz Martin Schröder Ulrike Schwabe Maria Theissen Fabian Trennt Claartje J. Vinkenburg Jonas Volle Oliver Wieczorek