Advice on the Academic Job Search

Photo: www.flazingo.com under Creative Commons on Flickr.

Here are some tips I compiled with my friend and colleague Josh Goldstein when we were both finishing our PhDs and tackling the job market. Good luck, job seekers! 

• Preparing during school
  1. Gain teaching experience, and document teaching effectiveness
     1. get teaching evaluation letters from professors that you TA for (ideally right after the class finishes while thoughts are fresh in their mind)
     2. get evaluated by CTL and save evals
     3. make up your own evals for students you mentor
     4. do mid-quarter evals for sections/classes you teach
     5. consider students writing letters for you
     6. consider developing or co-teaching your own course
  2. Research experience
     1. Publish! Aim for good journals.
     2. Present at conferences
  3. Academic/professional service and development
     1. Society involvement
     2. Campus and departmental leadership
     3. Outreach
     4. Professional networking- make and maintain contacts; use conferences for networking (make meal plans)
  4. Professional materials
     1. Develop a professional web site where you can list your research and teaching interests and accomplishments.
     2. Maintain a complete and up-to-date CV
     3. Write a catchy, current bio for your web page and IPER web page (make it something you would like to be introduced by at a conference where you were presenting)
     4. Order transcripts if you don’t have them in hand.
  5. Vision
     1. Be thinking about, and be able to articulate, how your specific dissertation projects fit into a larger research program, directions you’d go in the future.

• Applying for jobs

1. Look for job postings
   1. Professional societies (Ecological Society of America, Women’s Earth Science Network, etc.)
   2. Chronicle of Higher Education
   3. Higheredjobs.com, phDjobs.com
   4. Science, Nature, etc.
   5. Word of mouth- let professional contacts know you’re looking and to keep you in mind
   6. Check websites for schools of particular interest
   7. Check out academic wiki to anonymously post status of current searches: http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/BiologyPositions

1. Decide on application strategy in consultation with advisors and any significant others
   1. Departmental, geographical, two-body considerations, number of applications, faculty jobs vs. postdocs
   2. Be aware of timing considerations (most ads in the US are posted August-December but there are exceptions; be aware of important professional conferences where interviews are conducted)

1. Prepare “Dossier”
   1. Everything described below takes considerable time (especially the first time around) but it is definitely time well spent to ensure that you make a strong and exciting sales pitch for yourself!
   2. Talk with mentors about job postings; ask if they know anyone there (a good word from a friend can really help your case!)
   3. Maintain and update CV, have friends, profs, counselors look at it. Consider creative categories for interdisciplinary work. List academic references w/ contact info on last page.
   4. For all materials, make sure the are visually appealing (nice font, plenty of white space on the page, sub-headings, bold or bullet points where appropriate… make them “skimmable”.)
   5. Draft research statement
      1. Focus around big questions your research aims to address. Consider starting with a question or puzzle that motivates your overall research program before getting into specifics. Try to avoid chronological descriptions of your research (first I did this, then I did that), which tend to be less engaging and read like grad school statements of purpose.
      2. Instead, highlight 2-3 key areas of research or questions or sub-fields, and describe the methods/approaches you use within those areas
      3. Cite concrete examples from past & current work
      4. Be sure to offer some ideas about what you would do in the future, particularly at that particular institution to take advantage of current resources/strengths.
   6. Draft teaching statement
      1. Brainstorm classes you would teach- those currently offered in department (you never know which are someone’s undisputed territory vs. something everyone wants to get rid of, so indicate a willingness to co-teach or other flexibility), and new ones you could offer
      2. Describe teaching and mentoring philosophy
      3. Convey interest in and commitment to teaching
   7. Draft cover letter
      1. A good idea, even if not called for in job ads
      2. Keep to 1 page, convey enthusiasm for position, be specific about why this position, highlight key strengths from CV and rest of application
   8. In general, try to make your application really reflect you, rather than trying to make it a “perfect fit” with the job description (and thus having to rewrite it every time, and also feel like you are trying to be all things to all departments). Have some specific parts (for me, first and last paragraph of cover letter, sprinkled throughout research statement, and in the classes section of teaching statement) that you tailor to the job and institution, but work to get the majority widely applicable. You can work on a “generic” version of materials with specific things tailored to each place highlighted to make future cutting & pasting easier
      1. Job postings vary widely in how detailed vs. general they are. In general, it’s good to specifically address in your statements and/or cover letter key items from the posting (e.g., specific classes or research topics that they expect the candidate to undertake).
      2. Communicate with the search chair when a job is posted. A conversation to find out more about what the department is looking for can be really valuable to understand if this is the right fit for you, and also what to emphasize in your application. 
   9. Ask faculty in advance if they can write strong letters of support for you (asking for "strong" gives them a graceful out if for some reason they can't rave about you, in that case much better to get another letter writer). If they accept, be organized and efficient when sending them info organized by due date. A reminder as the due date approaches can be a good idea. Be sure to keep them posted and thank them for their help- a note or a treat is appreciated! 
   10. Scan complete copies of transcripts to submit for unofficial versions.
   11. Organize and scan teaching evaluations and other materials to demonstrate teaching effectiveness. 

• Submit app and follow up
  1. Read the job description carefully to make sure that you submit everything that they ask for (and usually no more, though some things like # of references can be flexible).
  2. Keep track of due dates, where you have applied, and current application status (reject/no answer/etc.)
  3. Respond promptly to any requests for additional information
  4. Might be a good idea to contact places you have heard nothing back from to ensure they have all your materials, and perhaps inquire about search timing.

•  Getting a phone call from the search chair!
  1. Try to sound like a potential colleague, and not like a surprised grad student interrupted while having lunch with friends, as I did my first time around! (Avoid saying, “Sweet!” like I did. But express enthusiasm for the position and thank them for inviting you to interview).
  2. Scheduling the interview- be aware it's an advantage to be the last candidate they meet. Push (nicely!) for the last date offered. 
  3. Have a few questions ready to ask; you can also plan to make an appointment to ask more specifics later
     1. Your presentations
        1. How many talks, when, and what format are you giving? (Research seminar/job talk; “chalk talk”; guest lecture for undergrad class; part of existing seminar series)
        2. Can you get scheduled for some prep time before your talks?
        3. What audiovisuals are available? (presumably ppt)
        4. If giving a guest lecture, ask to see the syllabus, copy of assigned reading (think about assigning your own), number of students in class, usual format of class (discussion, activity, lecture, lab?)
        5. How much time usual for Q&A?
     2. Meeting with people
        1. Who is on the search committee (you will be meeting with all of them- research them & their work).
        2. Also look at other junior faculty and people outside the department to meet with.
        3. Request (insist) on meeting with undergrad and grad students (important to assess department climate, your future grad students, and win bonus “s/he cares!” points)
     3. Department and school
        1. What’s the history of the department? Hiring plans for the future?
        2. What’s the teaching load?
     4. Will you have a chance to see labs, research facilities, offices, surrounding community?
     5. Logistics
        1. Usually they will put you in touch with an administrator to make your air, hotel, transit etc.  arrangements. Probably easier to book your own ticket and get reimbursed.
        2. Work hard to get last scheduled interview slot (early candidates are often a vehicle for committees to fight out their differences)
        3. Ask for copy of meeting schedule (including locations) and get map of campus ahead of time
•  The Visit!
  1. Bring your A game! (And realize it’s in everyone’s best interest if you do a great job.)
  2. Interviews typically last 1-2 days (be well rested in advance, probably won’t be your best night’s sleep ever the night before)
  3. Preparing your “job talk”/research seminar:
     1. Be sure to put your research in context (five minutes on why we should care about this before diving into details)
     2. Tailor to the locale to the extent possible (give local examples or mention possible collaborations appropriate to that place)
     3. Give a run-through to friends and colleagues at home ahead of time. Provide a written form for feedback for those who have to leave early, and to capture small things like “fix title font on slide 7” and avoid having to detail them on everyone’s time. (Add slide numbers to faciliate this.) 
     4. Consider practicing the talk at the Center for Teaching and Learning, using video critique and other resources there.
  4. Packing for the trip:
     1. Carry-on bag only (no luggage to lose)
     2. Multiple copies of your talks, in multiple formats (on laptop, USB drive, email to yourself)
     3. Dress for success… suits! Accessories. Shoes. Professional briefcase/laptop bag. Professional folder for papers. Watch. Consider setting your cell phone alarm to go off at the end of appointments so you can exit gracefully and not be late for the next person.
     4. Cash for meals, taxis etc; envelope for receipts (save everything)
     5. Print out your meeting schedule and campus map to bring with you
     6. Bring easy to eat and non-messy snacks for the interview day(s) when you're running around! 
  5. Interview strategy
     1. Make quick notes you can refer to in the hallway between meetings on each person you’re meeting with (e.g., Mongolia, writing, saxophone to remind you of the topics you want to discuss with them based on your Internet stalking!)
     2. let them take the lead in interviews, but also be prepared to ask questions of everyone you meet, from the Dean to students
     3. Be prepared to ask and answer LOTS of questions! (See separate articles for examples)
     4. Consider how you’ll demonstrate independence from your dissertation advisor and his/her research agenda (esp. for natural sciences)
     5. For student meetings:
        1. Circulate a sign-in list so you can keep names straight and get their emails to follow up later if needed (students can be hard to find on the web)
        2. These are fun and important meetings; remember that students will often have some say in the decision.
     6. Teaching
        1. Be ready to discuss 2-4 classes you would teach, including potential texts and labs; be flexible. It looks great if you have a syllabus outline or can talk about the texts you’d use.
     7. Ask for a bathroom break if you need one!
     8. Meals: order food with care (not the time to don the bib for the crab with spaghetti). Limit alcohol consumption. Follow the lead of your interviewees in how much to talk about work vs. more casual conversation, but remember to stay professional- you are being evaluated on everything you say and do! 
        
        

•  Follow-up, Offers, Negotiation
  1. Thank search chair promptly after your visit (email is fine). If very interested in the position, say so and contact others with whom you met.
     1. If you are pursuing multiple positions, ask the search chair about the department’s expected timeline for making a decision; this will help you figure out a plan for juggling the different timelines inevitably associated with your opportunities.
  2. Getting an offer!
     1. Congrats!!! This is a huge honor and well-deserved recognition that you are a superstar. But you’re not finished yet… so keep your A game up.
     2. Offer could come by phone or email. Sound enthusiastic!
        1. get details about the offer
        2. talk about a timeline for making a decision or taking the next step in the negotiating process.
  3. Negotations – a start 
     1. Get advice from your mentors – they are here to help you and probably thrilled to do so!
        1. when talking with them, get a sense for what is typical in the department in which you will be hired (adjusted for the type of institution where the offer comes from)
     2. After considering your offer (and the advice from mentors), brainstorm changes and additions to your offer that you’d like to talk about with the search chair
        1. What do you need to be successful in the position? [salary, startup, teaching load, etc.]. Consider a lab budget for equipment, etc.
     3. Carve out time for self-reflection
        1. is this the job for you?
        2. how does it compare to other jobs you have applied for?
     4. Try to find neutral people at the institution that you can talk to about the general feeling of the place (e.g., friends of friends; junior and senior faculty are useful to talk with)
     5. Be patient and don’t feel (or appear) anxious to say “yes” or “no”… easier said then done! We have heard the conventional wisdom that once a department has made you an offer, they’d like to work with you to get you to “yes”. So keep in good communication and be fair, but also push for things that you will need to succeed.
  4. Not getting the initial offer
     1. Thank the search chair for their time, say that you enjoyed the opportunity, and ask for feedback on areas of improvement in the future.
     2. If still interested in the job, stay in touch with the search chair, since people do turn down job offers. Also, realize it was a great opportunity to broaden your connections and present your work to new audiences, and it may lead to other opportunities down the line. Consider if any new collaboration opportunities arose.