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Preparing for the Academic Job Market

Individual Academic Career Consultations

Individual consultations are focused on how best to document the scholarship of one's teaching.

• Humanities & Social Sciences, contact Associate Director Laura Hess
• Physical & Life Sciences, contact Associate Director Carie Cardamone

Professional Development Seminar

The Professional Development Seminar is open only to those who have completed the Teaching Certificate I Program.

Online Resources

• General Resources
• Documenting Your Teaching Philosophy
• Preparing a Teaching Portfolio
• Writing Cover Letters & CV's
• Preparing for Interviews
• Negotiating a Job Offer
• Preparing for Your First Year as Faculty Member

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General Resources

The Chronicle of Higher Education (http://www.chronicle.com) contains extensive job listings, and also has a wealth of articles pertaining to the academic job market and academic careers.

The website of Brown University’s CareerLAB has useful advice and resources to help prepare for the academic job market.

The Academic Job Search Survival Handbook: Especially for Graduate Students, produced by the Career Services Center at the University of California San Diego, provides an overview of the academic hiring process and tips for preparing materials.

The UC-Berkeley Career Center website has useful advice and resources.

In "Learning the Lingo" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education), Mary Morris Heiberger and Julie Miller Vick explain many of the terms commonly used in higher education in America. 

In "Getting Psyched Up for the Market" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education), Mary Morris Heiberger and Julie Miller Vick outline some basic things to consider as one prepares to to go on the academic market. 

In "Academic Job Searching for Dummies (or, 10 Easy Ways to Avoid Unemployment)" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education), Gabriella Montell suggests ten basic strategies for success on the academic job market.

In The Chronicle of Higher Education articles " How to Get a Teaching Job at a Liberal-Arts College" and "How to Land a Job at a Small College", Gary DeCoker and Nancy Hanway respectively give excellent tips for landing a job at a liberal arts college.

In The Chronicle of Higher Education article "Conducting the International Job Search", Katrina Gulliver outlines strategies for searching for a faculty position abroad.  

Zelda Rifkin's article "How We Did It" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education) is an excellent description of how one institution chose a finalist from a large pool of applicants for a tenure-track position.

In The Chronicle of Higher Education article "Good Teachers Wanted", Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick discuss ways of responding to job ads that request "evidence of teaching excellence".

The Sheridan Center's handout of suggested headings for academic portfolios is a comprehensive list of possible items to include in an electronic portfolio showcasing one's academic work.

Documenting Your Teaching Philosophy

“Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement”, University Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Ohio State University (NB: The section entitled “Guidance on Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement” may be especially helpful.)

"Writing a Teaching Statement" and "Writing Tips to Help You Get Started on a Teaching Philosophy", Center for Instructional Development and Research, University of Washington

Lee Haugen, "Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement", Center for Teaching Effectiveness, Iowa State University

Gail E. Goodyear & Douglas Allchin, "Statements of Teaching Philosophy", Center for Effective Teaching and Learning, University of Texas at El Paso

Chris O’Neal, Deborah Meizlish, and Matthew Kaplan, "CRLT Occasional Paper #23: Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search", Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan

James Lang, “4 Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy Statement,” The Chronicle of Higher Education

Online collections of teaching philosophy statements:

• By graduate students and postdocs, written for a Preparing for Future Faculty Seminar at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan”
• By experienced graduate student TA's, Office of Instructional Support & Development, University of Georgia
• By faculty and graduate students, Faculty & TA Development, Ohio State University

Preparing a Teaching Portfolio

Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, The Teaching Portfolio

Peter Seldin, "How to Produce a Teaching Portfolio" - excerpts from Peter Seldin, ed. The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions (Anker, 2004)

Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Good Teachers Wanted", The Chronicle of Higher Education

Websites worth exploring:

• "Developing a Teaching Portfolio" and "Teaching Portfolio Resources", Center for Instructional Development and Research, University of Washington
• "Teaching Portfolios", Center for Effective Teaching and Learning, University of Texas at El Paso
  (NB: This website has a collection of sample portfolios)

Writing Cover Letters & CV's

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

• Gene C. Fant Jr., "'What If I've Never Heard of This Place?' A 30-Minute Internet Search for Job Seekers"
• "Employer Profiles"
• Dennis Baron, "To Whom It May Concern: Reading Job Applications"
• Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "How to Write Appealing Cover Letters"
• Carol Kolmerten, "What Small Colleges Really Want"
• Richard M. Reis, "The Basics of Cover Letter Writing"
• Clement Vincent , "The Rejection Letter I Wish I Could Send"

• The CV Doctor (by Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick)

  • "The CV Doctor" (1999)
  • "The CV Doctor Returns" (2000)
  • "The CV Doctor Is Back" (2001)
  • "The CV Doctor Returns" (2002)
  • "The CV Doctor Returns" (2003
  • "The CV Doctor Returns" (2005)
  • "The CV Doctor Returns" (2006)
  • "The CV Doctor Returns" (2007)
  • "The CV Doctor Returns" (2008)
  • "The CV Doctor is Back" (2009)
  • “The CV Doctor Returns" (2010)

From Insider Higher Ed:

• Alain-Philippe Durand, "Keys to the Cover Letter" 3/11/2011
• Cheryl Reed and Dawn M. Formo "Pay Attention to the Job Ad" 9/19/2011
• Tyro Tracts, “How to Handle In-Process Work” 12/3/2012

 

Preparing for Interviews

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

• Patricia Armstrong, Kathleen L. Mannheimer & Katherine Stanton, "How Would You Teach This Class?"
• Dennis Baron, "The Campus Visit"
• Peter S. Cahn, "A New View on Interviews"
• Steven M. Cahn, "The First Interview"
  
• David Evans, “Passing the Interview Test”
• Donald E. Hall, "Interviewing at a Teaching-Focused University"
• Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "How to Handle Difficult Interview Questions"
• Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Interviewing Before You're Invited to Campus"
• Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Making the Most of Your Campus Interview"
• Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "What to Do When They Say, 'Tell Us About Your Research'"
• David D. Perlmutter, “How to Play Left Field” (NB: This article explores ways to handle questions and comments that are illegal, unethical, or just plain rude.)
• David D. Perlmutter, “Minding Your Manners for the Conference Interview”  (NB: This article contains useful advice for handling conference interviews.)
  
• Dan Shapiro, “Grim Job Talks Are a Buzz Kill”
• Julie Miller Vick & Jennifer S. Furlong, "Asking the Right Questions"
• Julie Miller Vick & Jennifer S. Furlong, “What to Expect in a Second-Round Interview”

From Dawn M. Formo and Cheryl Reed's book, Job Search in Academe: Strategic Rhetorics for Faculty Job Candidates (Stylus Publishing, 1999):

• "Campus Interview - The Research Presentation" (a posting from the Tomorrow's Professor Listserv)
• "Job-Search Jitters or Warning Bells?" (an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education)

From Insider Higher Ed:

• Claire B. Potter, "Fumbled Interview Questions"1/5/2011 (NB: Claire Potter is the author of Tenured Radical blog)
• Christine Kelly, "After the Failed Interview" 1/21/2011
• Thomas Wright, "Just One Question" 2/9/2011
• Alain-Philippe Durand, "The Answers That Matter" 3/21/2011
• Kevin Brown, "Don't Phone It In" 3/23/2011
• Alain-Philippe Durand, "Prepping for the Campus Visit" 4/11/2011
• Susan VanZanten, "Religious College Interviews" 5/16/2011
• Cheryl Reed and Dawn M. Formo,“Think Like a Colleague” 8/17/11
• Kathryn Hume, "Don't Be a Snob" 2/20/2012
  
• Kathryn Hume, "Giving a Job Talk" 3/5/2012
• Kathryn Hume, “The Most Important Question” 3/19/2012
• John Fea,"Interviewing at Church-Related Colleges"12/19/12
• John Fea, “Interviews at Teaching Colleges”1/2/13

• Katherine Ellison,"The Active Interview"1/9/13

From the Tomorrow’s Professor listserv:

• "The Academic Job Talk" (from the February 2011 Graduate Connections newsletter published by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln's Office of Graduate Studies)
• Michele Marincovich, "The Academic Job Talk"

Negotiating a Job Offer

“Academic Job Search – Negotiations”, Center for Career Services, University of Washington

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

• Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Negotiating a Better Deal"
• Rebecca A. Bryant & Amber Marks, "Go Ahead, Haggle"
• Audrey Williams June, “On the Job Market? Don't Sell Yourself Short, Even Now”
• Audrey Williams June, “Negotiating Tactics for Women”

From Insider Higher Ed:

• Adam Fulton, “Negotiate Like a Professor”

From the Tomorrow’s Professor listserv:

• Msg.#1097: "Joining Your Department and Discipline - Negotiating Tips" from Chapter 2, Joining Your Department and Discipline in Wendy C. Crone’s book Survive and Thrive: A Guide for Untenured Faculty, (Morgan & Claypool, 2010)

Preparing for your First Year as a Faculty Member

PhDs - The Transition from Graduate Student to Assistant Professor, Career Center, UC-Berkeley

“Tomorrow's Academic Careers” – postings from the Tomorrow's Professor Listserv

“Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career.”
NB: Although this is from a professional development website designed specifically for Geoscience faculty, it contains a wealth of online resources relevant to all new faculty. Topics covered include (1) Making Choices: Finding Your Balance, (2) Efficient, Effective Teaching, (3) Developing a Thriving Research Program, and (4) Getting Tenure.

From The Chronicle of Higher Education
:

• “Open Letter to 2010-11′s First-Time Tenure-Track Professors”
• “From Graduate Students to Faculty Member”

“From Graduate Student to Faculty Member”
“Open Letter to 2010-11′s First-Time Tenure-Track Professors”

Selected “Random Thoughts” columns by Professor Richard M. Felder of North Carolina State University

• “The Effective, Efficient Professor”
  NB: This article sums up the main points of Phillip Wankat's eponymous book.
• “Things I wish they had told me” (coauthored with Rebecca Brent)
• “The New Faculty Member”
  NB: This article summarizes the key points of Robert Boice's Advice for New Faculty Members.
• “How to Prepare New Courses While Keeping Your Sanity” (coauthored with Rebecca Brent)

Quentin Vicens & Philip E. Bourne, “Ten Simple Rules To Combine Teaching and Research”, PLoS Computational Biology

“Surviving the transition from grad student to new faculty member”
In a series of video clips, Carleton University Director of Learning, Technologies and Teaching Support Carol Miles addresses topics such as advantages/disadvantages of being a new faculty member, tips when starting your teaching career and maintaining professionalism