On bravely through the sunshine and the showers! Time hath his work to do and we have ours - Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s that time of year again.  Perusing the application deadlines, scanning Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the specialty journals in your field, looking for job openings and deciding which ones you are going to apply for, and then getting all those packages together.  Whether you are about to graduate and look for your first tenure-track job, or you are seeking to move laterally for greater responsibility and pay, here are 5 tips for keeping your academic job search organized:

1.          Start by thinking it through. Prior to your job search, I recommend you take some time to assess your current progress toward degree completion, long-term career goals, and requirements for personal and career satisfaction. Thinking about these issues not only helps you plan for the future, but also will make you a stronger job candidate by allowing you to more persuasively express your interests and convictions in your cover letter, CV, and interview. Take some time to weigh these ideas:

  • What kinds of positions are you considering? Are you willing to consider non-teaching, research jobs or post doc?
  • What specializations are you comfortable teaching?
  • What are your preferences for a specific type or size of institution?
  • What types of positions are you reasonably qualified for? Are you going to apply for the “outliers” or are you going to stay with what you know well?
  • What are your geographic preferences?
  • Are there personal issues and lifestyle requirements that may influence your search? Spousal hires, children school age, etc.?
  • When will you realistically be prepared to begin a full-time position? Are you really going to be ready to start a new job fall semester 2011?
  • Do you need to be more assertive about setting up interim completion dates for finishing and defending? Is your advisor helping or hindering in this process?
  • What happens if you accept a position prior to completion of the dissertation? Will you realistically be able to write if teaching four courses?  (This may be a moot point now, as most institutions do not need to hire an ABD candidate with so many already finished PhDs on the market, but it still bears consideration.)

2.          Stay organized. If you are applying for multiple positions, you will quickly find that it is easy to lose track of the status of each application. It is very important to organize your materials from the beginning of your search, as it will help you be sharp and prepared in the event that you are unexpectedly (and happily) contacted for an interview via telephone.

3.          Keep a notebook. Maintain organized files of position announcements, materials submitted, and information about respective institutions in a notebook. Make sure you have pockets to put materials in, so you don’t have to three-hole punch everything you want to keep. If you get an on site interview, you can take just the folder portion that applies to a particular job and go. Things to keep in the notebook:

  • Position announcement. (It’s also good to keep this if you get hired for your tenure file.)
  • A copy of all application materials submitted.
  • Acknowledgment letters received.
  • Notes about any conversations with members of the search committee.
  • Notes from interviews and relevant telephone conversations.
  • Additional information gathered about that institution from the web, particularly about specialty areas for other members of the department, to enhance collegiality.
  • A copy of letters of acceptance or rejection.
    • A note about notes: These are for you to help you remember; since you are not in the hiring position, it’s ok to write next to a name, “Bald guy interested in ancient Celts of the Steppes.”

4.          Keep a log. In addition, you should probably also maintain a centralized record or logbook of dates associated with each position at the front of the notebook. This can help you prioritize applications, meet crucial deadlines, and better manage the entire process.

5.          Keep materials electronically. It’s easy to maintain an electronic file of your own materials (cover letter, CV, etc.), and where possible, you may want to include electronic files from your correspondents. However, you will likely need to retain hard copies of the materials you receive back from the institution.
Remembering to organize your job search from the outset by following these simple recommendations can greatly reduce the stress of the job search and enhance your ability to enjoy the holiday season as the season for hiring next year’s faculty moves forward into the spring.

 

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