JobPlacementHandbook
UCRPoliticalScienceDepartment
Lastupdated9/1/2016
GettingReadyfortheAcademicJobMarket
Thinkingabouttheacademicjobmarketcanbestressful!Afterall,thenumberandqualityofjobs
ineachfieldcanvarydramaticallyfromyeartoyear.Youmightbehearingalotofrumorsabout
theprocessthatonlyexacerbateyourfears.Insteadofworryingabouttherumors,focusonthe
factsandtheconcretestepsthatyoucantakenowtoensurethatyouwillhaveanoutstandingfile
whenyougoforward.OneimportantfacttoknowisthattheUCRpoliticalsciencedepartmenthas
anexcellentplacementrate.Alargemajorityofourgraduatesdoobtaintenuretrackjobs.Andso
canyou.Hereisalistoftipsandinformationabouttheprocess.Below,youwillfindaquick
referenceguidetotheelementsofanacademicfileandstagesoftheprocess.Followingthat,you
willfindspecificinformationpresentedintheformof“do’sanddon’ts”andtailoredtoaddress
questionsandchallengesassociatedwithdistinctivestagesofthemarketprocess.
Contents
Topic
ElementsofanAcademicFile
TraditionalMarketTimelineforApplying
NavigatingtheMarket
PreparingtogoontheMarket
PreparingyourJobFile(andApplications)
NavigatingtheInterviewProcess
DealingwithOffers
DealingwithNotGettinganOffer
AdvicefromOtherAcademics
WebResources
Appendix:ListofQuestionsaskedonPhone
Interviews
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SpecialthankstoBronwynLeebawforherworkindraftingearlyversionsofthisguide.Also
thankstothemembersofthe2014-2015GraduateStudiesCommitteefortheircommentsand
suggestions.
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Elementsofanacademicfile(jobapplication)
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Thecoverletter:Aclear,well-written,andengagingoutlinethatpresentsyourscholarly
research,teachingphilosophy,andprofessionalachievementsthusfar.Committeeswillbe
lookingverycarefullyattheseletterstoseewhetheryourresearchoffersaninterestingand
importantscholarlycontribution,howwellyoumightfitintothedepartment,andhowwellyou
presentyourselfingeneral.Youshouldhavetwobasicletters,oneforschoolsthatemphasize
researchandanotherforschoolsthatemphasizeteaching.Thesewillstilltouchallthesame
substantivepointsbutemphasizetheschool’sfocusbyorganizingthemdifferentlyandto
differentdegrees.Finally,yourlettershouldmentionifyouhaveauniquetietotheschoolor
area(e.g.,familynearbyoryouareanalumnus).
TheCV:Committeeswillbelookingespeciallyhardatwhetheryouhavealreadypublished
articlesorworksunderreview,whetheryouareattendingconferencesorareinvolvedin
professionalorganizations,andwhetheryouhavereceivedrecognitionintheformof
fellowshipawardsorgrants.Thejournalsyoupublishinsendamessageabouthowyouview
yourwork,thefield,andthediscipline.
Threeormorelettersofreference:lettersareanopportunityforyouradvisorstoexplain
whatmakesyouuniqueanddescribewhatcharacteristicsyouwillbringtotheirdepartment.
Youshouldbeawarethataqualityletterofrecommendationtypicallyconsistsof2-4pagesof
single-spacedproseandmustofferadetailedoutlinewhattheprofessortakestobeyour
scholarlyquestion,approach,argumentation,andcontributions,whilealsoendorsingthework.
Allmembersofyourcommitteewanttobeinapositiontowritesuchaletteronyourbehalf.
However,theywillnotbeabletodosoiftheyhaveseriousconcernsaboutthequalityofyour
workoriftheyhavenotseenenoughofitwhenyourequesttheletter.Thisisbecausethe
lettersthatwewriteforyoureflectbackonthedepartmentasawholeandthequalityofour
program.Ifwegiveourstampofapprovaltoworkthatisnotwhereitshouldbe,thiswill
corrodeourreputations,aswellasthereputationofthedepartment,andmeanthattheletters
wewriteforotherstudentsinthefuturewillnotbetakenasseriously.Also,ifyouhavenot
builtstrongrelationshipswithfaculty,itisharderforthemtowriterichlydetailedlettersabout
youasapersonaswellasascholar.Examples,ratherthanjustdescriptions,ofyourexcellence
goalongwaytowarddifferentiatingyoufromotherapplicants.
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Referencelettersareconfidential.Therearetwooptionsforcollectinganddistributingyour
letters.MostjobcandidatesnowuseInterfolioon-linereferenceservicetoprovidelettersto
potentialemployers.Candidatessetupanaccountandthenhavethesitenotifyfacultywhen
lettersareneededforparticularjobs.Facultyuploadletterselectronicallywhicharedelivered
directlytotheprospectiveemployer.Alternatively,theDepartmentGraduateAssistantwill
collectthemandsendthemtoschoolatyourrequest.However,thisrequiresadvanceplanning
astheAdvisorisbusyandlettersmusttravelviaCampusandUSMail.
Evidenceofteachingeffectiveness(includingevaluations,samplesyllabi,andpossiblya
teachingstatement):Notethatforliberalartscolleges,aspectsofthefilerelatingtoteachingare
ofparamountimportance.Forsomeschoolsateachingstatementorstatementofteaching
philosophyisalsorequired.
Thewritingsample:Thewritingsampleusuallyincludesatleast2extremelypolished
chaptersofyourdissertation,inadditiontoanystrongpublicationsthatyouhaveacquired.
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Sampletimelineforyourjobmarketyear(s)
April:Scheduleameetingwithyourchairtodeterminewhetherornotitistimetogoonthe
marketand,moregenerally,todiscussyourprogressonthedissertation.
May:Meetorcommunicatewithalladvisors,especiallypotentialletterwriters,todiscussyour
intentionsofgoingonthemarket,andthekindofjobsyouintendtoapplyfor.
August1:Letterwritersshouldhaveupdateddraftsofyourdissertation-in-progress,adraftof
yourcoverletter,andalistofalladditionalachievementsthattheymightnotbeawareof
(grants,conferencepresentations,publications,etc.).Youshouldbeapplyingforin-person
interviewswithschoolsofinterestatAPSA.
September:Youshouldbeeditingandfinalizingthecomponentsofyourfileinresponseto
feedbackfromadvisors.Youshouldalsobecommunicatingwithyourchairaboutthepositions
thatyouareapplyingfor.
October1-November15:Thisistheprimaryseason—mostdeadlinesareinthiswindow.But
keepwatchforoff-seasonpositions
January15-April15:Thisisthesecondaryor“late”season—fewertenuretrackjobswillbe
posted.FellowshipsandVisitingAssistantProfessorpositionswillbegintobeposted.
Navigatingthejobmarket:whattodoandwhatnottodo
Earlypreparation:thinkingaheadtotheacademicjobmarket
Do
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Studywhatyouloveandenjoy.
Cultivatetheskills(e.g.quantitative,qualitative,orproficiencyinrelevantlanguages)and
expertise(i.e.,in-depthknowledgeofaparticularareaortopic)thatyouwillneedtoexcel
attheverytoplevelofscholarshipintheareathatinterestsyou.
Seekoutopportunitiestopresentyourworkatconferences,suchastheWPSA,APSA,ISA,
PRIEC,MPSA,LSA,orconferencesdesignedtoshowcasegraduatescholarship.
Beonthelookoutforsmallergraduateordissertationworkshopsdesignedtofoster
intensementoringandnetworkingexperienceswithinyourareaofinterest.
Considerjoininglistservsthatarerelevanttotheworkthatyouplantodo.Thesemay
provideyouwithrelevantinformationregardingthelatestresearchinyourarea,aswell
assmallerworkshops,conferences,fellowships,andpublicationopportunitiesthatmight
otherwiseescapeyournotice.
Beforepresentingyourworkatconferences,besuretogetfeedbackfromyourprofessors
andpeers.Youneverknowwhenascholarfromapotentialemployerwillbeinthe
audience.
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Asyouprogressandgainexperiencewithconferences,considerorganizingyourown
panelandinviterelevantprofessorsinyourareaofinteresttojoinyou.Thisisagreatway
forgraduatestudentstonetwork.
Buildaposse!Developfriendshipnetworkswithotherscholarswhoshareyourresearch
interests.Theywillprovideavaluableresourcethroughoutyourcareer.Notonlycan
theyprovidefeedbackonyourwork,buttheywilloftenserveasreferences,manuscript
referees,conferenceorganizers,letter-writersfortenureandpromotion,andmore.
Applyforexternalgrantsandfellowshipstosupportyourresearch.
Workcloselywithyouradviserstoidentifyandrevisepapersthatmightbesuitablefor
publicationandvenuesthatwouldbeappropriateforyourwork.
Cultivateaspiritofcamaraderie,excellence,andfuninyourgradcohort.
Useconferencestobuildrelationshipswithstudentsandfacultyfromotheruniversities.
Targetpeoplewithbothsimilaranddifferentresearchfocuses.
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Don’t
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Don’tpresentorsubmitworkpubliclywithoutseekingfeedbackinadvanceofthe
deadline.Rememberthatpaperspostedonconferencewebsitesmayneverbetaken
downandwillalwaysbeavailabletofuturesearchcommittees.
Don’tburnbridgeswithunconstructivecriticismofscholarshipinyourfieldanddon’t
denigrateapproachestoscholarshipthatdifferfromyourown.Academiaisaverysmall
world.Youwillfindthatmanyopportunitiesarisethroughfortuitouspositive
connections,whileveryfewresultfromdazzlingput-downs.
Don’thidefromyouradvisorsifyoufindyourselfstruggling.Communicatewiththem
aboutwhatisgoingonwithyou.Neverhesitatetoaskforfeedbackoradvice.
Don’tbeoverlynarroworoverlybroad.Youshouldaimforabreadthofknowledgeinthe
disciplineandinyoursubfields,whilebecomingincreasinglyfocusedonyouremerging
areaofexpertise.
Don’tbeafraidofrejectionwhensubmittingworkforpublicationorwhenapplyingfor
grants.Weallgetrejected—againandagain.Thekeyistolearnwhatyoucanfromthe
experienceandmoveon.
PreparingtogoontheMarket
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Consultwithyourdissertationchairregardingwhetherornotitistimeforyoutogoon
themarket.Ifyouareconsideringgoingonthemarketinthefall,youshouldbesureto
discussyourplanswithyouradvisornolaterthanApril.
Consultwithyourchairregardingthetypesofpositionsthatyouwishtoapplyfor.
Applybroadly!Anyschoolthatyoucouldenvisionlivingin,ormakingyouanattractive
offer,isonetowhichyoushouldapply.Youonlyneedonejobofferandgettingmultiple
offersgivesyoubetterchoicesandmorepowertonegotiate.
Alertyourentirecommitteetoyourintentiontogoonthemarketinthefall.
Developatimelineinconsultationwithyourletterwriterstoestablishdeadlinesfor
providingthemdraftchapterswellinadvanceofyourapplicationdeadlines.
Beawarethatyourletterwritersmayrequestthatyoumakesubstantialchangestoyour
workbeforetheyfeelcomfortablewritingastrongletteronyourbehalf.
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Familiarizeyourselfwiththecomponentsoftheacademicfile,listedabove.Obtainand
studysamplecoverletters,CVs,andteachingstatements.
LookforjobsonrelevantlistservsaswellasAPSA’sejobs.
Considerbuildingawebsitetopublicizeyourworkandmakeyourresearcheasily
accessibletootherscholarsandpotentialemployers.
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Don’t
Don’tstopcommunicatingwithandreceivingfeedbackfromyourentirecommittee
membersduringthedissertation-writingprocess,evenifyourchairwouldpreferto
reviewyourworkbeforeyoudistributeittothecommittee.
Don’tsurpriseyourcommitteebywaitinguntillatesummerorfalltotellthemofyour
intentiontogoonthemarket.Thisisadecisionthatyoumustmakeinconsultationwith
yourchair,aswellasanyoneelsethatyouwillbeaskingforletters.
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Preparingyourfile(application)forsubmission
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Besurethateachcomponentofyourfileistrulyoutstandingbeforesubmitting.Setaside
timetoedityourcoverletterandCVmultipletimeswiththeadviceandassistanceofyour
professorsandpeers.
Besurethatyourcoverletterincludesabriefsummaryofyourdissertation,which
outlinesinveryclearlanguage,yourresearchquestion,itsimportance,yourapproach,
yourargument,andyourcontributiontoanimportantscholarlysubfield,literature,or
debate.
Besurethatyourcoverlettermakesthelinkbetweenyourworkandthejobclear.You
wanttodemonstratewhyyouareafitfortheposition.Usuallythisshouldbedoneby
tyingbothyourresearchinterestsandyourteachingexperienceand/orintereststotheir
position.
Tailor(withminortweaking)yourbasiccoverletterwherepossibletoaddressvariation
inthedescriptionsofthejobsyouareseeking.
Beawarethatliberalartscollegeswillwanttoseeparticularcaretakenwithyour
statementofteachingandwiththeelementsofthecoverletterthataddressteaching.Itis
notenoughtosay,“teachingisveryimportanttome”or“Itrulyloveteaching.”Agood
statementregardingyourapproachtoteachingwillprovidedetailsregardingyour
teachingphilosophyorpedagogy,aswellasspecificstrategiesthatyouhavesuccessfully
deployedintheclassroomandhowyouplantodevelopthosestrategiesandothersinthe
future.
Besurethatyourletterwritershavethoroughlyvettedyourcoverletterandwriting
samplesbeforesendingthemoff.
Trytosubmityourapplicationinadvanceofthedeadline.Committeeswillusuallybegin
reviewingthefilesassoonastheycomein.
Applybroadly!Gettingajobispartlyanumbersgameandyouonlyneedone.Applyto
anyschoolthatyoucannotruleoutasapossibleplacetoliveorwork.
ApplyforPost-doctoralFellowships.Theseoftengiveyoutimetogetarunningstarton
yourresearchwithouthavingitcountagainstyouonthetenureclock.Theyalsotypically
providearichintellectualenvironmentandtheopportunitytomeetotherscholarswith
similarresearchinterests.
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Don’t
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Becarefulnottousejargonthatmightbeincomprehensibleoroff-puttingtoabroad
audiencewithinthefield.
Don’tsubmitpoorlywrittenworkthatcontainsgrammaticalerrorsandtypos.Such
errorsmaywellcauseanotherwiseimpressivefiletobetossedaside.
Navigatingtheinterviewprocess
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Manydepartmentshavescreeninginterviewsbyphone.Youshouldpreparefortheseas
youwouldaninperson-interview(e.g.,DressprofessionallyforaSkypeinterviewasyou
wouldanin-personinterview).Themainexceptionisthatacademicandteachingtalks
arenotrequired.
Prepareanswerstothesampleinterviewquestionslocatedatthebackofthisguide.
Familiarizeyourselfwiththeresearchandaccomplishmentsofallfacultymembersinthe
department.
CheckinwithanyfacultymembersatUCRwhomayhaveconnectionstothedepartment
whereyouplantointerviewtogetinsightsondepartmentalculture.
Inquireintowhetherthedepartmenthasanyspecificrequestsorguidelinesregardingthe
jobtalk.
Workcloselywithyourcommitteetoprepareyourjobtalk.
Plantopracticeyourjobtalkinfrontofanaudienceatleastthreetimesandanticipate
thatitwilllikelyundergosignificantrevisionsaftereachpracticetalk.
Preparean“elevatortalk”whichisafive-sentencesummaryofyourresearchquestion,
methods,andresults.Somefacultywontbeabletoattendyourresearch(orteaching
presentations)butmaybumpintoyou“intheelevator”andaskyouwhatyouare
workingon.Prepareyourresponseinadvance.Thisisusefulforconferencestoo.
Beawarethatsomeschoolsmayrequestademonstrationofyourteaching.Thiskindof
presentationisverydifferentfromthejobtalkthatyoumightgiveataresearch
university.Ifyouareconfusedregardingthenatureofthepresentation(s)thatyouare
expectedtogive,besuretorequestclarificationfromyourcontactattheuniversity.Also,
besuretospeaktoyouradviserbeforecommittingtogiveatalkinaparticularclass
(oftenyouwillbegivenachoice).
Beasflexibleandaccommodatingaspossiblethroughouttheprocessofworkingoutthe
logisticsoftravelandlodging.
Treatalldepartmentalstaffwithrespectandkindness.
Besuretoprovidedirectresponsestoquestionsthatyoureceivefollowingyourtalk.In
doingso,itisimportantthatyouarepreparedtodefendcoreelementsofyourresearch
designandargumentation,whileremainingrespectful,responsive,andopentoreflection
regardingthesignificanceofanyquestionsthatyoureceive.
Recognizethateverypartofthecampusvisit,includingthedinners,coffees,anddrivesto
andfromtheairport,isapartoftheinterviewprocess.Sotooaretheinteractionsthat
occurjustbeforeandafter(e.g.,evenviaemail).
Bepreparedtoaskmembersofthedepartmentabouttheirownwork,particularlywhere
itdovetailswithyourinterests.Askingfacultywhattheyareworkingonisagoodwayto
fillinterviewtimeduringtheone-on-onesandtolearnaboutwhatyourfuturecolleagues
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aredoing.Plusitwillgiveyouanideaofhowengagedthefacultyareintheirresearch
andwhattheycareabout.
§ Bepreparedtodiscusscoursesthatyoumightdesignandteach,andtodosowith
enthusiasm.Forcoursesyouknowtheywillaskyoutoteachifyouarehired,beprepared
tomentionbooksorarticlesyouwouldassigninthosecoursesorhowyoumight
structurethem(e.g.,papers,exams,topicsyoumightcover).
§ Whileoncampus,besuretoinquireabouttenurerequirementsandprocedures,teaching
load,potentialforsabbaticalandotherformsofleave,andinstitutionalresourcesfor
researchorteachingsupport.
Don’t
§ Itisahuge,yetverycommonmistake,forcandidatestogiveoverlylongjobtalks.Askthe
departmentforparameters,butingeneralyoudonotwanttogoover40minutes.When
yougoonfortoolong,youriskturningafriendlyaudienceintoarestlessandirritable
audience.
§ Don’tdisplayalackofinterestorengagementintheworkofanymemberofthe
department.Oftenthisisinadvertent(e.g.,bycheckingyourwatchrepeatedly).
§ Thecampusvisitusuallyinvolvesback-to-backone-on-oneinterviews,aswellasthejob
talk.Don’tforgettoeat,drink,andusetherestroomwhenyouhavethechanceoryou
maybecomeveryuncomfortableasthedayprogresses.Throwanenergybarorpieceof
fruitinyourbagjustincase.
§ Itisusuallybesttoavoidinquiriesaboutspousalorfamilyaccommodationswhileonan
interviewforajuniorposition.Theseissuesmayberaisedduringnegotiations,inthe
eventthatyougetanoffer.Itisillegalformembersofthedepartmenttoinquireabout
yourmaritalorrelationshipstatus.Butthisdoesnotmeantheywon’t.Bepreparedfor
howyouwanttorespondincasetheydoasksuchquestions.
§ Don’tforgettoedityourslidesverycarefullyasyouhoneyourjobtalk.Theaudiencewill
focusmoreintenselyandcriticallyonanyinformationdisplayedonslides.
§ Neverinterruptsomeonewhoisspeaking,especiallyiftheyareaskingyouaquestion.
§ Donotbeafraidtoaskthesamequestionstodifferentfacultyinyour1-on1interviews.
Itcanbeagoodideatogetdifferentperspectivesandthefacultywon’tknowthatyouare
askingthesamequestionsoverandover.
Dealingwithoffers
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Neverimmediatelyaccept!Getallthekeydetails,includingsalary,courseload,course
reductions,summersalary,start-upfunding(andwhatitcanandcantbeusedfore.g,
mustyoupurchaseyourcomputerfromthatmoneyoristhereothermoneyforthat),
movingexpenses.
Consultwithyouradvisorregardingthenegotiationsprocess.
Ifyouaredealingwithmorethanoneoffer,besuretoprovideeachdepartmentwith
detailsregardingtheotheroffer.Itiscommonfordeanstorequestacopyofany
competingoffersonthetableforthepurposesofnegotiation.
Ifyouturndownanoffer,besuretothankthedepartmentalchairandanyonewhospent
extratimeshowingyouaroundorcommunicatingwithyouabouttheposition.
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Don’t
Don’tturndownanofferinacasualemail.Sayingno,politely,toanofferissomethingthat
isbestdoneoverthephonewiththedepartmentchair.
Don’tacceptanofferandthenrenege.Ifararesituationarisesthatmakesitimpossibleor
extraordinarilydifficultforyoutomeetyourcommitmenttoacceptingtheposition,
pleaseconsultwithyourcommitteeabouthowtohandlethesituation.
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Dealingwithnotgettingatenuretrackoffer
Do
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Debriefwithyouradvisoranddevelopastrategyfortheupcomingyearthatwillposition
youtoearnalivingwhilebolsteringyourcompetitivenessinnextyear’sjobmarket.
Ifyouhavenotyetfiledyourdissertation,doso.Manysmallerschoolssignificantly
discountapplicationsfromcandidateswhohavenotfinished.
Applyforpost-docsandone-yearvisitingpositionswithreasonableteachingloads.
Don’t
§ Despair.Agreatnumberofhappyandsuccessfulprofessorsstruckoutonthemarketfor
sometimebeforegettingtheirfirstjob.
AdvicefromotherAcademics
ExcerptedfromChrisBlattman,ProfessorattheHarrisSchoolattheUniversityofChicago
9Nov2008
Don’t underestimate the importance of the second question. The first is always, “tell me about your
dissertation.” The second: “So what’s next?” The importance of your answer is, in my opinion, underappreciated. My advice: talk about a mixture of imminent papers and medium term plans; show your
(sincere) excitement, and make it infectious; talk about it as your research agenda–the big questions you
plan to answer through a steady stream of inspired publications.
Have an elevator speech. You must have a compelling and interesting 30-second sound bite on your
research. Also have a rehearsed (but not rehearsed-sounding) 2-minute, 5-minute, and 15 minute version.
Don’t sell some schools short. I’ve seen students sneeze at schools ranked below 50 (or even 20). These
places offer brilliant colleagues and wonderful environments. Apply, visit, and see for yourself. Most of
the academics that do the most interesting and meaningful work–the world’s expert on country X, or
policy Y, or development problem Z–are not at highly ranked research universities.
Don’t go on a ‘limited’ market. Political scientists are famous for this, and I just don’t get it. You want
2 to 3 offers for a simple reason: bargaining power. Once you have a second offer, your salary can go up a
quarter while your teaching goes down a quarter. Figure out the math for your discipline: to get 3 offers
you need to do X fly-outs, which means you have to send Y applications. If Y is smaller than 50, check
your math.
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There are increasing returns to your main paper or chapter. Breadth is wonderful, but most of your
potential employers will read one paper and see one presentation of yours only. If that. This may be the
one time in your academic career where polishing your paper an extra 10 percent has 100 percent returns.
Narcissists and sycophants need not apply. Faculty are not simply looking for the cleverest choice, but
a good colleague. So leave the personality disorders at home. Ask about your potential colleague’s work,
and try to be intelligently helpful. Remember that colleagues like to hear solutions more than they like to
hear problems.
One glass of wine at dinner. This should be self-explanatory.
AaronHoffman,PurdueUniversity:Advicefromarookie
placementdirector
Observationsbasedonmy(ongoing)surveyofjobplacementadviceforPoliticalScientists
(andeconomists).
Iacceptedmydepartment’shead’sinvitationtobePlacementDirectorinApril.Thepositionwasin
aseniorcolleague’sablehands,buthewillbeonsabbaticalintheFall.ThisiswhereIcomein.
ThegoodnewsisthatPurdueUniversity’sPoliticalSciencedepartmentisgoingtohavenumberof
terrificjobcandidatesonthemarketthisyear(2014).ThebadnewsisthatIhavenoexperience
beingPlacementDirector.So,IdidwhatanyPoliticalScientistwhoknowsnothingaboutasubject
does:research.
Myinvestigationhasalreadyuncoveredalargenumberofexcellentresourcesavailableontheweb
thataredesignedtohelpjobcandidatesnavigatethejobmarket.TheAmericanPoliticalScience
Association’sjournal,PS:PoliticalScienceandPoliticsalsohasseveralarticlesworthconsulting.The
remainderofthispostidentifies,withcommentary,thebestmaterialIfoundsofar.
Articles
1. Drezner,DanielW1998.SoYouWantToGetaTenure-TrackJob….PS:PoliticalScience&
Politics31:609-14.
2. Simien,EvelynM2002.Onthemarket:Strategiesforthesuccessfuljobcandidate.Political
Science&Politics35:581-83.
Drezner’sarticlestrikesmeastheplacetostartlearningaboutthejobmarket.Eventhoughthis
articlewaspublishedin1998,theadviceisstillgood.AsanewPlacementDirector,Iappreciatethe
timetableDreznerlaysoutforapplicants.Iwillberecommendingthatmyowndepartment’s
placementcandidatesreadthisoverthesummertopreparethemselvesforwhatliesahead.
Simien’sarticledescribesaneffectivemethodofsearchingforpositions.Publicationsareprobably
moreimportantnowthantheywerewhenthisarticlewaswritten,butSimien’sdeliberate
approachtoidentifyingpositionsandpreparingapplicationmaterialsisadmirable.
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Comprehensiveplacementguides
Thebestsoup-to-nutsdiscussionsofacademicplacementI’vefoundareavailableontheweband
arewrittenbyEconomists.Ihaven’tidentifiedsimilardocumentsbyPoliticalScientistsyet.Political
Scientistsshouldtreatthesedocumentswithabitofcare,sincetheEconomicsjobmarketisnotthe
sameasthePoliticalSciencejobmarket.Nevertheless,thereissignificantoverlap.
1. Cawley,Jon.AGuideandAdviceforEconomistsontheUSJuniorAcademicJobMarket.
2011-2012edition.
2. Cookson,J.Anthony.JobMarketMemoir.
Cawley’sGuideisanincredibleresource.At90pages,itcoversnearlyeverythinganaspiring
applicantmightwanttoknowaboutfindinganacademicjob.Aforementioneddifferencesbetween
theEconomicsandPoliticalSciencejobmarkets,though,meanitmustbesupplementedwithother
worktocapturethechallengesfacingPoliticalScientists.
Cookson’smemoirisalsoavaluableresourceandaninterestingread.PoliticalScientistswillnot
findthisworkasusefulasCawley’sguide(thereismoreinformationthanPoliticalScientistsneed
oninterviewingattheAlliedSocialSciencesAssociationconference),butshouldstillappreciatethe
insightsheprovides.IalsoagreewithCooksonthatitisimportantforcandidatestofamiliarize
themselveswiththetimelineofthejobmarketinadvanceofthemarket.
TomPepinsky,Cornell:AcademicJobMarketNotes
PostedonOctober21,2012bytompepinsky
TworecentpostsabouttheacademicjobmarketforpoliticalsciencePhDsarewortharead:Chris
Blattman‘ssearchcommitteenotesgiveagooddemandsideperspective,andNateJensenhassome
usefuldataonthesupplyside.AsthePSjobmarketishappeningrightnow,thesepostsare
probablytoolatetobeusefultoanyonecurrentlyonthemarketforatenure-trackjob,buttheyare
foodforthought.
Basedonmyownexperiences,Iagreewithjustabouteverythinginbothposts.Someofthese
thingsarethird-orfourth-orderconcerns,likehavingtoomanypublicationsonyourCV(ifyour
worstpubisfarworsethanyourbestpub,somethingwhichunlikelytomatterifyouarelooking
forassistant-leveljobs)orifyourdepartmentdoesnotprominentlylistitsPhDsforhireonits
website(Ihaveneverusedadepartmentwebsitetofindsomeonetohire).Buttherestisalluseful
information.
Nate’sfindingsaboutABDswithpublicationsareparticularlyuseful.Heisright:mysenseisthat
tenyearsago,havingagoodpublicationwasthebestwaytolandacoupleofinterviews.Therehas
beenastructuralchangeinthepoliticalsciencejobmarketsince2008,andtoday,havingagood
publicationisclosertonecessarybutnotsufficientforgettinganinterview.Icommonlyhearthat
searchcommitteesthesedaysarechoosingamongdozensofcandidateswhoallhavearticlesin
goodjournals.Inthatkindofjobmarket,thingsthataremoredifficulttojudgefromtheCValone,
likethequalityoftheworkorthecollegialityofthecandidate,becomeevenmoreimportant.One
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goodfriendwhowillremainunnamed—exceptfortosaythatheisnotatCornell—putittomelike
this:“wedon’thavetoriskitonuntestedABDs,horribleteachers,orgiantassholesanymore.”
Thatfurthersupport’sChris’sadviceforrecommenders:explicitanddirectisgood.Ipayalotof
attentiontoletters,andIthinkthattheyareimportantindifferentwaysthanmostABDsrealize.
Notwhowritesthem(theABD’scommonfear),butwhattheyconveyabouttheapplicant.Imildly
disagreewithChrisaboutrelativerankings,whichareindeeduseful,butthisonlymakessensein
lettersfromthemostseniorfacultywhohavebeenadvisingfor20+years.Afterall,whatdoesit
meanwhenAssistantProfPepinskysaysthatsomeoneishisbeststudentever?Iwanttoknow
pipeline,trajectory,andcontributionstomydepartment,inthatorder.Andbecausepipelineand
trajectoryaremore“observable”—theyshouldpartiallyevidentfromtheCV,writingsamples,and
coverletter—Iamparticularlyinterestedintheintangiblestowhichletterwriterscanattest.
Afinal,unconnectedthought:itisbadnewswhenarecommendationlettersummarizesthe
dissertation’sargumentorcontributionbetterthanthatapplicant’sowncoverletterdoes.Iseethis
frequently,anditishardtofixbecausetheapplicantneverseestheletter!Acoverletteris(ideally)
vettedmultipletimesbymultipleletterwriters,soperhapsoneusefulexercisewouldbeforthe
letterwritertosummarizefortheapplicantwhats/hebelievestheapplicant’smainargumentand
contributiontobe.
AcademicJobMarketNotes(Followup)
PostedonOctober29,2012bytompepinsky
AscanofmywebstatsshowsthatmyrecentAcademicJobMarketNotesposthasalreadyreceived
moretrafficthananyothersinglepostinthepast12months,andalmosttwiceasmanypageviews
asitsclosestcompetitor.Wow.ThisleadsmetowonderifthereanyotheradvicethatIoughtto
share.
Thetruthis,mosteverythingthatreallymattersandwhichisgenerallyapplicabletojustabout
everybodyhasbeencoveredalreadybyChrisBlattman’soriginalpostontheacademicjobmarket.I
wholeheartedlyendorseallofthis,especiallythepartsaboutincreasingreturnsforthemain
chapter/paperandtheabsurdityofconceptofthe“limitedmarket”or“goingselectivelyonthejob
market.”Iappliedtomorethan100jobsthefirsttimearound.
Thatsaid,Icanthinkoftwoadditional,disconnectedpointsthatprobablydeserveseparate
emphasis.
PracticingtheJobTalk
Yourfilegetsyouaninterview,butyourjobtalkisthesinglemostimportantpartoftheinterview.
Lotsofthingscanpreventafly-outfromturningintoanoffer(yourcompetition,search
committee/departmentpolitics,funding,etc.),butyourtalkisonethatyoucancontrol.Iadvise
studentstopracticedeliveringthecompletetalkatleastonceaday,everydaystartingSeptember
15.Doitonskypewithyourfriendsorfamily,orinfrontofamirror,orjustsittingatyour
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computer.Notewhatthatmeans:youshouldhaveyourtalktobereadybySeptember15sothat
youcanpracticeit.I’dadviseevenearlier.ShootforLaborDay.
Onceadayforatleastamonthprobablyseemsextremeformanyreaders,butIstandbyit.Hereis
personalnotetoexplainwhy.Ipracticedmytalkin2007atleast50timesbeforethefirsttimethat
Ideliveredit“live”inaninterview.IpracticeditsomuchbecausewhenIwasyoungerIstruggled
withstuttering,andinhighpressuresituationsmystutterreturns.NowthatI’vehadyearsof
lecturesandconferencesandpresentationsinotherlanguages,itdoesn’tbothermesomuch,butI
ampositivethathavingpracticedmytalkdozensoftimesmadeiteasierformetodeliver,evenif
practicingwasnothingmorethanapsychologicalcrutch.Idon’tregretforonesecondthetimethat
Iinvestedinpracticingthattalk.
Now,mostpeopledon’tstutter,butmyadvicestillstands.Thebroaderpointisthatyouwanttobe
sofamiliarwithyourpresentationthatyoucanmovefluentlythroughit,especiallywhenyouare
presentinganythingcomplicated(whichyoualmostcertainlyare).Fluiddeliveryprojects
confidenceandcomfort,withyourworkandwithyourself.Itputstheaudienceateaseandhelps
themtofocusonyou,whichisexactlywhatyouwantyourtalktodo.
TheVarietyofAcademicJobs
Themore“jobmarketadvice”thatIread,themoreIrealizehowlittleIknow.Mostadvicetargets
tenure-trackjobsatthemostresearchintensive,PhD-grantingdepartments.That’stheadvicethat
I’mqualified(Iguess)toprovide.FromtimetotimeIseeadvicefromothertypesofacademicjobs:
communitycolleges,liberalartscolleges,departmentsthatofferamaster’sdegreebutnoPhD,
publicpolicyschools,interdisciplinarydepartments,plustheglobalacademicmarketplace(aPhD
grantingdepartmentintheU.S.looksverydifferentthanoneinEngland,tosaynothingofEurope
oremergingAsia).PhDcandidatesonthemarketoughttoknowthatpeoplelikemearenotthebest
peopletoprovideadviceonapplyingtothosekindsofjobs.
SomeFantasticWebResources
1. TheJobMarket,MarioGuerrero’swebpageonallaspectsoftheacademicjob
market.http://marioguerrero.info/politicalscience/market/
2. TomPepinsky(seethecommentsespecially)
https://tompepinsky.com/2012/10/21/academic-job-market-notes/
3. UniversityofWashingtonJobPlacementGuide
https://www.polisci.washington.edu/graduate-job-placement-guide
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Appendix:
Questionspaststudentshavebeenaskedonphone(andinperson)interviews
1. Howhaveyouaccommodateddiversestudents/diversityintotheclassroom?
2. Whatcoursescanyouteach?
3. Whatcourseshaveyoutaught?
4. Ifyoucouldteachaclassandyoucouldnotuseatextbook,howwouldyoudoit?
5. Howcanyoumaketraditionallyuninterestingclassesmoreengaging?
6. Whatisyourteachingphilosophy?
7. Ifwesawoneofyourclasses,whatwoulditlooklike?
8. Whatwouldbeyourdreamclasstoteach?
9. Whatisoneuniquethingyoudointheclassroomthatnobodyelsedoes?
10. Whydoyouwantthisjob?
11. Whatisthemostdifficultpartofteachingforyou?
12. Howwouldyouhandleahighlypartisanstudent?
13. Howdoyouassessstudentprogressinyourcourses?
14. Howwouldyougetstudents,whoarenon-majors,interestedinpoliticalscience?
15. Howdoyouexplainyourresearchtosomeonewhoisnotfamiliarwithpolitical
science?
16. Whatisyourresearchprogram?
17. Tellusaboutyourselfandhowthisinformsyourresearch.
18. Howdoyouplantostayactiveinthediscipline?
19. Whatisthebestwaytodevelopprofessionalnetworks?
20. Howdoyouunderstandtherelationshipbetweenfacultyandgraduatestudents?
21. Whatisyourviewonmethodologyandthedivisionbetweenqualitativeand
quantitativemethods?
22. Whatisyourpublishingplanwithyourdissertation?
23. Whatliteraturesdoesyourworkcontributeto,andinwhatways?
24. Doyouhavegrantwritingexperience?
25. Howdoyouincorporateservicelearningintoyourcourses?
26. Interviewsalwaysendwiththecommitteeaskingifyouhaveanyquestionsforthem.
Youshouldaskopenendedquestionsthatshowsyourinterestin(oneorsomeofthe
following):
a. Researchsupport
b. Thestudents
i. Whataretheirstrengths?Weaknesses?
ii. Whataretheirbackgrounds
c. Howtheysupportteaching
d. Whatdoyoulikemostabouttheinstitution?
Twokeys:BeEnthusiasticandshowthatyouhavesomeknowledgeoftheinstitutionand
itsprogram.Forteachingschoolsknowwhatcoursesareofferedandhowyoucan
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contribute.Bepreparedtoaskaboutteachingaclassthatfitswiththeirintereststhatisn’t
currentlyofferedorinthecatalog.Thiswillshowyouhavepreparedandthatyou
understandwhattheyareabout.
Asageneralrule,doNOTaskquestionsthatmaymakeitseemlikeyouaretryingtoavoid
teaching(e.g.,whatisthecourseload)orthatmightbeinterpretedinawaythatmakesyou
seemlikelessofafitornottotallycommittedtotheirmission(e.g.,howeasyistoto
commutefromtownX?)oranyquestiontheanswertowhichdoesn’thelpyoumake
appositiveimpressiononthem(e.g.,whatisthesalary?).Thesequestionscanbeasked
laterinthejobprocessandwillalwaysberevealedtoyouifyougetfarenoughalongthat
theyactuallybecomeimportant(i.e.,yougetanoffer!).
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