Many bright and well-qualified graduates do "horrendously suicidal things" in their job searches, say two authors of a new book on the academic job hunt.
A common mistake among new Ph.D.'s is creating "sloppy" curricula vitae. Not sloppy in the sense of typos, but in the sense that applicants don't read job announcements carefully and tailor their C.V.'s and cover letters to fit the positions they're applying to, say Dawn M. Formo, an assistant professor of literature and writing studies at California State University at San Marcos, and Cheryl Reed, an assistant professor of English at Penn State Hazleton..
Vigilant readers of the job market look for clues to what the institution is like, why a vacancy has occurred, and whether their qualifications fit the institution's needs, and then highlight experiences that are relevant to the position in their letters and C.V.'s.
These are some suggestions from Job Search in Academe: Strategic Rhetorics for Faculty Job Candidates, which will be released this May by Stylus Publishing.
Ms. Formo and Ms. Reed present "rhetorical analyses" of their own experiences and those of more than 50 job seekers in a variety of fields, including business, the humanities, and the sciences. They suggest ways job seekers can use the verbal, written, and visual components of communication -- in essence, the analytical skills gained from their training -- to improve their chances of landing jobs.
Some of their own adventures on the academic job market led them to write the book, the authors say. During one campus visit, Ms. Formo recalls, her itinerary was so tight that she used bathroom breaks to review her notes between interviews. Ms. Reed says she recalls one phone interview in which search-committee members repeatedly asked why she hadn't published more (the department secretary had only distributed the page of her C.V. that listed her teaching experience).
Still, "it's not just two employed assistant professors saying, 'Here's how we got our jobs,'" says Ms. Reed. "We sought many voices from the field that show the good, the bad, and the ugly."
The authors say they hope the book will help colleges and universities better prepare people for the challenges of the job market. "There's an assumption in academe that you earn an advanced degree and somehow you're just going to know how to find a job," says Ms. Formo. Institutions that teach students to create C.V.'s, conduct interviews, and analyze the job market will have more-successful graduates, they say.
One such skill involves understanding the institution you're applying to. "If you're applying to a university that's mostly research oriented, then you need to realize that they want you to foreground your research skills and publication record," says Ms. Formo. Take it from Ms. Reed, who says this mistake cost her a job. "On my first application I included what I was most proud of on the front page of my C.V., which was the teaching I'd done." Later, she recalls, "Dawn sat me down and said: 'You know what they want to see? How much you've published.'"
Applicants should also keep in mind that a secretary will probably be assigned to sort through the applications and eliminate those that don't match the position description. "If your qualifications aren't readily apparent or it's not clear which search you're applying to, your application might get dumped," says Ms. Formo.
Those Ph.D.'s who apply to community colleges should really concentrate on how they arrange their C.V.'s and cover letters, say the authors, who were both, at one time, adjuncts at community colleges. "They're much more interested in seeing what you're like in the classroom," says Ms. Reed. Even if you emphasize your teaching goals and classroom skills in your application materials, she says, "search-committee members may still wonder why you went to the trouble to get a Ph.D. only to come to a place where you'll have little time for research and you'll be teaching five classes." (See "More Community Colleges Push to Hire Ph.D.'s as Professors").
Graduate students who want jobs at community colleges, but are still finishing their Ph.D.'s, "had better start teaching at community colleges before they complete their degrees, or they're not going to get jobs there," says Ms. Formo. The authors say that because they'd already proven themselves by teaching at community colleges, their job prospects at those institutions were better. Many community colleges "have been burned by Ph.D.'s looking to pay the rent until another job comes along," says Ms. Formo.
Job seekers should think about their professional goals before they start interviewing, and practice responding to questions that potential colleagues may pose, say the authors. In addition, applicants should study the catalogues and World-Wide Web sites of the colleges where they'll be interviewing and then use that information to join in a conversation with committee members, rather than asking questions that have obvious answers.
The most important thing to remember in an interview is to "imagine yourself as a colleague and act like that," says Ms. Reed. "Don't look at the search committee as the enemy." Too many graduates entering the job market take a combative appproach to interviewing. It's not a dissertation defense, the authors point out.
"The ability to slice and dice may get you high marks and honors in graduate school, but that approach will undermine you in an actual job interview," says Ms. Reed. "It's better to approach the interview as a cooperative meeting with colleagues," say the authors.
Many new academics don't realize that they should negotiate the contract when they're offered a job. This is the time to ask for computer equipment, start-up funds, and other resources they may need to do their work. And it's an opportunity to negotiate salary. Scientists should be especially cautious about signing on the dotted line immediately, they say. While researchers in the humanities may need start-up funds of $1,000 to $3,000, scientists may require funds ranging from $10,000 to $300,000 or more.
Although looking for a job is stressful, it's not a do-or-die situation. "It's not a test of your ability or your worthiness as a human being or as a thinker," says Ms. Reed. When applicants are turned down for a position, they often think they weren't good enough, but the decision may have nothing to do with them. "If you don't get an offer or get contacted, many times it's not your fault," says Ms. Formo. Applicants can't anticipate every decision that's made when they apply for a job. Search-committee members may advertise positions before funding is approved or they may advertise to get a sense of the current job climate, they say.
The authors wanted to publish the book before their own job-hunting experiences became distant memories. Both say they've learned a lot from serving on search committees. They now realize that committee members are overworked employees searching for someone to lessen their workload.
"Every time someone sits down for an interview, they're hoping this person will be the one," says Ms. Formo. "If candidates only knew how badly committees want it to work out, candidates might be more comfortable when they're interviewing."
Ms. Formo and Ms. Reed welcome feedback from readers and can be reached via their World-Wide Web page. Copies of Job Search in Academe: Strategic Rhetorics for Faculty Job Candidates are available from Stylus Publishing (Styluspub@aol.com).
