Be Versatile

One of the things that stood out in our faculty searches this year is that the candidates who were most attractive to us were the ones who demonstrated some degree of versatility.

My institution is small, with about 80 faculty members and around 1,000 students. We are most definitely a teaching institution, though we have many fine scholars and researchers. But with such a small faculty, virtually everyone has significant roles beyond the most obvious ones of teaching and research in their fields. To thrive as an institution, we need people who can engage creatively with our local community and schools, guide student research projects and presentations, and serve on university committees, among many other contributions.

Without exception, the candidates who have risen to the top in our searches have given some indication that they will bring talents and interests beyond their teaching and scholarship. Not all Ph.D.‘s are interested in working at an institution like mine, but for those who are, developing a profile that demonstrates your diverse skills will, even in very tough times, make your application stand out.