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[5 years out...]

Hello! I received my Ph.D. 5 years ago in history. I held a prestigious postdoc for 3 years and for the past two years have been a visiting professor at a well-respected institution. I have published numerous articles (my book is almost finished and I have a contract with a major press).

I feel like I should be a good candidate but I'm worried that I've been out "too long" without a tenure-track job. Are people like me at a disadvantage on the job market?

[Senior Scholar]

As long as your research is being published in worthwhile places, you have not been out too long.

[Anon]

I can't speak for the history field, but 5 years doesn't seem that long to me, especially as you have been active in your field (postdoc and visiting professor).

[HV]

Read "The Lecturer's Tale," a very funny book, (not that your situation is funny.)  The author's protagonist is in almost the same situation, except his field is English.

Another very therapeutic book is Russo's, "The Straight Man."

[Fiona]

You won't know until you try.

[anonster]

I did not get a t-t job until I was four years out.  My book was not done, but I did keep the articles coming out while holding visiting asst prof positions at three different institutions.  Sounds to me like you are still going to be a good candidate.

[Been There]

My field is also history and while I was last on the market a few years ago (1998), I think that what I saw and learned (then and since then) may be instructive.

First, as far as the question of five years being too long.  Bear in mind that some departments won't consider candidates who have been out that long without a tenure-track job.  Yes, it's short-sighted; yes, it's unfair etc. etc.  But it's a fact of life so adjust your plans accordingly.  In other words, when you apply for jobs, be aware that you will not be considered for many of these and calculate your odds based on that knowledge.

Just as a sidenote: you won't be able to know which departments won't consider candidates who have been out for a long time because it usually isn't a set policy (so even if you called to ask a department they might not be able to answer you honestly).  In a department in which I taught, the search committee tended to put ABDs in one pile, recent PhDs (one or two years out), people with tenure-track jobs in one pile and people who had been out without a job in another pile.  Guess which piles were not regarded as equal to the other piles?  The mere fact that this was how piles were divided says it all.

I think rather than asking yourself "are people like me at a disadvantage?" you should rephrase your question to focus on you and your needs.  Here are some questions you should think about.  

How are my finances?  In other words, will I have an income next year if I focus solely on trying to get an academic job this year?  Have I put money in a pension or do I have savings and while I be okay if I spend another year in a non-permanent position?  

What do I want from life?  What is the absolute longest length of time I am prepared to invest in not having a real job?  

These are the types of questions which will make or break you in the long run.  It's impossible for anyone to give you a definitive answer as to how a search committee will regard you and your 5 year odyssy---search committees vary wildly and what causes one department to reject you will be irrelevant to another.  Yes, there is a bias against people who have been out but as the people on this site will tell you some of them were able to succeed despite this bias.  Will you be one of them?  No one can say.  

Given this type of uncertainty, you would be better served figured out how much longer YOU want to continue to do this (not how much longer you will be considered a viable candidate by a search committee).

[%sig%]

[Another Damned Medievalist]

Well, This is my 4th year out, although I was actually working outside of academia when I finished and have been teaching steadily since 2002.  I've had a couple of interviews and, since I've not been in a position to do much research (heavy teaching load, no summer funding), have been plugging away slowly on a couple of reviews and looking for conferences where I might give a paper to later turn into an article.  I've had a couple of interviews, but not as many as friends who are new on the market.  One thing I have done is adjuncted, even if means an overload, in order to make myself known and make sure I have up-to-date recommendations.  I realize I might not be in competition for "the best" jobs, but also have not given up on the idea of T-T, because sometimes maturity and a proven track record *are* what departments are looking for.  I hope.