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[HighAnxiety]

A colleague recently mentioned that she didn't file her dissertation until she had a job because she didn't want an "old phd."  What is the shelf-life these days?  Do hiring committees make allowances for 2-3 years of visiting positions post-phd?  How many times on the market is average now?  

ps-- I finished in late 2002, have been employed a couple contract/visiting positions and have published two articles from the dissertation.  Thanks to all.

[anon]

Building on this question (for which I am eager for an answer!), if one is not offered a TT job in one's final year of graduate school, but is offered a visiting one, would it still be better to "sit" on the dissertation, or defend and go on?

[Search Committee Member]

Once the PhD is finished the publications need to begin. We'd consider anyone two years beyond the PhD with no publications as probably not suited for the pace needed at our R-1. I don't think that "sitting on" the dissertation, and defending it later, will do; in looking for people who will have made the appropriate mark by tenure time we are somewhat suspicious of those whose dissertation was in progress for a very very long time, unless the kind of research required makes the reason alear.

In response to the question from "anon," most schools offer visiting faculty significantly more money if their PhD is in hand by the first day of classes -- at my campus, the difference is $4000 a year. I think defending would probably motivate most people to move on to publications, conferences, etc, too; so I'd say "defend and go on" unless there's some really good reason for postponing.

[HighAnxiety]

Thanks, SCM.  I have two forthcoming publications (Dec 2005 & Fall 2006) in well-respected, refereed journals.  I have a third one in the revised/resubmit stage, and the editors seem invested in seeing it through to publication.  My only concern is that I do not have a book contract or proposal yet.  Would this be acceptable to a small liberal arts college?

[SCM]

Seems to me you're right on target either for a small liberal arts college or, depending on your field, for a research university. The tenure-track hires in my  department (English, mid-range R-1) in recent years have been about evenly split between (1) people just finishing a PhD or in their first post-PhD year who have a couple of articles out or forthcoming in good journals and (2) people with 3-5 years teaching either in non t-t jobs or at non-research schools who have a book under contract or in press.

[H.A.]

Thanks again, SCM.  I think I need to get on that proposal asap.

[Helen]

We don't even interview anyone who doesn't have Ph.D in hand (I'm at an R-1), so sitting on the dissertation and not getting a Ph.D would be time wasting and career suicide.

[%sig%]

[squidward]

I have had friends who have taken 3 to 5 years to land a t-t job.  They have kept their hands in both teaching and research, and had good publication records when they got their positions.

Yet others are still waiting.  There is a big backlog of well-qualified people chasing the limited number of positions.  The implosion of the job market in 2001-2002 made things particularly bad, and the ramification of that are still being felt.

I've also heard of people who have waited 6 years post-PhD to land a faculty position.  In all cases, these folks have remained dedicated and productive scholars.  Some would call them insane, and it would have been perfectly reasonable for them to give up and pursue a different life.

[anon]

thanks for the advice, especially SCM, who i always find quite wise and helpful.