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[chomp]

I am in my third year on the tenure track at my current university and have decided, for a variety of reasons, to go on the job market this year.   A student for whom I am a dissertation committee member has asked me to write letters of recommendation for the positions the student is applying to.  I am happy to do this because the student is a good one with good ideas and an excellent work ethic.  My concern is that this student is applying to some of the same jobs that I will be applying to.  Can I still write a recommendation for these jobs?  If I were not to be interviewed or offered by these schools, I would be thrilled if the student was so I am not really concerned about competing with the student.  Will committees, however, look strangely at my letter in support of the student if I, too, have applied for the job?  It would not same fair to decline to write letters for those jobs and I do not really want to announce my job search to everyone in the department in doing so.  I also do not want to harm the student's application either.  Has anyone had any experiences like this?

[IndianaProf]

It's happened a couple of times. It may sound weird, but in reality, the people involved wrote thoughtful, and as far as I could tell, accurate, letters for their students. One time we ended up hiring the student; in the other, neither was a finalist.

I don't think that you have anything to worry about.

[Search Committee Member]

It's happened at least once here, too; and both ended up on the mid-list though in the long run neither was hired (the faculty member had accepted another opportunity before we made the interview list; the student hadn't yet published enough though we looked at the application seriously, and took the faculty member's thoughtful letter of reference seriously).

[get it]

It happened to me.  My diss advisor and I applied for and were interviewed for the same job.

She got it.

[Aristotelian]

BUT you should make sure the student knows you're applying.  Otherwise it's a conflict of interest, even if you have the best of intentions, the student may want to go with a different letter for this job.  You should at least give the student that option.

[The youthful adviser]

I will likely be faced with this same scenario next year.  I suppose, then, that my letter for another candidate (my student) becomes a de facto supporting document for my own candidacy?  It speaks volumes, for instance, about the issue of collegiality.

[peep]

"I suppose, then, that my letter for another candidate (my student) becomes a de facto supporting document for my own candidacy? "

Well.....that is if the committee members manage to paste together 2 + 2 out of stack of dozens of applications. I know I would never catch that in screening appls. But I imagine if you are both shortlisted, it would become apparent.

[chomp]

I appreciate the advice from everyone.  I agree with Aristotelian's point about the need to tell the student, but I am not quite sure how to do so without revealing that I, too, am on the job market or somehow falsely implying that I am not willing to write a recommendation for her based upon her qualifications.

[science expat]

Could you raise the issue as a hypothetical point?

Something along the lines of "I've considered looking a bit myself but haven't decided yet. We could end up applying for the same posts (cue chuckle). On the off chance this happens, would you like me to continue as your referee or would you prefer to name someone else? You know I'll strongly support your application at all times but I can understand that you might find this situation awkward. By the way, please keep this to yourself as it's unlikely that I'll really do this."

[yes you can]

Of course you can write the letter.  Simply write it at the same level of accolades that you write all your other letters for that student.

[Big State School]

This happened to me. I asked a mentor for a letter, and it turned out she  applied for the same position. She did not tell me she was applying for the position, but I never expected her to share the details of her personal life with me.

I was surprised to get a phone call from the search committee chair asking for a 4th letter of reference. At first I was panicked "Oh #$*! Did I forget to ask/remind/nudge/pester one of my references?" Then I realized that the job add said 3 letters and I sent 3 letters. THEN I found out my mentor applied for the same job. So...I put 2 + 2 together, realized the search committee put 2 + 2 together, and we all ended up at 4. The search committee felt it was a conflict of interest, therefore asked me to provide a substitute letter.

It was awkward, but no harm done. So my 2 cents is this:
If letter are required up front with the application, tell the student that you may also apply for  the position, and its possible that the committee will perceive a conflict of interest even though you would write a superlative letter for her.

If the letters are NOT required up front, then wait and see if either, both, or neither of you make the short list. It may end up being a non-issue. If you both make the short list then I do think there is the appearance of COI, no matter how glowing a letter you write.

[Phil]

I'm with Aristotelian.  I think you have to give the student some indication that a conflict of interest might arise, and ask how s/he would want you to hand le it.  If you can't trust the student to hold the fact that you are considering going on the market in confience, then he/she doesn't deserve a letter anyway.