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[Anxious JS]

Anyone have any thoughts on whether positions that are advertised as "open" specialization but with preferences for X and/or Y are really open?  I've seen lots of positions that claim to be open but with stated preferences for particular subfields - are they really looking for someone in the subfield and are just keeping their options open in case someone fabulous comes along, or are they really open and just thinking if the "right" person in X came along, they'd give them just a bit extra consideration but they're not wedded to having someone in X?  It seems that, given lots of competition for jobs, that if a dept has a preference for a particular field, they'd be able to find a fair number of qualified applicants as long as the subfield isn't amazingly obscure.  I guess I'm just wondering whether applicants really have a shot at such jobs if they aren't in the preferred specialization.

[PF]

I applied to a school that advertised a job as open but with preferred specializations.  I went to their dept. website and checked out who was already there, and when I saw that there wasn't already anyone in my subfield, I sent in an application.  I got a convention interview out of that.

On the other hand, I saw another job ad that was written in a similar way.  Their dept. website indicated that another person in my subfield was already there.  I didn't bother applying.

[Dr. P.]

This sort of thing happened in a department I was working in a few years ago. We knew someone was likely to leave, so we advertised broadly enough to hire two people just in case we ended up with the additional opening. We did, and hired two people.

[Humanities prof]

I think it depends on the specific situation.  I applied for a position a few years ago listed as open area but with a preference for a particular area that was only marginally related to my own research.  I applied and emphasized the connection of my work to that area.  I became a finalist, but it was clear that they would want me developing courses in this area that was only marginally related to mine, and so I withdrew to accept a preventive retention at my current institution.  The position wasn't as "open" as I had hoped.

But currently I have a Ph.D. student on the market who applied to a similar position where the preferred area is not at all related to his own work, and he is a finalist and appears highly likely to get an offer.

These two experiences show just how different positions listed as "open area, with preference for X" can be.

[apply!]

I applied for a job in my broad area, but didn't have the preferred specialization (it's a personal interest but not my research area). However, I was asked to do a teaching demonstration in that area, did so, and got the job. Now, along with my own specialty and general areas, I'm teaching in that area and enjoying it immensely. If you aren't averse to teaching in the area, I say definitely apply.

[%sig%]