next »

[sisqa_]

Hi,
I have just gotten a TT position in Europe, after having tried - without much success - to get an academic position in Australia. My new position is quite prestigious, a very small teaching load, nice colleagues, a nice city, and I can freely develop my research interersts. As I haven't had much teaching experience yet (only one research postdoc), it will certainly look good on my cv.

On the other hand, my long-term plans are still to live in Australia.
Any advice on how to maximize my chances to eventually succeed in getting hired there? What should I most focus on in the next years?

During my Ph.D. I have spent some months in Australia, so I do know some major researchers in my field, who are very friendly, but not really inclined to pull strings for me. I think, they would (& did) write great references, but would (&did) not invest much time/efforts to help me getting a job there. (I don't think I could expect that - I only wrote it to give an impression of the level of support/connections I have there).
 
From my experiences, a lot of hires in Australia are inside jobs, as Australians quite naturally want to stay there. Sometimes they go abroad for a two-year postdoc, but then return to their university. Generally, I have the feeling, that as an outsider, I'll have to be very good to make a chance at all.

How should I tailor my research agenda in the next year? Any general advice? Should I try go get grants for international collaborations - with the people I already know in Australia, or alternatively should I search for new collaborators there? Or should I just try to do the best possibly research I can and hope that I build a really good cv, that somehow will convince an Australian search committee?

[aussieblonde]

The best source for academic positions in Australia is the Tuesday edition of 'The Australian' newspaper. Be advised that some positions which are advertised may have already been filled, but there is a requirement for the position to be advertised regardless. The more connections you have, the better. As was stated in another reply, our universities are underfunded. This is because Australia is a young country and we simply do not have the beneficiaries that a country like the United States has and higher education is a somewhat new and developing facet of our political history. There is strong competition for a limited number of positions, especially psychology which is an extremely popular field of study in Australia. Make as many contacts as possible through academic conferences, emphasizing your particular interests. Also, focus on regional universities as there is less competition to teach at these campuses, than at larger universities in the city. Be aware that the academic market is quite different to the UK, US or Europe because of a lack of funding and your workload will be heavy, class sizes are large and you will probably be expected to do a fair amount of administrative work. Some universities focus more on teaching, while others strive to be research  institutes. This can also be the case within universities, ie some 'teaching' universities may have departments which are research focused. The best bet is to decide what your strengths and focuses are and find the universities that best suit you skills and interests.

[figee]

Ahem.  The Wednesday edition of The Australian has the higher education section, not the Tuesday. 

But I seem to remember talking about this topic before, didn't we sisqa?

[helpful]

From what I've heard, you wouldn't want to work in higher ed. in Oz. Tenure has been abolished;there is no money to go to conferences and there is a new prediction that there will be 10 per cent reduction in students entering university next year.Big cuts are on the way,and there is increased pressure to do research and increased workloads.

Maybe someone working in Oz can weigh in on this, but this is what I have heard.

[figee]

Tenure hasn't been abolished at the institution I'm at.  There is limited funding to go to conferences, and there may well be a drop in the number of students coming to uni here, but it won't be a large one.

A lot of the rumours you're hearing are probably around the new industrial laws which have been brought in and which are likely to have a very detrimental affect on all Australians eventually.  Anbother factor is the increasing drive towards research output as a determinant for funding.  Not a problem for some, but some institutions, especially those which are more teaching focussed, will definitely suffer. 

All in all, though, its still a pretty good place to work.

[highway61]

Tenure exists --just got it. All the other issues depend a lot on your field and university, as is the case everywhere. I am from the US and have enjoyed being here. It will be interesting to see what happens when (if?) the Research Quality Framework gets up-and-running: more or less equivalent of the UK's RAE.

And re the issue of hiring insiders, well I wasn't one. Again, maybe that's true some places/some disciplines, but you shouldn't generalize too much about hiring practices or working conditions in Aussie higher ed.

[highway61]

PS: On a more practical level, I'd recommend that you get lots published over the next few years given the upcoming emphasis on "Research Quality". If you are in a field where non-academics take up and use said research, all the better and really play that up. "Outcomes" are huge here. (I am not in such a field... sigh.)

Also: when applying for positions here, as opposed to the US at least, your letter of application should NOT be the general 2-pager summarizing your experiences. It should instead be a point-by-point response to the selection criteria. I.e., a paragraph under the heading "Teaching Experience"; another under "Supervision of postgraduates"; etc. I would not be surprised if folks who don't do that get put in the reject pile instantly by the Human Resources people. Americans at least would have no idea what the protocols are for applying for positions here so while this seems kinda obvious it's worth saying!