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[northernacademic]

I can sympathize with ajarn's plight and I do not see his comments as whining - it is more a lament over what many expats or foreigners seeking to break into the US academic market have felt to be true, that is, experience outside of the US is frequently not viewed positively. If the foreign experience is not directly a negative then there is either the next hurdle of some vaguely recognized foreign university (either for the degree or for research/teaching experience) or the hurdle of the expense of flying in the potential candidate for an interview. These 'hurdles' become simplistic sorting criteria to narrow down the - yes, competitive - field of applicants. For those Americans that I have known here in Scandinavia and who have subsequently gone back to the US to take up a university position, there has typically been some friend-of-friend (or really, colleague-of-a-colleague) connection that has aided in the process of getting to the interview stage. Yes, people from abroad - either expats or non-Americans - do get hired in the US, but there are additional hurdles to be surmounted that make that possibility more difficult.

[red_queen]

So if I am using the wrong fonts or something on my CV, that doesn't seem like a major reason for rejection.

The issue isn't fonts, Ajarn. Are you framing your research and teaching experience in ways that make you competitive in the US market and will make you stand out among 100+ applicants? We've shortlisted candidates with degrees and experience outside the US who do, but many do not. HR is usually not the best place to ask for feedback on application materials. That would be someone who has been involved with a search, whether an SCC or a SC member.