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[in_the_sciences]

I'm currently waiting to hear from a university at which I had a campus visit last month. They said they'd let me know by mid-May. Since I'm in a (very) small field and know 2 of the other 3 candidates, I think that they're going to choose one of the other candidates (he already has strong connections there). While I'm not totally giving up hope, I do want to know how long it would take for a university to notify the 'others', once they've decided- do they let the rejects know as soon as they let their choice candidate know, or do they wait until the contract haggling with said candidate is over? Ie, would they let the choice candidate know mid-May but the rest have to wait until it's completely assured that that candidate will accept the position? Just want to know to ease my brain while I wait these next couple of weeks out. Thanks!

[pink_]

They won't let the other candidates know until they have a definite answer from the first choice.  Sometimes you can find out something if you get another offer (ie. they might tell you that they have offered the job to someone else), but sometimes they can't or won't say anything until the first choice candidate has decided.

Hang in there!

[athena1]

Sometime between a week and never. Seriously.

[dapperpoet]

Just to give you a sense of things from the other end.  I have recently (yesterday) signed the offer letter and sent it back.  I would assume that the other candidates who interviewed have still not been given the official word.  Three weeks ago, at least, I was told that the faculty had voted me their favorite.  Then for at least a week I waited for the EEO to clear it, only to find out the paperwork was being held by a secretary because a form wasn't filled out right.  A week after that, I got the word that all was good, and an offer letter would come.  But, some kind of paperwork had been altered by the department and the provost had signed the old form, so the letter was again held by a secretary.  In the meantime, I knew I would be resigning, but the days crept on until the end of the semester at my current school.  Finally, the offer letter was sent; but it didn't contain the moving money we had negotiated.  So another offer letter was sent.  But the building had to be cleared because of a bomb threat.  And then the weekend.  So, hey, no harm no foul.  Everything's fine.  But some people are probably still waiting for the official word that they didn't get the job.

[arty_]

A clarification:  typically a search committee does not let the other candidates know until the ink is dry on the contract; that is, they wiat for much more than a  simple verbal acceptance from the first choice candidate before breaking the suspense for the rest of the team.

Contracts can take a long time to get out the door -- they have to go through the Chair of the department and the Dean at least, and if the candidate decides to dicker for something else, the whole process re-starts and all the signatures need to be gathered. It is a slow process.  It is agonizing for the folks who are waiting.

But. Somtimes things DO happen with candidate #1.  I am in a tenure track job, and have come to know I was not the first choice.  Explains the wait at the time! But who cares?  I have the job.

In better run departments, the chair calls as soon as the contract is signed and received to deliver the bad news to the remaining candidates.  In less well run departments, you get a letter, sometime late in the summer.

Best wishes for your search!

[downindumps]

Sometimes they never tell you. I've had this happen a few times. Other times, their hiring process is so lengthy, they make everyone wait (see my post on "Kooky Hoops"). I'm sure for the jobs I'm up for, where I've waited so long already and am recommended, those that didn't get it are notified way after that. And say if I or others recommended turn it down, they want to keep second choices around in case.

I totally disagree with this practice, not just because it makes the candidates go practically insane, but also because they risk the chance of losing out on their first choice(s). The one I'm up for that has made me wait an incessantly long amount of time may lose me if the other one comes through first while they're still waiting for approval. And a candidate can't risk losing all to wait for one and turn down another. Even though I prefer the one that's making me wait forever, I may have to take the other if it comes through because it's getting late and I have other plans to make and I don't want to be without a job.

Also, you really never know about that other candidate. He could have done something horrendous at his interview or may not be who they're looking for really. They may want you instead, and you just cannot know until they call. I've had interviews where I thought I was a shoe-in, and I never heard a thing, and then I've had others where I thought I screwed something up, and I've been hired or at least "recommended". That first job I mentioned, I went to the interview with a 102 degree fever and was practically hallucinating, I was so ill, and they called me and said I was their favorite candidate. Go figure!

So, keep the faith, because until they call (and even after that until you have offer in hand), you never really know!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

[captainwillard]

Just looking at my job search from this year: In one case I got a phone call saying, "thanks, but we went with someone else" the same morning I arrived back from my interview.  In another case it's been 11 weeks since my campus interview and I have heard nothing at all.

[in_the_sciences]

Thanks for all your responses! I think that I will still go crazy waiting, and will probably lose most hope by the end of the month. Good to know that I may not hear anything for a long time (ie, only the chosen one will be notified by mid-May), if ever.