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[berkeleygirl]

I was wondering about the VAPs.  Fingers crossed for you all!

[ybounden]

Is it just in my field, or did job ads dry up on Nov.1st?

Yes, here too.  Nothing new and worthwhile this week.  I really hope it's not over...

It is the 5th, y'all. 

Go take a walk.  See a movie.  Watch the squirrels bury their winter food.  Schedule one day (or at most two) to dwell on the job market, then get back to whatever you should be writing for the other six days. 

Compartmentalization: how to avoid going whacko on the job market. 

Yup, I am so there.  I need to start getting out and about rather than hitting reload.  At least for my discipline, this seems to be the dead period.  Most applications were due last week and it's too early to hear about requests for more materials.  It's definitely time to get back to some kind of routine before I gnaw my fingernails into nothing.

[alleyoxenfree]

Multiple rejections this week.  Even though these were backup jobs, one I thought I wanted a lot.  Actually, both I wanted a lot if only for continuity and cash flow.  Fie on both of them.

I guess I will be losing a lot of weight as the food budget goes to oatmeal and chicken soup!  Envisioning the return of my cheekbones.

[prof_smartypants]

People, not to be depressing, but please be aware that this is a very off year. Your advisors, recommenders, and even recent grads may not be aware what the job market is like.

I was ABD last year. Got a non-TT full-time position. According to my recommenders at my PhD institution, I am a failure because I didn't get a TT R1 job. Despite these supposed expectations, I am the only one of my cohort (at what some people would refer to as one of the "pubic ivies") to have ANY full-time job. Seriously - any full time job. Zero postdocs, zero  VAPs, and certainly zero TT hires. My 3 year non-TT contract was the best our cohort did last year (and I'm doing better than most of my department's graduates 1 year and even 2 years prior.

Am I a competitive new scholar in my field? Absolutely. Am I published? Many times. Do I have great teaching experience and evals? Superior.  Why do I say this? Am I some badass? Certainly not.  I say this so that you are capable of managing expectations while maintaining some hope for your future.

I live in a great place and work at a pretty good school. Life is manageable, despite my 3-3 load and insane prep work. This is something you probably will not hear from your advisors - mainly because such people don't know what to expect. They are basing their expectations for you on

1) What they want you to do in order for you to boost the reputation of their program'
2) What THEY went through 5, 10, 15, etc. year ago
and
3) What BS they hear through the grapevine.

Apply widely. Spend a ridiculous amount of time on your materials. Finish your dissertation ASAP and begin submitting articles for publication. Boost your teaching experience. Don't hang all your hopes on some badass TT job. You're entering the market in a terrible year, but things will get better. I'm non-tt at a marginal state university, and I'm [mostly] happy. I'm on the market this year, but in a very limited fashion.

Bottom line: Make the most of what you can get. Don't hang your hopes on your dream job, but make whatever you land as close to your dream as you can.

[prephd]

Seriously?

You want the cover letter, teaching philosophy, CV, transcripts, syllabi, article reprints, conference papers and recommendation letters all uploaded as one document? For a job that starts in January?

I am so tempted. But no.

[taxidea]

Seriously?

You want the cover letter, teaching philosophy, CV, transcripts, syllabi, article reprints, conference papers and recommendation letters all uploaded as one document? For a job that starts in January?

I am so tempted. But no.

Don't forget the DNA sample!

[tandem]

Another 3AM night to produce a ridiculously extensive application packet for a postdoc that is such a ridiculously absurd long shot I might actually have a better chance at the lottery.  I feel nauseous and demoralized.

[secretweapon]

People, not to be depressing, but please be aware that this is a very off year. Your advisors, recommenders, and even recent grads may not be aware what the job market is like.

I was ABD last year. Got a non-TT full-time position. According to my recommenders at my PhD institution, I am a failure because I didn't get a TT R1 job. Despite these supposed expectations, I am the only one of my cohort (at what some people would refer to as one of the "pubic ivies") to have ANY full-time job. Seriously - any full time job. Zero postdocs, zero  VAPs, and certainly zero TT hires. My 3 year non-TT contract was the best our cohort did last year (and I'm doing better than most of my department's graduates 1 year and even 2 years prior.

Am I a competitive new scholar in my field? Absolutely. Am I published? Many times. Do I have great teaching experience and evals? Superior.  Why do I say this? Am I some badass? Certainly not.  I say this so that you are capable of managing expectations while maintaining some hope for your future.

I live in a great place and work at a pretty good school. Life is manageable, despite my 3-3 load and insane prep work. This is something you probably will not hear from your advisors - mainly because such people don't know what to expect. They are basing their expectations for you on

1) What they want you to do in order for you to boost the reputation of their program'
2) What THEY went through 5, 10, 15, etc. year ago
and
3) What BS they hear through the grapevine.

Apply widely. Spend a ridiculous amount of time on your materials. Finish your dissertation ASAP and begin submitting articles for publication. Boost your teaching experience. Don't hang all your hopes on some badass TT job. You're entering the market in a terrible year, but things will get better. I'm non-tt at a marginal state university, and I'm [mostly] happy. I'm on the market this year, but in a very limited fashion.

Bottom line: Make the most of what you can get. Don't hang your hopes on your dream job, but make whatever you land as close to your dream as you can.

Prof_Smartypants speaks the truth.  She is wise and experienced. 

I ended up getting a VAP in May, well after finishing my PhD, with some very nice pubs (*pats self on back*).  I spent a few years panicking (often on this thread!), working full-time, writing in evenings and weekends, and not being able to buy new clothes.  It was hell.  I still wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I do find that now that I'm in this job, I'm very well prepared for the juggling of teaching, publishing and admin - more so than my colleagues who've gone straight from a PhD.  And I absolutely love my VAP.  After my job searching nightmare, I feel like I'm living the dream.

I don't say this to raise false hopes - there are not enough jobs for all the candidates and everyone should be working on a Plan B.  Having a realistic Plan B - of how you can be employed outside academia in a satisfying way - is a financial necessity, and it also is good for your confidence.  A lot of the job-search panic was, for me, the terrifying thought that it was academia or starvation, that if I didn't get an academic job no one would hire me because I was overqualified for everything and I would end up unemployed and drowning in debt. I was open to the idea of leaving academia, but I didn't know where else I could go.  Once I figured that out, I was much happier, much calmer, and I think ultimately a much better job candidate.

Good luck to all job seekers; I'm not on the market this year, but I remain with you in spirit.

[prephd]

not being able to buy new clothes. 

*gasp*

You wouldn't know it from that other thread.

[alleyoxenfree]

Having a realistic Plan B - of how you can be employed outside academia in a satisfying way - is a financial necessity, and it also is good for your confidence.  A lot of the job-search panic was, for me, the terrifying thought that it was academia or starvation,

So secretweapon, can you share what you did to remain employed for several years while you looked?  I am in a VAP position that may not continue through the year for budget issues, and panicking at the thought that I may have no income within months, and looking hard for many kinds of jobs.  Where did you find people who took your non-academic applications seriously and with interest?

[prephd]

I'd suggest government, thinktanks, private research orgs... but then, I'm in D.C.

[secretweapon]

Having a realistic Plan B - of how you can be employed outside academia in a satisfying way - is a financial necessity, and it also is good for your confidence.  A lot of the job-search panic was, for me, the terrifying thought that it was academia or starvation,

So secretweapon, can you share what you did to remain employed for several years while you looked?  I am in a VAP position that may not continue through the year for budget issues, and panicking at the thought that I may have no income within months, and looking hard for many kinds of jobs.  Where did you find people who took your non-academic applications seriously and with interest?

I don't want to out myself, but it came down to a few things: teaching (not high school, not college, but adult learners), becoming an independent consultant (it took a lot of thinking to figure out how to market my expertise, and I started by volunteering), and non-profits.  I found that I had to be very proactive about reaching out to people and telling them how I could be a consultant for them.  I hate cold-calling (or, cold-emailing), but it actually worked, although it took a few months to drum up business.  PM me if I can be more helpful.

not being able to buy new clothes. 

*gasp*

You wouldn't know it from that other thread.

Everything is either really old, or purchased as a gift by my mother.  As Smarty would say.... LAME.

[indefatigable]

This weekend I need to fill out the HR application form from hell for job app 1 (The one I already phone interviewed for), and draft the letter for job app 3 which I ignored this week while thinking on it. It's in my hometown (so good to be close to elderly mother) but that's so not a city I ever wanted to live in. However, the pay is probably significantly higher, the teaching load is the same or lower, and the research pressure is a bit less. Weird combo, eh?

I had also applied to job opening 2 in another state. They sent me a form letter that makes me think they didn't read my application letter at all, which I find very disturbing. I'm thinking of withdrawing my name from that pool.  I think that job has already been promised to someone I know and the search is perfunctory at best, anyhow.

[alleyoxenfree]

This is a marathon weekend for me.  Three apps done this morning, goal is four more today, and six tomorrow. 

With teaching, this is the only time I have to finish them.  Who wants to join me on the marathon?  It is actually a Job Triathlon, as there will be a running portion for a break, and possibly also a trip to the deli, as I won't be taking time to cook.

[berkeleygirl]

This weekend I need to fill out the HR application form from hell for job app 1 (The one I already phone interviewed for), and draft the letter for job app 3 which I ignored this week while thinking on it. It's in my hometown (so good to be close to elderly mother) but that's so not a city I ever wanted to live in. However, the pay is probably significantly higher, the teaching load is the same or lower, and the research pressure is a bit less. Weird combo, eh?

I had also applied to job opening 2 in another state. They sent me a form letter that makes me think they didn't read my application letter at all, which I find very disturbing. I'm thinking of withdrawing my name from that pool.  I think that job has already been promised to someone I know and the search is perfunctory at best, anyhow.

Was your form letter just an acknowledgment?  Don't pull your name, you lose nothing by keeping it active, and you might lose any chance, slim or not, for an interview.   Good luck

This is a marathon weekend for me.  Three apps done this morning, goal is four more today, and six tomorrow. 

With teaching, this is the only time I have to finish them.  Who wants to join me on the marathon?  It is actually a Job Triathlon, as there will be a running portion for a break, and possibly also a trip to the deli, as I won't be taking time to cook.

!

Good luck! I just sent off a pile of apps too.  I need to spend the weekend transcribing, an equally annoying task :) Keep those apps going!