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[gracile]

I'm originally from the UK, and am currently completing my PhD (MLA field) at an East Coast (R1) American university. My undergraduate and master's degrees are from UK institutions.

I'd love to go back but am finding the timing of the UK job search difficult to work out. When are the majority of jobs posted? There seem to be very few lectureships advertised at the moment. Is that indicative of the general state of the market, or do I just need to hold on until the spring? I'm currently on the US market and would be thrilled to be offered a job here next year (and, obviously, wouldn't turn it down). But in the long term, I'd like to go back. Are UK jobs likely to be advertised before the US "season" is over? Thank you very much in advance; I've learned a great deal from the posts here!

[omaraz]

You could always try http://www.jobs.ac.uk/ they update jobs regularly.

Good luck in your search.

Omaraz

[secretweapon]

It's way too early.  A few universities have copped on that the US season is much earlier, and are advertising to September 2008 starts now in order to get some of the best candidates.  Very prestigious postdocs are also advertised now (JRFs, for example), and deadlines for BA postdocs and AHRC grants are in the autumn.

However, the bulk of advertisements will come after the new year, and you will find fixed-term jobs advertised through the summer for a September/October start (as people learn the results of grant applications in late spring/summer and then need replacements).  Jobs.ac.uk is the best site.

I think I applied for one job this past autumn that had a 1 October start date - and a 1 September deadline.  I think that's a bit extreme (although, if I'd have gotten the job, I'd have been thrilled), but the thinking here is that it is equally extreme to advertise a job a year in advance.  A lot can happen in 1 year, to both departments and candidates.

Keep in mind that, even with this round in the RAE ending, there is still a big emphasis on publications and you'll probably struggle to get a permanent lectureship without a very firm book contract and not-distant publication date.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't apply, of course!  But don't put off publishing something, because it really matters in the UK system, where the job spec is usually very strictly followed.

[expatinuk]

UK jobs are advertised all months. There is no 'hiring season'. The main reason you're seeing so few jobs advertised now is that everyone advertised and filled like crazy for the RAE. Expect things to be rather quiet for the next few months.

[gracile]

Thank you very much for these considered replies. As an ABD candidate with limited publications (one article in a refereed journal; one in an edited volume; one article forthcoming in a fairly minor journal), I suppose it might be naively optimistic to consider myself a plausible candidate for lectureships. On the other hand, many of the prestigious postdocs (such as Oxbridge JRFs stipulate a limited number of years of graduate school: I am currently a G6). (Rock/ hard place.) Do you think I would be better off aiming at a TT US job for now, and then looking for UK positions a few years down the line?

[daurousseau]

Times Educational Supplement, published every Friday.
Online at http://jobs.tes.co.uk/.

Mostly secondary schools. But there's usually a couple thousand to choose from and several hundred new ones each week.

[scotia]

Keep in mind that, even with this round in the RAE ending, there is still a big emphasis on publications and you'll probably struggle to get a permanent lectureship without a very firm book contract and not-distant publication date. 

Though there is a strong emphasis on publications for many universities, the requirement for a book is certainly not the case in my field (at a Russell Group university). Indeed, in my field books are less than useless in the RAE - we would much rather have someone with a small number of good journal articles.

As exapt says, the UK job market is year-round (my current position was advertised in December, interviewed in February and I started in April) but the aftermath of the RAE has slowed things down.

[wegie]

Times Educational Supplement, published every Friday.
Online at http://jobs.tes.co.uk/.

Mostly secondary schools. But there's usually a couple thousand to choose from and several hundred new ones each week.

And none for which the OP is qualified!

Try the Times Higher Educational Supplement http://www.thesjobs.ac.uk/

Apart from there and jobs.ac.uk there's always The Guardian on a Tuesday http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/jobs/education/higher/

As an ABD, you would have problems with a lectureship that demands a PhD, but your publication record wouldn't be a problem. And nobody knows what the hell the next RAE is going to bring in any case.

Prime time for lectureships being advertised is pretty much between now and Easter, but as everybody has said, you'll find them advertised at pretty much any time of the year. My last two purely academic jobs were a lectureship advertised in July and a research assistantship advertised in December, both Russell Group.

[science_expat]

Our timing is completely random. As ExPat says, there's a bit of a slump right now because of the submission of the RAE. That said, however, we're just about to advertise some posts with an early January closing date.

[secretweapon]

limited publications (one article in a refereed journal; one in an edited volume; one article forthcoming in a fairly minor journal),

No, that sounds fine.  Some US candidates don't have any publications, or they might be counting a few book reviews as publications.  You seem to be on the right track and you have nothing to lose by applying.