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[all_my_frenemies]

I am in the same boat. Great thread idea!

The bad: ABD, no publications (had a chapter in an edited volume fall apart after a couple years stewing; needs work to re-submit),I have only TA'd two courses albeit by virtue of really good funding and winning competitive grants.

The good: high-profile and well-received conference work, the aforementioned grants, sexy topic, great-supportive-super smart-helpful advisor....and I have funding for another year should I need it.

As it stands I have got four drafty chapters out of a planned six, plus intro and conclusion. I've applied to three jobs so far, with another four or five coming up in short order. Grad school is great and I like where I am.........but I wanna get going!

[berkeleygirl]

There is good and bad in every situation. Honestly, if academic job search committees are anything like grad school admission committees...its a crap shoot :)

[abdbcb]

Ok here is my conundrum today. I am submitting chapters and trying to convince my committee that I am almost finished so they can update their LORs, and say summer defense or something. But I also want to ask for a letter for a diss completion grant in case I don't get a job. But if I ask for that letter am I admitting that I might not finish? And thus hurting my chances of getting the letter that is going to get me the job? Calgon calgon take me away!

[berkeleygirl]

Ok here is my conundrum today. I am submitting chapters and trying to convince my committee that I am almost finished so they can update their LORs, and say summer defense or something. But I also want to ask for a letter for a diss completion grant in case I don't get a job. But if I ask for that letter am I admitting that I might not finish? And thus hurting my chances of getting the letter that is going to get me the job? Calgon calgon take me away!

You should talk with your committee and stress that you are on the grind to finish and land a job.  Then, in conversation say the job market is ridiculously hard this year and you are afraid you wont get an offer...that said, ask their opinions about having a back-up plan with a dissertation fellowship. . . simply state that you can treat it like a postdoc..because you are finishing this year! 

[songsofexperience]

I actually saw a job ad state, "preference will be given to those who are ABD." Not a job I could apply for but I appreciated it anyway! I live in hope that some SC somewhere will see my potential and realize they should grab me now!

[all_my_frenemies]

The bane of my existence (well one of 'em) are job listings that say "PhD in hand by December 09" for jobs that start next fall. Evil, I tells ya.

[berkeleygirl]

Awesome quote :) I also know that a few of my profs were ABD when they landed their first job, and have been SC who take ABDs seriously.  There is hope! I am convinced. I like that this thread is positive! I know we need to be realistic, but positive support is always welcome! We will all got a pile of rejections this year, as the more things you apply for the more rejections you will get.  Keep your head up, write like crazy and keep us posted :) 

[abdbcb]

There is a decent job in my field that says 'PhD in hand or substantially complete'. I read the ad a few times a day just to feel like I might actually land a tt position this year. 

[berkeleygirl]

Nice! I refuse to think that we have to be unemployed the year after we finish...it happens, but it can't be standard.

[prairiedawn]

It's not even December yet, so we have every reason to hope.

Even though I know the market is crappy, I am still happy that there was stuff at all. Nine possible jobs... maybe something might turn up in spring when I have the Ph.D., who knows.

[ucprof]

In my field, in my dept, we can not hire the person if they do not have the degree in hand.  We've gotten in trouble with new hires showing up and neglecting to tell us they actually did not file the thesis yet.  We've had to send one back in fact, which is kind of embarrassing for all involved.

So my advice is to have full disclosure with the schools where you are discussing offers, both before and after.  And if you tell them in April you plan to file by August, and August comes and you are not filing, then you need to let the new employer know, even if it means losing the position they offered.  Usually they will try to work something out with you rather than simply cutting you loose.  But it depends alot on circumstances.  And in general I'd say to avoid such situations as much as you reasonably can.

[berkeleygirl]

good advice ucprof! thanks

[songsofexperience]

Awesome quote :) I also know that a few of my profs were ABD when they landed their first job,

My husband, who is also ABD, has a great story about his advisor who was a fresh, young visiting instructor at School X (this is going back 30 years or so) who got a call asking him if he wanted a job at Ivy League Y because they had an opening and he sort of did what they were looking for. He took it and never looked back. On the one hand, I wish that kind of thing still happened but on the other I'm glad we have more of a blind application process in which we're judged on our work and not because we're a member of the old boy's club etc.

Still, I'd love to get a call like that!

[berkeleygirl]

great story.  My dad got tenure by negotiating a tt job offer where school A though school B offered him teure, so school A offered it too...instant tenure...oh the 60s :)

[larryc]

I landed my first job ABD at a regional college in flyover country. It happens, particularly if you have an odd set of qualifications that meet an odd set of needs. However finishing the diss with a 4/4 load was hellish. Good luck all, but don't let this thread become the self-delusion support group. You are at a huge disadvantage in a brutal market. Finish the diss.

(And enough of the ellipses, sentence fragments and irregular capitalization. Present yourselves professionally!)