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[yueceiling]

Among all the institutions I applied this year, only several request letters of recommendations along with
my application package. Others will contact my references directly. Now none of my references has been contacted by any institution yet. Does that mean no one is interested in me, at least not yet? Do they usually make the short list after they get all the references' letters? Thanks!

[explorer1]

If SC are interested in the applicant and have the intention of shorlist applicant, they maybe contact the corresponding references. If not, I guess the references are not bothered.

[systeme_d_]

We never contact references until we have a short list.  (Unless an application is weird, and we'd like some kind of explanation.)

[gennimom]

Most of mine want the contact information, but only two contacted references or wanted letters from them AFTER I sent in the appllication. The one interview I had was before references were contacted as far as I know.

[t_r_b]

This question falls into the immense category of job search mysteries that do not warrant any of your attention, because neither you nor any of us has any way of knowing what the search committees in question are up to.

More generally, there are only three ways to know for certain that you are out of the running for a given job:

1. You receive a rejection letter.
2. You see a public announcement from the department that they have hired someone, or that the search has failed or been canceled.
3. You see a new face on the department's website whose rank and expertise match up reasonably well with the job in question.

Still more generally, the best way to approach the job market is:

1. Send out your applications.
2. Forget about your applications.
3. In the event that someone contacts you for more materials and/or an interview, remember that particular application and comply with that request.

Mind you, no one that I know of actually does (or can) literally forget about the applications, but it's helpful to periodically remind yourself that you should forget them, as they are out of your hands and you have no way of knowing what is happening to them, or influencing their fate one way or another. Any energy devoted to thinking about them after they are in the mail is energy wasted.

[gennimom]

Okay, so next question: How do you get the spouse to stop searching for places to live as soon as the application goes out? ;D

[traductio]

Okay, so next question: How do you get the spouse to stop searching for places to live as soon as the application goes out? ;D

For us, the first few rejections from different dream locations put a stop to premature online home-searching. Eventually I stopped telling my wife where I had applied (other than "not a place on your won't-do-it-in-a-million-years list") because it was so much easier for both of us that way.

On the other hand, when I did get an offer, and it was in a place where homes were surprisingly affordable (one of the bigger perks of living in a state no one else seems to want to live in), searching was way more fun.

[sibyl]

Now none of my references has been contacted by any institution yet. Does that mean no one is interested in me, at least not yet? Do they usually make the short list after they get all the references' letters? Thanks!

In my experience, references are contacted at one of three points:

1.  Before the short list is made.
2.  After the short list is made, before the interviews begin.
3.  After the interviews and before the offer is made.

In other words, there is no rule about when references are contacted.  (Actually, there is a fourth window: when someone on the SC sees that one of your references is an old pal and calls her/him as soon as his/her name comes up.)  There's no way to tell.  So follow t_r_b's advice and try to work on something else.

Okay, so next question: How do you get the spouse to stop searching for places to live as soon as the application goes out? ;D

Some spouses need to do this, and stuff like this, in order to manage their anxiety.  Some need to avoid it diligently so that they don't get their hopes up and have them dashed, over and over.  Mine went through both phases, and a few others besides (our house has never been so clean).  I think the goal should be to help the spouse understand what the spouse needs and give the spouse space to meet those needs.

[sugaree]

Okay, so next question: How do you get the spouse to stop searching for places to live as soon as the application goes out? ;D

Don't tell him where you're applying. Surprise!

[ann05]

My spouse just checks to see if there's hockey near by. Lately he's been disappointed. I told him he can take up tennis.