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[natasa]

I am EU resident trying to find a job at USA Universities as a PhD - faculty job. What to do to be treated seriously for a job in US? I head that an US resident will always be in advantage for a job even if a EU will have best references, is that correct?

Thanks for your oppinion and any similar experience?

[sandgrounder]

In the social sciences it seems that a US PhD is the entry ticket along with impeccable English and some US references. The US job market in my field at least, as evidenced by the jobs wiki and a subject-level discussion board,  is pretty much closed to recent PhDs from other countries (unless you are a US citizen with a very good excuse for the aberration of having done a PhD abroad). Europeans seem to move over mid-career when their publications list is so strong that it outweighs the lack of a US PhD. In some other subject areas like the natural sciences, it seems less parochial. If you are a recent PhD, I'd suggest applying to US postdocs and see if you can gain some US teaching experience that way. I have a couple of friends who didn't get jobs in the US, but did at least get to the interview stage a few times that way, after having zero interest the previous year with pretty much the same cv publications and teaching wise before they did a US postdoc.

[jeddc]

Based solely on what I've seen (also in the social sciences)...

A freshly minted PhD earned abroad may not always carry as much weight as a PhD granted in the U.S. might.  Once track records have been established, however, the quality of the publications on one's CV will often carry more weight than where one's PhD was earned.

One potential problem is that in some disciplines the journals that U.S. schools respect are simply different than the journals respected elsewhere.  If your CV doesn't list papers published in the journals U.S. schools prefer, it may be very tough, as papers published in journals that may be held in relatively high esteem elsewhere sometimes don't count at all in the U.S.

If your CV has even a few fairly recent papers in well respected journals, though, finding a job may not be terribly difficult. 

(Caveat:  I'm thinking of research institutions.  Balanced institutions are more likely to give credit for any halfway decent publication, making it easier for those who may not publish in the handful of journals research schools often look for.  As long as one's English is good enough to inspire confidence that they'll be a good enough teacher, then - provided their CV is not empty - I'd think that finding a tenure track job might not be such an uphill battle.)

[natasa]

Thank you both, anyway I applied at least to 20 lecturer jobs in USA in last year, but neither an interview, although not so bad CV and bibliography at least for EU conditions. Ok, I will try for postdoc and/or research job...will let you know.

[drmgodwin]

I am American but have a British PhD in psychology. I can tell you the biggest problem that I have encounter is lack of no academic transcripts. In the USA for you to teach undergraduate or graduate level courses in psychology or any field the school must be able to view actual courses that you have taken. If you don't have any transcripts, it is hard.

Thank you both, anyway I applied at least to 20 lecturer jobs in USA in last year, but neither an interview, although not so bad CV and bibliography at least for EU conditions. Ok, I will try for postdoc and/or research job...will let you know.

[totoro]

By "lecturer" do you mean the American interpretation of the word or the British meaning (= assistant professor). The chance of getting non-tenure track short-term teaching positions if you are not already living in the US or have a personal connection is going to be hard. Lack of US teaching experience as a grad student, plus your location etc. will all work against you. Getting you a visa might be hard too... Tenure-track positions are hard to get in most fields at the moment of course. Research-oriented institutions are less likely to biased a priori against non-US PhDs if you have a good research track record. Personally, I am an EU citizen with a US PhD and have been both a visiting prof at my alma mater and a tenured professor in the US (but moved to Australia). I also have a good research track record and am not in one of the more over-supplied fields and still found it hard (two year search) to get a job. Also, I've never actually got an academic job without some contact of some sort with the people hiring previously.

[drmgodwin]

Well, I have 12 years of teaching experience in the USA at various types of colleges/universities but these assistant professorship positions (the hiring) were really based on my master's degree from a US university and not actually my PhD. However, when it comes to teaching graduate classes showing proof that you have taken courses within the field that you intend to be teaching in is imperative; that is why not having PhD transcripts hurts one's chances.

By "lecturer" do you mean the American interpretation of the word or the British meaning (= assistant professor). The chance of getting non-tenure track short-term teaching positions if you are not already living in the US or have a personal connection is going to be hard. Lack of US teaching experience as a grad student, plus your location etc. will all work against you. Getting you a visa might be hard too... Tenure-track positions are hard to get in most fields at the moment of course. Research-oriented institutions are less likely to biased a priori against non-US PhDs if you have a good research track record. Personally, I am an EU citizen with a US PhD and have been both a visiting prof at my alma mater and a tenured professor in the US (but moved to Australia). I also have a good research track record and am not in one of the more over-supplied fields and still found it hard (two year search) to get a job. Also, I've never actually got an academic job without some contact of some sort with the people hiring previously.