next »

[cocoa]

I am applying for a semi-high level staff position that requires a standard application. One of the questions is about previous jobs, and the questions are quite detailed. One question asks whether the job was full-time or part-time and then asks for "hours per week." At first, I thought the question meant "If part-time, how many hours per week." However, the "hours per week" question appears after the check box for full-time and again after the check box for part-time.

I would say that, averaged over all the years that I have held my current job, my "hours per week" is about 60. For this application, what do you think I should put for "hours per week"? If you were on the search committee, would you expect any answer other than "40"?

[larryc]

I think you should write 60.

[dale1]

larryc:

I'd enjoy a rationale to your suggestion, other than that it reflects what cocoa indicated s/he puts in.  If that's your rationale, then OK. 

Don't have much advice, but I would say that high level staff positions like deans, assistant deans and directors put in more than 40 each week.  I'm not that high, and am always over 50.

[chronanon]

I'd leave the item blank if it's a possibility, and if it's not a possibility, I'd put in what HR declares a standard full-time workweek.  For us that's 37.5.

There's a couple of reasons I'd use that answer:
1. When I'm hiring myself or am on a committee, I only give the application a cursory glance and would never home in on something as assinine as how many hours per week you worked as a full-time employee.  I pay attention to the cover letter and resume.
2. If in the unlikely event I did notice that you put 60 hours per week, one of my questions for you in the interview would be why, in the time you were in your previous position, your management of the people and processes required 60 hours per week.  What prevented you from making more effective use of your time?  I personally do not abide people who manage their jobs in such a way as to require "heroic" effort to pull it off.

For me, a reasonable answer to the question in #2 would be something like you were in a student affairs or fundraising or admissions position that required your presence at frequent events after hours or something like that.

Some people will admire your dedication to the job as evidenced by 60 hour weeks.  Others like me will worry about your ability to manage the position and how that grind will impact you personally.

[polly_mer]

I think Chronanon is offbase.  Yes, I'd worry about why some drone couldn't get everything done in 40 hours.  I would expect anyone at middle-management-equivalent-to-a-TT-position to be working at least 50 hours a week.  Good for you if you are efficient and can get it done in 40 hours and wonderful for you if you don't see your whole job as "work", so 40 hours were work and the other 10-20 hours is something else, but realistically a professional-level job isn't done in 40 hours per week.

If you worked 60 hours a week on average, put the 60 hours.  Some of us think that honesty is the best policy and lots of reasons (dedication, volunteering for extra responsibilities) would warrant 60 hours.

[irhack]

I don't think the question on these boilerplate applications is asking about your productivity-/ they want to know how many hours was considered full-time so they can apply the appropriate salary differential or whatnot. So if your 40 hour / week job paid 35k they might reduce their offer accordingly if FT hours at new inst are 35.

Those forms are BS anyway. Can't imagine what theyre good for.

[samspade]

General George Marshall once said that no one has a good idea after 5pm, and he would leave his Pentagon office every day at 5. And the United States still won World War II. Working long hours does not equal productivity.

[polly_mer]

General George Marshall once said that no one has a good idea after 5pm, and he would leave his Pentagon office every day at 5. And the United States still won World War II. Working long hours does not equal productivity.

What time did General Marshall get into that office?  I'm betting it wasn't 10 am.

[brixton]

I would definitely not say 37.5 hours unless you're applying for an HR job.   Sounds like you live and die by the clock, which will never work for a semi-high administrative position. If the form allows words, I'd put "varied" and be done with it.  If it craves numbers, put 40+.

[karenrules]

You should definitely write the maximum hours you can work for a week. I can only work a maximum of 40 a week and that includes the weekends. I love spending time with my family. Too much work drains me.

[brixton]

Don't apply to a semi-high administrative post, then.