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[weathered]

I am getting far less interviews this year than last year. I am not whining. I applied to fewer schools, because there were not enough openings. But I am also wondering if I am just fading away each year. This is my third year on market. First year, 1 phone interview; second year, 4 campus visits; third year, 1 campus visit, 1 phone interview. Obviously, my chances are not getting better, though I have a new research topic and 2 forthcoming publications. Does it get worse every year, because we are not "new" anymore? What is your experience?

[data5112]

It's hard to say; it depends on so many additional factors. I don't believe this is the reason that I haven't yet landed a TT job. I'm in my first year on the market with Ph.D. in hand; I've seen increased interest compared to the past two years despite having sent out relatively few applications (between 10-20). FWIW, many who are landing desirable TT jobs in my field already have 1-2 postdocs and a TT job somewhere else; they are far from "shiny new things".

[fedscholar]

I don't think you have jumped the shark after three years. Keep your chin up!

[busyslinky]

I am getting far less interviews this year than last year. I am not whining. I applied to fewer schools, because there were not enough openings. But I am also wondering if I am just fading away each year. This is my third year on market. First year, 1 phone interview; second year, 4 campus visits; third year, 1 campus visit, 1 phone interview. Obviously, my chances are not getting better, though I have a new research topic and 2 forthcoming publications. Does it get worse every year, because we are not "new" anymore? What is your experience?

Four campus visits in the second year? Wow.  What happened there? 

But do keep your chin up as others have said.  All it takes is one phone call and one interview.

[britprof]

I have commented elsewhere on "shiny new thing" syndrome, which I do think is problematic. I had my PhD conferred in 2006 and I have applied for hundreds of jobs since then with an increasing publication profile (first book out this year, seven peer-reviewed articles and chapters, dozens of minor publications, two new research projects underway).  I had a couple of telephone interviews in previous years but I have only just secured my first campus interview for a tt position.  I think a key reason for getting that interview is that I now have 15 years teaching experience and the position for which I am being interviewed really could not be done by someone fresh out of graduate school (it requires someone who can demonstrate that they have taught across many different sub-fields).  There is no lesson in my experience; the job market is too idiosyncratic to make such claim. I would merely encourage you to keep going until you feel that for whatever reason you cannot keep going any longer (and I am sure there are many good reasons why those on the market may choose to disengage from such a frustrating process). Good luck to you.

[dalekk]

It's probably just an off year.  Statistical variance and all.  Last year was my third year on the market.  I only got four prelim interviews (2 tt and 2 non).  And the one tt interview was for a horrible school and would have sucked for many different reasons.  I ended up getting a good VAP.  This year I've had 6 interviews so far (3 tt and 3 non).  The three tt interviews were all for pretty solid schools.  I just got offered a good t-t job on Friday (fourth year on the market).  I would think it was just an off year more than anything else for you.  fwiw, most of the places I interviewed with this year were actually impressed that I had three years of post-PhD experience.  I definitely got the impression that they saw it as a positive that they could scoop me up and not a negative.

[fedscholar]

Congratulations Dalekk!

[weathered]

Congrats!

I used to be anxious about my limbo situation, but not particularly so this year. I mean, I can't change the market. But I would also like to work for a good fit school, rather than going anywhere and having to deal with unhealthy departments. I have been to one before and it does more harm than good in the long run.

It's probably just an off year.  Statistical variance and all.  Last year was my third year on the market.  I only got four prelim interviews (2 tt and 2 non).  And the one tt interview was for a horrible school and would have sucked for many different reasons.  I ended up getting a good VAP.  This year I've had 6 interviews so far (3 tt and 3 non).  The three tt interviews were all for pretty solid schools.  I just got offered a good t-t job on Friday (fourth year on the market).  I would think it was just an off year more than anything else for you.  fwiw, most of the places I interviewed with this year were actually impressed that I had three years of post-PhD experience.  I definitely got the impression that they saw it as a positive that they could scoop me up and not a negative.

[watermarkup]

I had my best response rate to my applications when I was Ph.D. + 4. The most important factors in extending the shelf life of your degree are probably (depending on your field) a continually expanding list of publications and/or current teaching experience. But other factors, like the number of positions advertised in your field or in your specialty, are out of your control. What's something you can be doing now to make yourself a plausible applicant next year for jobs that you didn't fit this year?

Do keep in mind that the correlation between good schools and good departments is not very high, in my limited experience.