The academic job search handbook

For more than 15 years, The Academic Job Search Handbook has assisted job seekers in all academic disciplines in their search for faculty positions. The guide includes information on aspects of the search that are common to all levels, with invaluable tips for those seeking their first or second faculty position. This new edition provides updated advice and addresses hot topics in the competitive job market of today, including the challenges faced by dual-career couples, job search issues for pregnant candidates, and advice on how to deal with gaps in a CV. The chapter on alternatives to academic jobs has been expanded, and sample resumes from individuals seeking nonfaculty positions are included.

The book begins with an overview of the hiring process and a timetable for applying for academic positions. It then gives detailed information on application materials, interviewing, negotiating job offers, and starting the new job. Guidance throughout is aimed at all candidates, with frequent reference to the specifics of job searches in scientific and technical fields as well as those in the humanities and social sciences. Advice on seeking postdoctoral opportunities is also included.

Perhaps the most significant contribution is the inclusion of sample vitas. The Academic Job Search Handbook describes the organization and content of the vita and includes samples from a variety of fields. In addition to CVs and research statements, new in this edition are a sample interview itinerary, a teaching portfolio, and a sample offer letter. The job search correspondence section has also been updated, and there is current information on Internet search methods and useful websites.

• Acknowledgments p. vii
• Introduction to the Fourth Edition p. 1
• I What You Should Know Before You Start
• 1 The Structure of Academic Careers p. 5
• 2 Hiring from the Institution's Point of View p. 10
• II Planning and Timing Your Search
• 3 Becoming a Job Candidate: The Timetable for Your Search p. 19
• 4 Deciding Where and When to Apply p. 24
• 5 The Importance of Advisors and Professional Networks p. 31
• 6 Conference Presentations and Networking p. 36
• 7 Letters of Recommendation p. 40
• 8 Learning About Openings p. 45
• III Written Materials for the Search: Suggestions and Samples
• 9 Responding to Position Announcements p. 51
• 10 Vitas p. 52
• 11 Additional Application Materials p. 117
• 12 Web Sites p. 148
• 13 Job Hunting Correspondence p. 153
• IV Conducting the Search
• 14 Interviewing p. 177
• 15 Off-Site Interviews: Conference/Convention and Telephone Interviews p. 187
• 16 Campus Interviews p. 194
• 17 Job Offers, Negotiations, Acceptances, and Rejections p. 204
• V After You Take the Job
• 18 Starting the Job p. 219
• 19 Knowing About and Getting Tenure p. 225
• 20 Changing Jobs p. 229
• VI Additional Considerations
• 21 Dual Career Couples, Pregnant on the Job Market, and Related Concerns p. 235
• 22 International Scholars, Older Candidates, Gaps in Your Vita p. 246
• 23 Thinking About the Expanded Job Market p. 251
• Appendices
• Appendix 1 National Job Listing Sources and Scholarly and Professional Associations p. 269
• Appendix 2 Additional Reading p. 281
• Index p. 285