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Post by worth it on Feb 19, 2011 19:00:52 GMT -5
Applied to probably 40ish during the fall cycle. 3 phone interviews 4 on-campus interviews 1 offer (accepted)
It was definitely worth it to apply to that many. I'm ABD with a great CV in a 'hot' field (Crim) and the competitions was still crazy this year. The job I accepted was in a geographic area I initially didn't even consider, but I'm very, very happy with the decision. If I had limited my search to under 25 applications, I would have probably had 1/2 the interviews and no offer yet.
So, my advice: Apply as broadly as you can possibly stand to accept, both in terms of geography and in terms of department (R1, SLAC, CC, etc.). At worst, you've spent a couple days extra work and maybe $50 worth of postage to increase the chances of landing a $50k+/year position this cycle.
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Post by hey on Feb 19, 2011 22:05:54 GMT -5
I applied for 16 jobs and three postdocs. One interview scheduled.
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Post by nearly 50 on Feb 20, 2011 10:00:50 GMT -5
I sent materials to every position that in any way might have possibly made sense. After nearly 10 years of grad student/post doc life, I felt very strongly that I required (mentally and financially) stable and permanent employment...thus my threshold was considerably lower this year than in previous job cycles. If I didn't get something this year I was going to take my skills and find another career, but before that I wanted to feel absolutely certain that I did everything I could to land a tenure track position.
I ended up applying to nearly 50 positions. I heard back from 9 departments overall, but some of those were after I accepted a position. Before I accepted a job, I had four phone interviews and three fly outs.
The job I accepted is in a location that I would have never considered previously. When I got invited to campus I was very skeptical about the location, but the more I researched it, the more I felt like I could be happy there. Then when I visited and saw it for myself, I felt even more positive about it, and I left campus really hoping to get the offer. I was lucky enough to get it. This was for a job I almost did not even apply to.
So I'm very happy and I'm grateful that my adviser was insistent that I apply as widely as possible. I will give the same advice to my future graduate students. Why turn down a job before it has been offered?
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Post by numbers on Feb 20, 2011 10:13:16 GMT -5
I've applied for 68 TT positions, 3 post-docs. I've gotten:
2 phone interviews. 7 on campus interviews (3 completed, 4 coming up).
Hoping one of the 5 "out there interviews" leads to an offer.
During the ASA ES I completed 12 interviews.
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Post by more numbers on Feb 20, 2011 12:43:44 GMT -5
ABD, 1 sole-authored pub, teaching experience
Fall- 27 TT jobs 3 phone interviews 2 campus interviews 0 offers
Spring- 3 TT jobs 5 Postdocs 2 VAPs
Short-listed for one postdoc. Still waiting on the others...
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Post by photon on Feb 20, 2011 14:18:54 GMT -5
my stats are very similar to numbers - ABD, 1 sole pub, quite a bit of teaching experience, applied to 27 schools.
3 flyouts coming up - 2 in my very specific (and somewhat unusual) area.
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Post by laughthroughit on Feb 20, 2011 14:42:36 GMT -5
I'm ABD with no publications. I've taught 10 courses as the sole instructor with excellent evaluations and teaching awards. Some research grants, though they're several years old now. I've applied to 33 positions so far (TT, VAP, Instructor, postdocs). As of right now, I've had one phone interview.
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Post by chirp on Feb 20, 2011 15:06:44 GMT -5
Many of you sound like me a few years ago.
TT assistant articles and grant $ 20ish applications ? short lists 0 phone interviews 0 in-person interviews
The positions all went to ABDs, except one senior hire.
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Post by wide on Feb 20, 2011 15:11:25 GMT -5
I applied very widely - over 60 applications. I had multiple solo-authored pubs and some teaching awards. I got 13 interviews, but most of those came after I had already accepted a position.
In the end, I probably didn't need to apply widely since I got interviews or offers at virtually all of my top choice schools and ending up taking one of those jobs. But I am really glad that I did apply widely and will recommend to others to do the same, regardless of how competitive they are.
The first reason I'll recommend the strategy is that, as "nearly 50" said, it doesn't make sense to turn down a job before it has been offered. It happened me as well that schools I never would have considered based on geography really turned out to be amazing fits in completely unexpected ways.
The second reason I'd recommend applying widely is that the job market is a great way to network and gain exposure/recognition. No one told me that as I was applying, but it's true. Because I applied widely more people have read my stuff than would have otherwise, and I now have more professional connections. Plus, even schools that didn't offer me interview sent me separate individualized emails about my work. So the job market isn't just about landing a job - it can also be a way to gain more visibility and to meet other folks in the discipline.
And finally, the job market is unpredictable. Might as well cover your bases. I got lucky this time but that doesn't mean I'd have been as lucky in another year.
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Post by GotIt on Feb 20, 2011 15:33:42 GMT -5
I think my experience is very similar to Nearly Fifty.
I was an ABD at a top-five program with a book contract, a couple of chapters, and a sole-authored article in a top specialty journal. I applied to about 40 positions, some of which were outside of my "desired" places to live. I got a campus visit for a postdoc (got the offer, accepted), two campus visits at R1s (got and accepted one offer), and two phone interviews at R1s. None of the SLAC schools even looked twice at me, as far as I can tell, despite the fact that I have lots of teaching experience (including methods).
The TT positions I accepted (deferred until after my postdoc) is in a place that I never even considered living, but think I may end up loving. The more I researched the department, the more I found myself saying "It's such a great department in a great university, I just wish it wasn't in X." The visit, however, totally won me over. Great colleagues who clearly love where they work and a surprisingly nice town. Seeing how much the faculty enjoy their work and support each other was inspiring and exciting. It particularly stood out in contrast to my other visit which was in a much "nicer" metro area but several of the faculty actually live quite far away and commute in. They were professional with each other, but clearly not friends. I know that I was the second choice candidate at the school where I'm headed, but I loved it enough not to care. They also handled every aspect of the process professionally, even the fact that I knew the first choice candidate and so knew all along that I was second. No big deal in the long-term, though.
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Post by lemmesee on Feb 20, 2011 17:07:23 GMT -5
Ph.D. Currently Researcher and an adjunct for 8 years several publications-of which 1 solo author, another first author Second time on the market
23 schools 1 outright rejection mail 3 or so wikirejections 3 phone interviews 3 campus visits-no rejections so from these visits 1 additional request for more information (hopefully yielding to a campus visit) 1 offer (less than 24 hours after my campus visit) 1 other offer expected as they asked my refs for letters after the campus visit-was told I was a front runner (fingers crossed).
Blessed, Very fortunate and lucky-hang in there everybody!!!
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Post by hey on Feb 20, 2011 17:48:12 GMT -5
Hang in there indeed! The market is a lot better this year! Last year was horrible.
This is my third year on the market. I have three solo pubs, one co-authorship, a few small research and travel grants, and tons of teaching experience.
I have one campus visit scheduled as I wrote above and one request for additional materials. I am still waiting to here from a number of schools.
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Post by teach on Feb 20, 2011 20:59:12 GMT -5
ABD Top 30 program 1 sole-authored publication Extensive teaching experience (5 years, multiple core and elective courses) Applied to 38 schools in every region of the country (R1, R2, Regional Universities, SLAC, CC) 2 requests for more materials 2 phone interviews 1 campus visit 1 offer (accepted) After I accepted offer I heard from 3 more schools offering campus and phone interviews (1 SLAC, 1 regional university, 1 CC)
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Post by anonywolf on Feb 21, 2011 8:51:58 GMT -5
2 sole authored publications, 4 encyclopedia entries teaching experience as Instructor of Record for 2 core soc courses and 1 CJ course, plus TA experience 2 national/external fellowships, 5 institutional fellowships, 3 research awards/grants 10+ conference presentations Top 10 department, dissertation is finished and being defended within the month
40 TT assistant professor applications to R1, R2, regional universities, and SLACs in the US, Canada, and Western Europe 7 postdoc applications (none of these were SoF, RWJ, or the other big ones--I still haven't heard about 4 of them) 15 government positions applied for 10 NGO/policy institute/think thank positions applied for 2 requests for additional material 0 phone interviews 0 campus interviews 1 government interview 1 government offer (accepted)
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Post by floydian on Feb 21, 2011 12:32:44 GMT -5
One solo-authored pub in top journal of my area; 3 co-authored pubs (1 lead author, two second-author...one in a top-3); 4 encyclopedia chapters, and a co-authored book chapter. Significant TA experience (4 years, 3 quarters each), and 11 quarters of lecturing broadly from theory to demographics to intro. And, yes, let's face it...presenting at conferences doesn't count for shit (I have tons of presentations, some I didn't even attend but was on the paper)...Two of the three best in my field writing letters, and one subsidiary letter writer who is pretty damn famous in my second field.
Applied to 43 schools 3 Telephone Interviews 4 Email Requests for Phone Interviews 3 Campus Interviews 1 Offer Accepted
These numbers, if you look across this thread and others like it, don't mean anything to anyone. I have, if people are being honest, read here about some people whose accomplishments well outshine mine, and I was in a top 25-32 program (not sure exactly where it lands there, just know it is there). There is no magic formula. The irony of this post just shows how hard wired our brains are to create order out of chaos, to find patterns.
Ultimately, it is a timing issue mixed with who you know and/or who knows you, plus your publications. Moreover, your papers in progress and under review sections of your vita are underemphasized on this board, if you ask me. Last year I went out and did ok, but didn't play up the papers I had under review, what stage they were at, and the number of papers I was legitimately working on. This year I did, and I was getting way more bites. I think the biggest fear is that you will be dead wood or fail under the pressure of teaching/committee/publishing. Not surprising, though. I think of many grad students in my department who could barely keep up with the course work, let alone think about publishing. You have to always have papers in the pipeline at various stages.
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