Preparing for the Academic Job Market

Individual Academic Career Consultations

Individual consultations are focused on how best to document the scholarship of one's teaching.

Humanities & Social Sciences, contact Associate Director Laura Hess
Physical & Life Sciences, contact Associate Director Kathy Takayama

Professional Development Seminar

The Professional Development Seminar is open only to those who have completed the Teaching Certificate I Program.

Online Resources

General Resources
Documenting Your Teaching Philosophy
Preparing a Teaching Portfolio
Writing Cover Letters & CV's
Preparing for Interviews
Negotiating a Job Offer
Preparing for Your First Year as Faculty Member

General Resources

The website of Brown University’s Career Development Center has useful advice and resources to help prepare for the academic job market.

The Chronicle of Higher Education (http://www.chronicle.com) not only contains extensive job listings, but also has a wealth of articles pertaining to the academic job market and academic careers.

In "Learning the Lingo" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education), Mary Morris Heiberger and Julie Miller Vick explain many of the terms commonly used in higher education in America.

In "Getting Psyched Up for the Market" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education), Mary Morris Heiberger and Julie Miller Vick outline some basic things to consider as one prepares to to go on the academic market.

In "Academic Job Searching for Dummies (or, 10 Easy Ways to Avoid Unemployment)" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education), Gabriella Montell suggests ten basic strategies for success on the academic job market.

Zelda Rifkin's article "How We Did It" (from The Chronicle of Higher Education) is an excellent description of how one institution chose a finalist from a large pool of applicants for a tenure-track position.

The Sheridan Center's handout of suggested headings for academic portfolios is a comprehensive list of possible items to include in an electronic portfolio showcasing one's academic work.

Documenting Your Teaching Philosophy

“Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement”, University Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Ohio State University (NB: The section entitled “Guidance on Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement” may be especially helpful.)

"Writing a Teaching Statement" and "Writing Tips to Help You Get Started on a Teaching Philosophy", Center for Instructional Development and Research, University of Washington

Lee Haugen, "Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement", Center for Teaching Effectiveness, Iowa State University

Gail E. Goodyear & Douglas Allchin, "Statements of Teaching Philosophy", Center for Effective Teaching and Learning, University of Texas at El Paso

Online collections of teaching philosophy statements:

By experienced graduate student TA's, Office of Instructional Support & Development, University of Georgia
By faculty and graduate students, Faculty & TA Development, Ohio State University

Preparing a Teaching Portfolio

Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, The Teaching Portfolio

Peter Seldin, "How to Produce a Teaching Portfolio" - excerpts from Peter Seldin, ed. The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions (Anker, 2004)

Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Good Teachers Wanted", The Chronicle of Higher Education

Websites worth exploring:

"Developing a Teaching Portfolio" and "Teaching Portfolio Resources", Center for Instructional Development and Research, University of Washington
"Teaching Portfolios", Center for Effective Teaching and Learning, University of Texas at El Paso
(NB: This website has a collection of sample portfolios)

Writing Cover Letters & CV's

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Gene C. Fant Jr., "'What If I've Never Heard of This Place?' A 30-Minute Internet Search for Job Seekers"
"Employer Profiles"
Dennis Baron, "To Whom It May Concern: Reading Job Applications"
Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "How to Write Appealing Cover Letters"
Carol Kolmerten, "What Small Colleges Really Want"
Richard M. Reis, "The Basics of Cover Letter Writing"
Richard M. Reis, "The Basics of Science C.V.'s."
The CV Doctor (by Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick)

Preparing for Interviews

Michele Marincovich, "The Academic Job Talk" (a posting from the Tomorrow's Professor Listserv)

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Peter S. Cahn, "A New View on Interviews"
Dennis Baron, "The Campus Visit"
Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "How to Handle Difficult Interview Questions"
Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Interviewing Before You're Invited to Campus"
Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Making the Most of Your Campus Interview"
Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "What to Do When They Say, 'Tell Us About Your Research'"
Patricia Armstrong, Kathleen L. Mannheimer & Katherine Stanton, "How Would You Teach This Class?"
Julie Miller Vick & Jennifer S. Furlong, "Asking the Right Questions"
Donald E. Hall, "Interviewing at a Teaching-Focused University"
Richard M. Reis, "Giving a Job Talk in the Sciences"

From Dawn M. Formo and Cheryl Reed's book, Job Search in Academe: Strategic Rhetorics for Faculty Job Candidates (Stylus Publishing, 1999):

"Campus Interview - The Research Presentation" (a posting from the Tomorrow's Professor Listserv)
"Job-Search Jitters or Warning Bells?" (an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education)

Negotiating a Job Offer

The website of Brown University’s Career Development Center has an entire section on negotiation.

“Academic Job Search – Negotiations”, Center for Career Services, University of Washington

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick, "Negotiating a Better Deal"
Rebecca A. Bryant & Amber Marks, "Go Ahead, Haggle"

Preparing for your First Year as a Faculty Member

The Chronicle of Higher Education 's archive of topical article

“Tomorrow's Academic Careers” – postings from the Tomorrow's Professor Listserv

PhDs - The Transition from Graduate Student to Assistant Professor, Career Center, UC-Berkeley

“Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career.”
NB: Although this is from a professional development website designed specifically for Geoscience faculty, it contains a wealth of online resources relevant to all new faculty. Topics covered include (1) Making Choices: Finding Your Balance, (2) Efficient, Effective Teaching, (3) Developing a Thriving Research Program, and (4) Getting Tenure.

Selected “Random Thoughts” columns by Professor Richard M. Felder of North Carolina State University

“The Effective, Efficient Professor”
NB: This article sums up the main points of Phillip Wankat's eponymous book.
“Things I wish they had told me” (coauthored with Rebecca Brent)
“The New Faculty Member”
NB: This article summarizes the key points of Robert Boice's Advice for New Faculty Members.
“How to Prepare New Courses While Keeping Your Sanity” (coauthored with Rebecca Brent)

Quentin Vicens & Philip E. Bourne, “Ten Simple Rules To Combine Teaching and Research”, PLoS Computational Biology