Outline Timeline Venues to search for SLATE positions - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Outline

Timeline

Venues to search for SLATE positions

Which jobs to apply for

Application materials

CV

Cover Letter

Research Statement

Teaching Statement (& portfolio)

Timeline

Before beginning the search, talk to you advisor!

Will you be able to finish your dissertation on time?

Job search is VERY time-consuming

Committees prefer candidates who show evidence of finishing on time

If you find a position but don’t graduate on time, you could lose the position (or income)

Timeline

Ads posted year-round, but tenure-track positions usually begin to come out in late August

Full year ahead of start date.

We’re in full swing now!

Majority posted by October

Applications due Oct/Nov/Dec, usually

Interview may begin before winter break, but many in early spring semester

Never too early to start preparing for job search!

Update your CV regularly

As things happen

!

Or get in the habit of keeping a running list of accomplishments/activities each year & use it for grad student annual reviews and CV-updating.

You’ll need to do this as a faculty member, too!

Venues to search for SLATE positions

LinguistList

http

://linguistlist.org/jobs/

MLA Job Information list

http

://www.mla.org/resources/jil

Membership needed (ask your

dept

)

AAAL Job Bank

http

://www.aaal.org/jobbank.cfm

Chronicle of Higher Education

http

://chronicle.com/section/Jobs/61/

CUNY Conference listserv

https://lists.qc.cuny.edu/mailman/listinfo/sentproc

AMLaP

Conference listserv

http://www.amlap.org/amlap-list.html

Which jobs should you apply for?

• Read the ad

carefully

Some

ads are very specific, some are general

– Some search committees mean exactly what they say in terms of the kind of applicants they are looking for; some are more flexible

• Prioritize

Apply

first for the jobs that seem to fit you the best

• Area of specialization

• Experience

• Desirability

Don’t

discount those jobs that don’t fit your idea of the perfect position

• Keep a record of the jobs you’ve applied

for

Deadlines

Application

materials and date

submitted

Any

contact with search

committees

Organization is key

!

SHARE this information with your letter writers!

Reality Check #1

Be realistic about your qualifications and your fit to the job.

One of the saddest stories from my experience

…

If you’re not qualified or not realistic, you also put your letter writers in a tough position.

Also be realistic about your expectations & what would make you happy.

If you simply cannot see yourself living in, say, the Deep South or Detroit or

…

where ever

–

Don’t waste everyone’s time (including your own).

CV

Regular paper/fonts; no fancy design

Basics include

contact information

Education

Work history (related to position)

Fellowships/awards/grants

Publications & presentations

Teaching experience

Service

Don’t pad your CV!

Check with your advisor about format/content in your specific (sub)field

Sample

…

Cover letter

On departmental letterhead

1-2 pages

Required aspects: Research & teaching (& depending on ad, service)

Address all requirements in ad

Be specific; give examples

If not yet defended, state anticipated defense & grad dates

Phrase letter in terms of department/university

Start with dissertation/research for research position; start with teaching experience for teaching position

Show confidence in your abilities, but don’t be overconfident/arrogant

Sample

…

Sample statements…

Ask advisor, friends who’ve found jobs for examples.

Ask advisor, trusted professors for input on early drafts of your statements.

Reality Check #2

You’re going to have to apply to a lot of jobs.

I think I applied to ~32 jobs

You’re not going to hear anything

–

not even a rejection

–

from many (most?) of them.

Interviews will be few and far between for almost everyone.

I got 1 conference, 1 phone, & 2 on-campus interviews (3 if you count an invite that came in after I had accepted UIUC’s offer)

2 job offers

This was all after a year of postdoc work with some of the biggest names in psycholinguistics

Postdocs are perfectly fine first jobs

–

apply for them, too!

Don’t take rejections personally.

Sometimes just a matter of ‘fit’ or departmental ‘need’.

Find some way to keep your spirits up. Seriously. The process can be damaging.

Questions…?