Status of Searches postings

[Perhaps]

Unless you are a representative of the school, it would be helpful when posting updates to a search status to simply state your experience, i.e. I received a call from X University and they did/said/requested/invited this (see the UCal-Berkley update for an excellent example). Postings not originating from faculty from the school that state X University is now doing cold calls/long list/short list/interviews are based on conjecture and not a helpful clarification of the status of the search process.  This may avoid the confusion present in threads such as MSU and U Deleware.  Thanks.

[guestguest]

no way--people should definitely feel free to add whatever rumors they hear (helpful to have some guess at level of confidence...). Many of the folks getting all the calls are likely reluctant to post here--which is why we rely on their friends, acquaintances, spies...

[I agree]

with guestguest. This is the "rumor mill" plus, if it was only faculty/people directly being contacted, people's identities could be outed

[Rubbish]

I think Perhaps has a valid point, though maybe took it too far. Post freely, but at least give some context as to how you came by the information - through direct contact, a friend, a spy, a troll.

[Be responsible]

I disagree with two posts above ("I agree" and "guestguest"). We should populate the rumor mill with some context, and it's super easy! I can say, "I've heard directly/directly that school X is doing Y." All without outing anyone! =)

[redundant]

Isn't this what the wiki is for?

[opinions]

Wasn't sure where to put this but at the beginning of every year people start freaking out when schools start to move. Is the information real? It can't be?? What do you mean, they scheduled interviews? I understand this is all very stressful, but I would suggest reading through some of the past few years threads to see how things work. Some schools call for interviews the day the ad closes, some take months. Some do phone interviews - many do not. Some call references. Some tell people they are on the long list and ask if they are still interested. All of these things happen! It would be useful to get a sense of this, and if you are really interested in a particular school - try to find what they did in past year (phone interviews, straight to campus visits, moved fast or slow, etc). Just a piece of advice. I get tired of opening threads expecting information just to find things like "what's happening?" "they can't really have scheduled interviews?!?!" etc

[more advice]

Another pearl of wisdom that gets passed on every year:

"You won't find any good news on the rumor mill."

The only good news you might receive will come from the schools themselves, and this will be sent to you personally. They'll never use this site to set up an interview with you! The only information you'll receive here - whether it is bogus or real - will suggest that you didn't make the cut. That information will never be definitive, of course, because departments might revisit their original pool (or their short list after an offer has been turned down).

Until you have received a formal (and personal, though of course usually impersonal at the same time) rejection notice, you only know two things for sure:

1. They have not turned you down.
2. They have not offered you the job.

To repeat: you will never get any good news from this website. While I certainly understand the desire to know where one stands in the search process, it is best (from a mental health / emotional perspective) to accept the state of uncertainty that we're all in. Our rumor mill does not change that reality. Find some zen, and stop checking for updates here if it simply creates more stress in your life.

Best wishes to everyone on the market. It's a grueling experience, but hopefully many of us will find some success in moving on to the next stages of our careers.

[thanks]

To "more advice"--this is, hands down, the best advice I have heard on this site. I am going to turn off my computer now and do something more productive than worry over these applications.

[Followup]

Last year I got multiple offers from good schools. I was not in the initial pool of on-campus invitees for any of them. Hang in there, everyone.