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Post by 2-timer on Sept 26, 2013 17:09:58 GMT -5
Ok, so how many of you here have been on the job market more than once? How many times and why/under what circumstances?
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Post by grizzled veteran on Sept 27, 2013 10:48:37 GMT -5
This is my seventh year on the market although a couple of these years I was on in a very limited way (maybe 2-3 schools). I have had VAP's, fellowships, and postdocs but never a TT job. This will be my last year on the market no matter what happens.
Some of the reasons and circumstances are easy to explain, while most are not. The easier explanations are the fact that I have been geographically limited. I have never applied to every possible job that fit in the country. Also, I have used some discretion about types of jobs (never applied to a more than 3-3 load).
The harder to know reasons are (in no particular order): my specialty areas, the 2008 job market crash, the "fit," the prestige of degree (i.e. top 50 not top 20), being politically active, the reputation of my chair (annoys many folks)... I'm almost certain it is not my teaching (awards and very strong evals), collegiality, or my CV (plenty of pubs, publish in ASA journals, a book with top press, awards, 2nd project well underway, service etc.) So it continues to be rough out there. Good luck to everyone.
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Post by multipleVAP on Sept 27, 2013 11:33:23 GMT -5
this will be my fourth year (in a row) on the job market. Like my fellow grizzled job market warrior above, this will be my last year on the market, unless they ask me to stay another year at my current temporary place of employment, which I am currently putting at about a 30% possibility, and then I'd give it another go next year. I have been an adjunct and twice a VAP. It's a terrible way to live. constant uncertainty.
How I ended up this way? A combination of a low-demand specialty (thought about this at the time and just plain guessed wrong about the direction of the field), the crash of 2008, and not exactly a heaping pile of publications.
Now, why I think I even possibly have a chance this year-- I have really good teaching evals, a big fat teaching portfolio, and I should (fingers crossed) have another notch or two on the publication count. I am also getting better at reading between the lines of job ads and during interviews.
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Post by 3rd times a charm on Sept 27, 2013 16:45:56 GMT -5
This is my third year in a row. The first year, I was ABD, but barely, at a Top 30 institution, and I applied all over the country. I got a TT job at a regional school in my home state. The fit was terrible, and I should have turned the job down and stayed in grad school another year. I went on the market immediately. I now had PhD in hand, but no prestige behind my name coming from the regional school. I received three on-campus interviews for tt jobs at tiny teaching schools with 4/4 load. I also applied for a postdoc. I got the postdoc and turned down the small teaching schools. Now I am on the market again. My postdoc can be 1 or 2 years, but there are a lot of good jobs out there right now. So, I am applying all around. I have a campus interview already. I hope my gamble on this postdoc pays off.
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Post by keep your head up! on Oct 2, 2013 0:14:41 GMT -5
Academia can be a tough grind at times--sending you all some good mojo!
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Post by historical data on Oct 6, 2013 21:24:02 GMT -5
I went on the market 3 times, just as the economy was crashing. Probably should have just gone for a postdoc, but actually couldn't afford to do a short-term move for a low salary. Did a broad, global search but ruled out rural areas to make my partner happy. Learned that it was weird to do econ soc as a book person, yet by the 2nd time around, I also realized my chances were much higher in a b-school, so upped my focus on that. Ended up in b-school strategy/orgs. Who knew?
Moral of the story - you should ask around to see where people think you'll fit, but sometimes you just have to let the market tell you how to package yourself.
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Post by 3rd times a charm on Oct 25, 2013 14:37:32 GMT -5
The third time looks to be the charm. I'm receiving much more interest than before. Good luck to everyone.
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Post by monkeygonetoheaven on Dec 13, 2015 21:15:50 GMT -5
This is my sixth year on the market:
- 1st year, tt offer (4-4 regional), postdoc offer. Took the postdoc, thinking that certainly the economy would improve and with more pubs I'd do better.
- 2nd year. Applied very selectively (maybe 3 apps total), nothing. Interviewed at R1. They decided to hire a superstar professor who was moving for spousal reasons. Institution hired the spouse as well. SC tried to get me, but dean said no to a 3rd hire.
- 3rd year. Applied widely, landed 4-4 regional tt job that paid less and was in a worse location that the one in the 1st, where I don't get to see my spouse during the week.
- 4th year. R1 from 2nd year had a position open, they contacted me to apply. Not even an interview.
- 5th year. Applied widely. Interviewed at a top SLAC. SC voted for me. Dean overruled them.
- 6th year. Couple places left to go. Likely will end up with nothing.
I get it, world. I wasted my time thinking I could have things like "be a professor" and "live withing driving distance of my spouse." And you know what is worst? At this point, the only thing giving me pause with regards to giving up on the professorial life is summers off. That is how little I have come to care about "the life of the mind."
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