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Post by ugh on Oct 3, 2011 11:40:18 GMT -5
Apparently UMass got 586 applications this year for their two positions (labor and open).
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Post by yeah but on Oct 3, 2011 11:50:32 GMT -5
ugh, I share your concern. But, let's think about it. TWO job ads at different levels (new assistant AND adv assistant/early assoc), open area of expertise, at a quality place in a part of the country most sociologists would feel very comfortable living in.
That said, it does worry me that these "open" positions might draw massive pools of applicants, since that's mostly what I'm applying for, thanks for my less-than-highly-sought-after area of expertise.
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Post by bigpicture on Oct 3, 2011 12:26:26 GMT -5
I wonder why we're looking for justifications for UMass's numbers when we know some of the numbers for other positions. There are far too many applicants on the market for the number of jobs listed, period.
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Post by yeah on Oct 3, 2011 12:31:35 GMT -5
Yeah, and if you split up the numbers - say 400 for the assistant and 200 for the advanced position - the Umass numbers are high, but not really more than anyone else. The job market is 'good' this year in the sense that there are more jobs, but 'bad' since there are just huge numbers of folks who got stuck in grad school, went to post-docs (some or many of which were opened specifically as a result of the bad job market - see the 6 ASA post-docs from last year or two years ago, as well as a few others I know of), or took jobs they knew they would want to leave quickly. This is why the numbers of applicants are high everywhere.
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Post by rerefd on Oct 4, 2011 9:28:14 GMT -5
I am at an academic research institute associated with a large state university. We hired last year and got around 100 applications. However, over half were clearly not qualified - no PhD, totally wrong area, not in the country. Of the 50-ish who were qualified, only maybe 10 fit the opening very well.
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Post by huh on Oct 4, 2011 9:29:40 GMT -5
Not in the country? What does that have to do with it?
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anon
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Post by anon on Oct 4, 2011 11:49:52 GMT -5
I was talking to my diss chair about the ridiculous number of UMass applicants yesterday. His take on it is this:
Don't let the number intimidate you. They will be able to trim the pile to between 30 and 50 in a couple of hours. First cut everyone obviously unqualified (English PhDs and the like). Then cut everyone with no pubs. Then cut everyone not from a top 25 program (except those with great pubs). At that point you will be rid of a huge majority of applications and can almost certainly start paying more attention to individual packages.
Don't know if this will help any of you or obviously if UMass will proceed with those exact filters, but I figured it was worth sharing.
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Post by hmm on Oct 4, 2011 11:56:31 GMT -5
anon -- I think you're right about being able to narrow it down significantly, but do you really think there are only 30 to 50 applicants for that position that meet those criteria (has pubs, top-25 program, or exceptional CVs from non-top-25 programs)?
As someone who basically meets those criteria, that would make me feel much more confident about my prospects on the market this year, but I think that might be a low estimate.
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Post by im with hmm on Oct 4, 2011 12:06:27 GMT -5
having looked at my cv and cv's of the top 30-50 of previous years, I'm not top 30-50 (on paper. in real life, I'm a star). But I do fit the criteria you listed (top 25 school, has some pubs).
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anon
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Post by anon on Oct 4, 2011 12:10:22 GMT -5
I'm just relaying what he said since I found it helpful. But yeah, I think it is quite low too. I'd be amazed if that number was less than 75 or 100. I can think of at least 4 people at my department who applied there and could easily pass those cuts. If that holds steady over the 97 or so top 25 programs, that is still an assload of candidates. I wouldn't be surprised that with the backlog this year the cuts might be top-10 only or multiple pubs. But this is all speculation.
That said, I also check the grad CVs at schools where I apply to see how mine compares and I found it surprisingly common for people in high ranked programs to graduate with no pubs at all or only one or two, which are sometimes just chapters or encyclopedia entries.
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anon
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Post by anon on Oct 4, 2011 12:19:01 GMT -5
Yes, my sense is that the market for new PhD's actually did clear a little bit last year. Go to any top-end program and you will see that few of the people going on the market have multiple good publications. You will see lots of people listing stuff under R&R and under review.
Of course, more advanced people going back on the market is another matter.
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Post by hmm on Oct 4, 2011 12:21:29 GMT -5
I'm not top 30-50 (on paper. in real life, I'm a star) Best thing I've read or heard today. anon, I've noticed the same thing as I've looked at some of the places I'm applying. Just goes to show how crazy the whole thing is.
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Post by anony on Oct 5, 2011 9:59:39 GMT -5
Rice received 237 applications for their two jr positions (urban and gender/family).
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anon
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Post by anon on Oct 5, 2011 10:03:03 GMT -5
That's combined? How about individually?
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Post by anony on Oct 5, 2011 10:39:04 GMT -5
Sorry - I don't know - although I do know there were considerably more for the gender/family position.
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