The Academic Job Search Handbook - Jennifer S. Furlong

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to your field, but they always offer you an opportunity to meet more people in your discipline in one place than you can ever encounter elsewhere. Even if they are not hiring, colleagues are a source of potential information about their institutions, their departments, and their research. They may share information or remember you when you later apply to their departments; they may be people you can later contact for information. But how do you meet them? Here are some suggestions.

      Before the conference:

      • Choose which conference sessions you would like to attend and determine some goals for the conference in advance to help you plan your time. For instance, perhaps you wish to meet particular people, attend specific presentations or discussions, and seek feedback on a topic connected with your research.

      • Find out which faculty members from your department will attend. If there is anyone to whom you would particularly like to be introduced, see if they can help you.

      • Plan some unscheduled time for chance meetings with other scholars. If you can afford to do so, stay at the main site for the conference. If not, spend some time in the main conference meeting area, thus giving yourself the opportunity to meet people.

      • Practice introducing yourself and giving a brief introduction to your research.

      During the conference:

      • Wear your nametag, and do not be shy about introducing yourself. Don’t assume people will remember you.

      • Participate in smaller interest groups which may have meetings apart from presentations. Some organizations, for example, have active women’s groups.

      • Much information gets exchanged at receptions and informal social gatherings. Plan to attend these whenever possible.

      • Attend sessions that interest you and talk with the speakers afterward, using your interest in their presentations as an icebreaker.

      • Introduce people to each other when you have a chance.

      It is appropriate to walk up even to well-established faculty or researchers and introduce yourself. Few people consider this an imposition. In fact, both established and less well-known faculty find it very flattering when less experienced people in their field introduce themselves and say, “I’ve looked forward to meeting you” and state why.

      If you are shy, you may prefer to meet people in structured situations. Rather than letting yourself become nervous about meeting people, think about the links between your work and that of those you would like to meet. If it helps, think of meeting new ideas, rather than new personalities. If you are very outgoing, it may be easier to introduce yourself to strangers. In either case, remember that networking works only if you make a good impression. When you meet new people, your interest in their work, your work, and the field should dominate your conversation.

      If you are seeking information, elicit it naturally in the course of conversation. If people feel that your main interest is to pump them for job information, you would be better off not speaking with them in the first place. Avoid being overly pushy with or fawning over established researchers. Courtesy and consideration are good guidelines. People who are considering a candidate for a faculty position are looking not only for someone who is creative and smart and has a great future, but also for someone who is going to be a good colleague, that is, pleasant to have around and work with.

      Serendipity can play a large part in your career path, and being prepared lets you make the most of chance encounters. You may ride an elevator with or find yourself seated next to a luminary in your field, someone whose work you have always admired. Introduce yourself and state your interest in or connection to this individual and do not shy away from having a little conversation. You never know, but this person may remember you sometime down the road while serving on a search committee, on a review board, or in another professional context.

      A conference mixes social and professional events and behaviors. As a job candidate, keep the professional aspect of the gathering foremost in your mind. There is the possibility that someone you approach may assume that your interest is social or romantic rather than professional. Make sure that your manner and attire convey a professional interest. If you are in doubt whether this is clear to the other person, stick to public settings (meetings and restaurants rather than suites or rooms), be extra cautious about your own alcohol consumption, and disengage yourself from anyone who drinks too much.

      Participating in a professional network is a valuable activity that will help you, not only in your search for your first position, but throughout your career as well. From it come possibilities for collaborative efforts, invitations to submit papers, and professional stimulation. So it’s worthwhile to begin the process, whether it comes easily or with difficulty.

      Chapter 6

      Letters of Recommendation

      At some point in the screening process for nearly every job, and frequently as part of your initial application, you will be asked to ensure that letters supporting your candidacy reach the hiring department. The number requested varies, but three is typical. Since letters require the cooperation of others, allow yourself plenty of time to obtain them.

       Choosing Your Recommenders and Asking for Letters

      The choice of recommenders is important and merits careful thought. Your dissertation advisor, if you are currently a graduate student, or your postdoctoral mentor, if you are a postdoc, will likely be your primary letter writer. Other letter writers might be members of your dissertation committee, current collaborators, or anyone else who can talk in detail about your potential as a faculty member. Most of your letters will probably be from your own department or institution, but it is also acceptable, and even advantageous, to ask for letters from scholars outside your institution, if they are very familiar with your work. The most effective letters of recommendation reinforce what you say about your own research and teaching, making your own statements stronger and more credible.

      Of course it is helpful to have a letter from someone who is widely known in your field, but do not ask people to write on your behalf unless they really know your work. If you are applying for postdocs or for positions at top research institutions, letters will speak primarily to your strength as a researcher.

      If you are applying for jobs that emphasize teaching, you will probably see some ads that require “evidence of excellence in teaching.” Faculty generally agree that letters from students you have taught are not convincing on their own, though these may be a useful component of your teaching portfolio. One way to respond to this type of request is to ask the recommender who knows your teaching best to write a letter addressing your teaching. Give this person copies of student evaluations of your teaching, if you have them. He or she can incorporate overall numerical standings (perhaps giving a context for them, such as departmental and school average scores), quotes from students’ comments, and his or her own assessment based on first-hand observation.

      In some professional fields, such as business and architecture, a letter from a former employer or consulting client may be helpful, especially for a school that values interaction with practitioners.

      Ask for letters as far in advance as possible. Faculty members receive many requests for them. Phrase your request in such a way that if someone does not feel comfortable writing for you, he or she can gracefully decline. A tactful approach might be, “I’d appreciate a recommendation from you if you feel you know my work well enough to recommend me.” If there is someone who must serve as a recommender, such as an advisor, about whose opinion of your work you are in doubt, you may want to ask that person to discuss with you frankly the types of positions for which he or she can enthusiastically support your candidacy.

      While you should never take for granted that someone will recommend you with enthusiasm, do not feel you are imposing on faculty by asking them to be recommenders. At most institutions, the success of its students in the job market is one of the ways by which a graduate department is evaluated, and advisors with highly successful students enhance their own reputations. Therefore, when someone can honestly write a strong recommendation for you, it is in that person’s interest

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