Academia Stack Exchange
Academia Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [job-search]

The search for employment, inside academia or outside of it, by students and by academics.

1427 questions
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Should I cancel an interview if I already have a preferable offer?

I've been on the US tenure-track job market. I finally got an offer (let's call it A) that I am happy with. However, I have another interview scheduled (let's call it B). I think it is unlikely that I would prefer B over A. They are comparable…
user90332
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Is a "big ego" necessary for a tenure-track faculty position?

I have worked in a few high profile research institutes for my PhD and postdoc, and find myself a little intimidated by the "strong opinions" and arguments that seem to crop up at the principal investigator level. My personality is somewhat more…
concerned_postdoc
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How do I ensure that a search committee won't contact my current colleagues (that are not references) to ask about me?

I once applied to a job (in the US) where the search committee unexpectedly contacted one of my colleagues to ask about my job performance. This individual was not one of my references. I had never heard of this practice before, and now that I'm…
Richard
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How should I ask my new chair not to hire someone?

I recently received an offer to join another university (in the US). I have not told my new university this, but one of the main reasons I want to leave my current university is because of another member of the faculty (let's call him "Joe"). Joe…
microbiome
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5 answers

Charisma vs. credentials in academic hiring

While it's clear that having a sterling CV with lots of high profile papers will be beneficial to getting hired, I often hear from other faculty that, when hiring, they are looking for someone who "fits in", "could be a friend", and overall is…
Danny W.
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4 answers

What items should I ask for in my startup package?

I have offers for tenure-track computational biology positions at a couple of U.S. research universities. What sort of things do I need to budget for in my startup package?
Anonymous Postdoc
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3 answers

Is it appropriate and useful to inquire if an open position has an internal candidate?

It is not unusual for institutes to advertise positions (faculty or not) for which there is an internal candidate. In such situations, for external candidates, it may be difficult if not impossible to get in. When a position is advertised, is it…
gerrit
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4 answers

In a faculty job search, when and how should I reveal my preferences?

I am currently interviewing for tenure-track faculty positions at a number of top departments in my field. Despite getting some very positive feedback about my interviews, I have not yet received any offers. So far I have tried to avoid any "game…
Dnuorg Spu
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2 answers

How early should a graduate student begin their job search?

Generally speaking, are there good "milestones" to suggest that a graduate student should initiate their job search? Roughly a year from completion? More? Less? Is there a particular time of year a job search should be kicked off? Basically: The job…
Fomite
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3 answers

How many faculty positions should one apply to?

Since the start of the hiring season, I've seen around 20-30 job openings that looked interesting for assistant professor positions in my area of computer science. However, it's somewhat awkward to ask my recommendation letter writers to send…
somewhere_over_the_rainbow
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2 answers

Gaps between PhD and employment?

What is the longest gap of unemployment that will likely not affect your chance of getting an academic position (post-doc or faculty)? For example if you graduate from your PhD in December or January but most post-doctoral/faculty positions in your…
WetlabStudent
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4 answers

What does it mean to be on a short list?

I recently applied for an academic job that did not request letters of recommendation at the time of application, but only a list of potential references. I just now received an email from the search committee chair that I had made it to the "short…
Richard E. Ford
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10 answers

Is it a bad idea to get a PhD?

Hope this doesn't fall into the category of personal advice, but I just have a general question about academia today (particularly in Philosophy). I have read many articles on the internet indicating that it's extremely difficult, if not…
Chris
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6 answers

Why do tenured professors at high-ranked universities move to lower-ranked universities?

I have seen some tenured professors at top ranked universities move to lower ranked universities. Why do professors do this? At lower ranked universities there are less resources and the graduate students are weaker.
user2562609
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How long does it take for a recruiting process to finish?

I think the title says it all, but here it goes. I am a final year PhD student in pure mathematics. My PhD has been running smoothly and I will graudate on time next summer. This year I started applying for postdoctoral/assistant professor…
Lusitano
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