~~ “Her occasional pomposity does not render all her points poor” ~~ FeministPhilosophers blog
I post once or twice a week on Pearls of Wisdom on topics related to the academic job market, academic life and politics, general professionalization skills related to writing, publishing, conferencing, networking, and scholarly comportment, and the tenure process.
Let me know if there’s a topic you want to see me post on! I am always happy to put Special Requests into the queue. Comment here, or email me at: gettenure@gmail.com.
Please note that as of January 2013 the rate of comments to this blog has exceeded my ability to respond individually to each one. I’m sorry that not all comments will get a personal response by Dr. Karen. If you have a really pressing question, do consider getting in touch to get on my calendar to work together. I strive to make services affordable to all.
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Is it a career killer to work for a for-profit university like University of Phoenix?
I confess, I don’t know the answer to that question. I guess I’d start by asking—what is your definition of “career”? If it’s tenure-track position in traditional higher ed contexts, then my guess is yes.
Karen, thanks for your very helpful blog! The original question wasn’t mine, but I’d like to add to it. If my intended prospective career is “a tenure-track position in traditional higher-ed contexts”, but right now, I am finishing my post-doc and teaching as an adjunct part-time, would it hurt or help my prospects if one of those adjunct positions was at a for-profit university? Add to that, that the course I would be teaching at the for-profit university is online? (Other adjunct positions I’ve taken in the past have been at “traditional” schools.)
Hi Karen,
Do you think if you have the time, one of these days, you can write a post about what are reasonable goals for a post-doc? And what we should be trying to get from it? And how to really strategize the fellowship (like stockpiling findings and papers till we’re actually tenure track so that we can optimize chances for success…
Best,
jbr
I will put that on the list. But, I never actually had a postdoc, and don’t feel that I’m an expert on this question. Anyone reading this who parlayed a postdoc to a t-t job and tenure—want to write a guest post? Let me know at gettenure@gmail.com.
Hi Dr. K., if you have time at some point, it would be great if you could post on the CV. I bet you have lots of insight on that.
Hi Dr. K., I am applying for a job at a research university that asks for a cover letter, dissertation abstract, AND a research statement. It’s the only job I’m applying for that asks for the latter, and I’m not sure what this document even is, or how to distinguish it from the other two documents. What goes in a research statement and how long should it be? Thanks!!!
Laura, a Research Statement is a one page document (some may be longer but I don’t recommend going over one page unless you are more senior), with one inch margins in 12 point font, that articulates your dissertation research, it’s impact on your field/s, your publications and publication plans (esp a book if you’re in a book field), and your second major research project as it will evolve organically out of the first. It will end with a brief concluding paragraph that speaks to the impact/contribution/significance of your research agenda more broadly. R ead the post “The Golden Rule of the Research Statement,” for a specific writing recommendation.
I hope I haven’t missed it in the archives, but I’d love to see a post on how to start grad school right. I am one semester in, and now that I have discovered that I can survive this, I would like to know how to do better than jump through hoops as they appear. How do I sow the seeds of networking now to avoid being cornered into unnatural hard-selling of myself later… Or should I just learn hard selling, and if so, how? How do I know when to start publishing -and what- when prof. push us to rework half of our essays? What do I do with my summers that’s actually valuable? What am I not asking that I should ask? Etc.
these are fabulous questions, Cleo! I will write a post on that. STay tuned. It’ll be a bit later in spring, once the job season runs its course.
Love your website. My favorite advice on these pages is to be more pompous. As a youngish female Assistant Professor with a natural tendency toward peacemaking, I’ve often been “talked over” by senior male colleagues (and even some male grad students). Being more pompous and, indeed, arrogant, has worked wonders for me at conferences and talks.
Re what to include next in the blog. I’d appreciate a post on “pedigree.” As in, where to get your PhD. When applying to grad school was accepted at several R1 institutions, but chose a smaller more liberal arts program because it had fabulous researchers in my field. While my doctoral experience was very stimulating, when I hit the job market I was at a serious disadvantage because I was competing against people coming out of well-respected and well-funded RI institutions. I was offered positions at smaller, less prestigious universities, while the big universities got the big grads. I eventually took a post at a smaller university and, three years in, have come to realize that professional development, research, and money is much more scarce at these kinds of places. So, I’m back on the job market again, and again competing against people from big-name schools. My publications make me competitive, but again, I’m only getting “bites” from smaller places with large teaching loads and limited research and travel funds.
To be frank, I was poorly served by the smaller institution where I got my PhD. Had I known when I enrolled in the PhD program that my job prospects would be hampered to such an extent, I would have went to the bigger school. But I was “wooed” by the smaller school with a large funding package and several other perks. My advisors really wanted me there – I was going to enhance their program. Which I did. But now, 12 years later, here I am on the job market again, trying to get into a bigger school with better resources, more colleagues in my area, and a bigger budget.
So, here’s what I would say now to any prospective graduate students. Aim high, and go to the biggest, most famous, and most prestigious school you possibly can. Don’t let the smaller schools reel you in, and especially don’t be fooled by all the perks they will provide. Because when you hit the job market, you’ll most likely end up yourself at a small school. And while the small schools are great for students, they’re horrible places for professors interested in things like campus-wide colloquia, research money, research leave, travel money, and an overall reasonable balance among teaching, service, and research.
How do you deal with leaves of absence in a CV/coverletter? I took a year off for mat leave (yeah Canada) and am now applying to mostly US uni. I don’t want them to look at my record and think that I’ve been post-doc’ing for 4 years when it’s really just been 3. thanks