Welcome to the most brutally honest academic job market conversation you’ll hear this season. This is a recap of our “Shoot Your Shot” webinar — part of our ongoing support series for scholars navigating the wreckage of today’s academic job landscape.

Yes, it’s rough out there. The market is, as a Chronicle article aptly put it, the worst in living memory. Hiring freezes are in full effect at major institutions like Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Duke, and the University of California system. Faculty positions are disappearing. Departments are closing. And yes, we’re all exhausted and anxious — faculty, applicants, everyone.

But for those of you still taking your shot at the academic job market this year: we want to help you do it as wisely and self-protectively as possible.

Kel and I went onto the Chronicle job listings to doublecheck, and yes, there are some jobs listing for Fall even now. As another recent piece explained, ironically some regional R2s and colleges are (currently) less impacted by the Trump assault than the bigger, more prestigious places, because they are less dependent on large federal grants. So depending on your field, you may find that even in this awful year, there are some jobs to which to apply.

Below are the five key principles we shared in the webinar to help you sharpen your applications, manage your expectations, and, most of all, protect your well-being.

1. It’s Not About You

We say it all the time: the job search is not about you. It’s not about your research, your dreams, or your dissertation. It’s about the hiring department’s needs. They have a problem. The job ad describes that problem. Your job is to show how you solve it — quickly, efficiently, and with minimal drama.

Shift your language from “I” to “you.” Instead of “I want to teach small classes,” try “Your department’s focus on small seminars aligns with my experience leading intensive discussion-based courses.” You’re not there to be rescued by them. You’re showing that you already speak their language.

2. Recognize Everyone Is Overwhelmed

Search committees are reading hundreds of applications on top of full teaching loads, family obligations, and institutional chaos. Your goal is to make it easy for them to see your fit. That means concise, tailored documents that get to the point and stay tightly aligned to the job ad. This is not the time for storytelling. It’s the time for clarity.

Strip away emotion. Stick to facts. Remove anything in your letter that doesn’t directly connect to the job description and the departmental goals (which you research on the website). They are looking for reasons to say no — and don’t give them any.

3. Focus on the Future, Not the Past

If you’re fresh out of grad school, it’s tempting to talk about what you’ve done (“Last year I TA-ed for XX course and…”). But hiring committees want to know what you’ll do. Frame every past experience in terms of its future application: “Based on my research on X, I plan to…” or “When I teach Y, I use…”

Avoid language that keeps you tied to your student identity. Don’t say “Chapter 3 of my dissertation…” Instead, write like a future colleague. Position yourself as already ready.

4. Tailor Your Application

Cookie-cutter applications get tossed. Period. You must tailor your documents for each institution — especially when it comes to teaching. That means checking course catalogs, understanding departmental language, and aligning your experience to their offerings.

Yes, it’s exhausting. It’s a side hustle. It might mean late nights and spreadsheet tracking. But once you develop solid templates (for R1s, liberal arts colleges, postdocs, interdisciplinary positions, etc.), tailoring becomes quicker. And tailoring is what gets you interviews.

5. Productivity Still Matters (Even If It Shouldn’t)

This is the hard truth: there’s no substitute for having peer-reviewed publications, grants, and conference presentations. Search committees look for vetted, visible scholars. That one article in American Historical Review will beat out three book chapters (please, don’t do book chapters-I’ve said this repeatedly) or articles in 3rd tier journals. Fair? Maybe not. But real.

And still — the market is wildly unpredictable. You might check every box and still lose out to someone who appears less qualified. Or the job might disappear mid-search. So yes, shoot your shot. But don’t stake your entire future on it. Apply because you want to, not because your advisor told you it’s the only option.

Final Thought: You First

Here’s our bottom line: prioritize your well-being over any academic dream. Do not destroy your finances, your relationships, or your mental health for a one-year position in a collapsing department. Do not accept a job that puts you in harm’s way — financially, emotionally, or otherwise.

Take your shot. Be strategic. But remember: academia has long demanded that you harm yourself for the chance to belong. We’re here to snap that pattern. You come first now. Let the job be the side hustle. You are not your CV.

Want support in tailoring your job documents or prepping for interviews?
We’re here. Whether you’re aiming for an academic post or plotting a transition out, we offer document editing, mock interviews, and compassionate, reality-based guidance. Email us at gettenure@gmail.com to get started. Or go here to get on our schedule. Now (June) is a GREAT time to start–it’s our low season and you can start right away.

PS: The second edition of The Professor Is In is coming soon — completely revised to reflect the state of the academy in 2025. Spoiler: It centers you, not the institution. It starts shipping in late August.