Sorry for the week gap! Somehow things just.. got away from me. But I'm back now! Job searches generate an astonishing quantity of files; Cover letters, CVs, Resumes, Research Statements, Teaching Statements, Writing samples, Reference lists, Job … [Read more...] about 52 Career Actions: Week 24: Organize Your Digital Job Documents
Major Job Market Mistakes
52 Career Actions: Week 18: Prepare a Writing Sample Portfolio
Hi everyone, and welcome back to the 52 Career Actions series. I hope you had a good summer! I took time off to write the bulk of my new book, The Professor Is Out: The Essential Guide to Leaving Academia. I did get a few chapters done! But I did not … [Read more...] about 52 Career Actions: Week 18: Prepare a Writing Sample Portfolio
52 Career Actions: Week 15: Write a tailored cover letter for a dream position.
I'm doing a new thing from this week! I'm adding in a regular post about ACADEMIC career actions. I'm doing this because it's June and folks are looking ahead to their Fall academic job search, which starts in August. Of course academia is in an … [Read more...] about 52 Career Actions: Week 15: Write a tailored cover letter for a dream position.
Translating for Academia, or, What Does Editing a Job Talk Look Like?
At TPII, we edit ALL academic documents. We are most famous for CVs and cover letters, but we do all the regular application documents (including not just the Research and Teaching Statements, but also the emergent Service Statement, as well as AI … [Read more...] about Translating for Academia, or, What Does Editing a Job Talk Look Like?
What Is Unmarked Is the Norm – Some Advanced Interview Advice
I was doing an Interview Intervention today with a senior scholar prepping for a Chair interview at an R1 department. I asked a question that is common in Chair/Head interviews, and in this case was clearly signposted in the job ad itself: "what … [Read more...] about What Is Unmarked Is the Norm – Some Advanced Interview Advice
Shoot Your Shot: Five Ways to Stay Smart in a Brutal Academic Job Market
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 … [Read more...] about Shoot Your Shot: Five Ways to Stay Smart in a Brutal Academic Job Market
The Curse of the Interdisciplinary PhD Redux
How to strategically prepare for the job market if your PhD is from an interdisciplinary program Answering the reader question: "I always hear that departments want interdisciplinary scholars, but I have an interdisciplinary PhD and I can't make … [Read more...] about The Curse of the Interdisciplinary PhD Redux
But I Ticked All the Boxes! Understanding How Job Searches Work
As research for my Professor Is In book update (due out in 2026!), I have been perusing academic Reddit. No, before you freak out, it's actually mostly a great, and very positive place for advice, information, and commiseration! I encourage you to … [Read more...] about But I Ticked All the Boxes! Understanding How Job Searches Work
We Do Not “Skim”
I just wrote something to a postdoc client that I want to share because I think it clarifies what The Professor Is In does, and how we do it. And also what we don't do. People who have never worked with us are often skeptical. A tenured reader … [Read more...] about We Do Not “Skim”
Can AI Write an Academic Cover Letter? Part 1 of an Experiment
Can AI Write an Academic Cover Letter?Short answer: no.Years back I wrote:"Anyone can write a cover letter fast, over a weekend. A BAD cover letter, that is.But to write a good one takes weeks, even months, of close, painstaking edits."Why?Because … [Read more...] about Can AI Write an Academic Cover Letter? Part 1 of an Experiment