From a reader, on Facebook: "Thank you for the post on The Five Year Plan. "After reading it, I realized that during my years as a tenure-track assistant professor, I went about publishing and doing research, the way I do the grocery shopping: … [Read more...] about Don’t Get Your Career at Costco
Tenure--How To Get It
How To Talk To A Dean
Over the course of the 2011-2012 job market cycle, several clients wrote to me inquiring about how they should talk to the Dean they were scheduled to meet during their campus visit. Indeed, many, if not most, campus visits still include a visit with … [Read more...] about How To Talk To A Dean
Why You Need a Second Project. An Urgent #Facepalm Fail Addendum
In the middle of an Interview Bootcamp with a client yesterday, I suddenly realized with a jolt, and to my horror, that I had inexplicably and senselessly forgotten one of the major #Facepalm Fails of the academic interview in my earlier post on that … [Read more...] about Why You Need a Second Project. An Urgent #Facepalm Fail Addendum
Negotiating the Spousal Hire
[This post is based on parts of last week's post "How To Negotiate Your Tenure Track Offer." Since some readers focused on the spousal issue may have missed that post, I am publishing this under this new title here. I welcome comments on any aspect … [Read more...] about Negotiating the Spousal Hire
Editing Your C.V. and Letter for Teaching/Writing Positions
Today's post is a Special Request post for a reader who shall remain anonymous. Her question concerns how to tailor her letter and c.v. for different jobs. Here's the background: She is a Victorian literature specialist and on the job market in … [Read more...] about Editing Your C.V. and Letter for Teaching/Writing Positions
The Foolproof Grant Template–Where Did It Come From?
The fellowship season is upon us, and I'm working with clients on all sorts of grants and fellowships. As part of that process I'm spending a lot of time talking people through the Dr. Karen Foolproof Grant Template. I won't repeat the template … [Read more...] about The Foolproof Grant Template–Where Did It Come From?
Stop Acting Like a Girl! A Response to Feminist Critics
Some feminists don't like the Dr. Karen method. By the Dr. Karen method I mean my practice of telling women to stop acting “like girls” and to start learning to recognize and master the codes of power and authority that operate in academic settings, … [Read more...] about Stop Acting Like a Girl! A Response to Feminist Critics
Should I Use Interfolio?
[Sept 2019 update: the fact is, Interfolio is unavoidable for many searches and required in a number of fields. The advice here is mostly outdated. I'll leave it up because I still think it's worth asking ourselves why this tech adaptation became … [Read more...] about Should I Use Interfolio?
How to Work the Conference (Part Three of Three)
This is Part Three of our three-part series, "How to Work the Conference." Today's column discusses mealtimes and the book exhibit. In last week's post I quoted extensively from The Tenured Radical's column on conferences. One of her best lines in … [Read more...] about How to Work the Conference (Part Three of Three)
How to Work the Conference (Part Two of Three)
Today we continue with Part Two of the "How to Work the Conference" series (see Part One here). Today's post deals with how to behave during the conference--that is to say, how to look like you're very busy and in-demand. Because conferences are … [Read more...] about How to Work the Conference (Part Two of Three)