[This is a repost] Too many of you are addicted to lists in your writing. What does this look like? Well, something like this: “In sum, my dissertation uses interviews, surveys, textual analysis, and internet research in order to explore the impact … [Read more...] about Break The Cycle of List-Addiction (Or, Just Say No To Flabby Logic)
How To Write Academic Job Cover Letters
I-Me-My
An effective job document will employ varied sentence structures that do not revolve continuously around the words I, me, and my. If you are reading this and on the market, pull up your job documents and do a universal search for each of these … [Read more...] about I-Me-My
When I Say ‘Be Specific,’ What Do I Mean?
As I explained in last week's post, I won't be blogging for the next few months while I get the Professor Is In book written. However, I had this post in draft form, so I'm putting it up. After this I hope to solicit guest posts on a range of … [Read more...] about When I Say ‘Be Specific,’ What Do I Mean?
Desperate Cramming
Let’s imagine that I am doing some sort of cover letter "blind taste test" and I have to guess, by content only, which cover letter has been written by a graduate student. I will know by one element above all others---what I call “desperate … [Read more...] about Desperate Cramming
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? Topic vs. Contribution
When writing job letters clients often struggle to understand the distinction between their dissertation TOPIC and their dissertation CONTRIBUTION. In the first dissertation paragraph you talk about the content of your dissertation--main argument, … [Read more...] about Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? Topic vs. Contribution
Teaching: Not When and Where but What and How
When discussing teaching in the teaching paragraph of your letter, one of the temptations is to tell a chronological tale of how you taught as an adjunct here and an adjunct there, and taught this class in Fall 2012 and this other class in Spring … [Read more...] about Teaching: Not When and Where but What and How
Why You Don’t Need ExtenZe®
Sorry, I couldn't resist. What I am actually here to speak about today is why you don't need “extends.” What is “extends”? “Extends” is what practically every single one of you says that your research does. You either say that it “extends” the work … [Read more...] about Why You Don’t Need ExtenZe®
The Six Ways You’re Acting Like a Grad Student (And how that’s killing you on the job market)
For the next few months I will be posting the "best of the best" Professor is in blog posts on the job market, for the benefit of all those girding their loins for the 2013-2014 … [Read more...] about The Six Ways You’re Acting Like a Grad Student (And how that’s killing you on the job market)
How To Identify Yourself as a Diversity Hire
One of the most important things a job document can do is communicate an applicant's status with regard to diversity hiring. If you qualify as a diversity hire, you must make sure the committee knows it. But how does one do that? In my work with … [Read more...] about How To Identify Yourself as a Diversity Hire
Nobody Cares What You’re Interested In
One very common error that writers of job documents make is going on and on about what they are interested in. It's often quite a writing tic. “I am interested in.... and I am particularly interested in...and a topic of particular fascination … [Read more...] about Nobody Cares What You’re Interested In