I'm excited to announce that over the next two months I'll be launching a new podcast/subscription service that makes TPII help available at low cost for those who need it. The basic idea (we are still finalizing details) is this: a 4-6 week … [Read more...] about Introducing a New Way to Work with The Professor Is In
Major Job Market Mistakes
Three Truths and a Lie? Negotiations at the Christian College (A Guest Post)
Today’s anonymous author is a tenured professor in the field of religion at a mid-sized Christian University. He has sat on and chaired numerous search committees for both faculty and administrative hires. He sees the enormous stack of applicants for … [Read more...] about Three Truths and a Lie? Negotiations at the Christian College (A Guest Post)
A View From the Other Side of the Table: Playing the Endgame (A Guest Post)
This is a guest post by a tenured reader at a mid-tier public university. If you been invited for a campus visit, congratulations. This means that you are part of an elite group of 5 or so who have been chosen over the hundred or so other … [Read more...] about A View From the Other Side of the Table: Playing the Endgame (A Guest Post)
The Oxbridge Interview (A Guest Post)
The author is an academic in a humanities discipline who has interviewed at both Oxford and Cambridge, with previous success at the former. Currently, s/he holds a senior academic position at another Russell Group university (US: R1 institution) in … [Read more...] about The Oxbridge Interview (A Guest Post)
Interviewing at an HBCU: The Question is a Different Question (A Guest Post)
This post is in two parts. Part One is by Melissa Geil Melissa Geil is a freelance writer and English teacher. She worked for five years at a public HBCU in Tennessee, where she served on multiple job search committees. She kindly responded to my … [Read more...] about Interviewing at an HBCU: The Question is a Different Question (A Guest Post)
Americans Don’t Brag
Americans don't brag. That's not true; Americans brag all the time, about many things--money, sex, the fish that got away. However, we don't brag as much as you'd expect in our job applications. This may seem counterintuitive, considering the … [Read more...] about Americans Don’t Brag
Strategizing Your CV for the Job Market
It's that time again! Alert readers know that each Spring I provide a limited-time CV Strategizing Session service between February and April. The idea is to look ahead to the Fall 2015 market, and help graduate students going on the market for the … [Read more...] about Strategizing Your CV for the Job Market
“I Plan to Take Full Advantage of My Acquired Skills!”
A line from a letter last week: "In my own lab I plan to take full advantage of my acquired skills and use the XXX equipment to further investigate xxxx." This kind of language is braggy and at the same time, completely devoid of meaning. Who … [Read more...] about “I Plan to Take Full Advantage of My Acquired Skills!”
Don’t State the Obvious
There is a kind of line in job documents that is technically blameless, but is so generic, so very much "stating the obvious" that it also completely pointless. This kind of line fills space while doing nothing to distinguish you in any way. The … [Read more...] about Don’t State the Obvious
What is the REF? A Primer on UK Academia (Guest Post)
This was generously sent in by a former client, now employed faculty member. She is Lecturer (assistant professor) at the University of London. I am always grateful for info on the UK job market, especially the REF. For more on the UK academic job … [Read more...] about What is the REF? A Primer on UK Academia (Guest Post)