Navigating theAcademic Job Market

R. Karl RethemeyerAssistant Professor & PhD Director

University at Albany – SUNY

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Do you really want to be an academic? About that negative coefficient on getting a PhD… Here is the reality in public affairs (nine-month contract)

  Public (low – avg – high)

Private(low – avg – high)

Public 04-05Admin 06-07

07-08

28,964 – 48,781 – 80,00038,000 – 55,751 – 72,50041,227 – 57,300 – 72,500

30,000 – 49,388 – 64,000N/A – N/A – N/AN/A – N/A – N/A

Political 04-05Sci 06-07

07-08

32,500 – 48,037 – 80,00028,503 – 50,053 – 70,00038,502 – 51,302 – 83,748

32,000 – 47,496 – 67,26335,000 – 50,475 – 70,00034,000 – 52,527 – 84,000

Sociology 04-0506-0707-08

35,000 – 47,057 – 65,00434,690 – 49,590 – 70,00038,000 – 52,075 – 80,000

32,000 – 46,784 – 65,00035,000 – 48,450 – 68,00037,500 – 51,367 – 79,346

Economics 04-0506-0707-08

50,000 – 65,755 – 90,00043,000 – 68,951 – 105,00040,000 – 71,120 – 103,400

28,500 – 57,797 – 89,00043,000 – 58,984 – 86,00046,920 – 66,655 – 118,333

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Do you really want to be an academic?

Here is another reality: Business schools pay more…Here is another reality: Business schools pay more…  Public

(low – avg – high)Private(low – avg – high)

Management 04-05All fields 06-07

07-08

38,000 – 81,242 – 148,00038,930 – 86,200 – 171,87546,000 – 88,750 – 145,500

32,493 – 72,157 – 140,00030,000 – 74,572 – 157,00039,400 – 69,515 – 165,000

Mgmt, Business 04-05 Admin, Ops 06-07

07-08

38,000 – 79,010 – 140,00043,000 – 81,667 – 137,00030,124 – 82,278 – 137,750

33,370 – 70,995 – 123,00032,300 – 65,379 – 116,00037,268 – 76,870 – 148,750

Finance / 04-05Fin. Mgmt 06-07

07-08

45,000 – 93,818 – 148,00065,000 – 100,958 – 171,87566,897 – 110,455 – 170,000

42,600 – 86,417 – 130,00047,070 – 98,876 – 154,50031,902 – 72,041 – 152,500

Human resources 04-0506-0707-08

48,000 – 77,643 – 94,00049,000 – 75,408 – 110,38245,000 – 80,949 – 127,250

N/A – N/A – N/A49,250 – 82,719 – 103,00033,750 – 61,394 – 88,000

MIS 04-0506-0707-08

41,920 – 81,155 – 142,00066,000 – 88,943 – 118,00057,538 – 91,452 – 120,000

45,000 – 78,250 – 103,00080,000 – 94,250 – 122,00038,570 – 88,327 – 127,200

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Do you really want to be an academic? Up to half of each PAD cohort decides not to enter the

academy Consulting Independent research Government Non-profits Corporate work in finance, government relations, government

contracting, etc.

Many POS grads end up in the academy OR they can work for government (Congressional

Research Service), non-profits, think tanks However…if you choose to go outside the academy

after graduation, the door to the academy may be shut forever

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Do you really want to be an academic? There are certainly benefits to the academy

Certain degree of prestige Greater autonomy Greater flexibility to pursue one’s intellectual interests

(but don’t romanticize this) Opportunity to do both social (teaching) and individual

(research) work

Your PhD may teach you that the academy is not the right place

Lots of very smart people are not right for the academy – and vice versa

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OK: I want to be an academic. Where do I fit? Professional schools are the primary option for PAD

Policy and public administration departments Political science departments Business schools Other professional schools – Criminal Justice, Social Work,

Public Health

POS grads usually stay in the discipline They may have appointments in interdisciplinary departments Public policy, women’s studies, international studies

Grads of both programs sometimes enter… Economics or Sociology But…to fit into these fields you must amass sufficient

background in the core literature of these fields

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I’m years away from graduating. What can I do to improve my chances?

Get to know faculty members who are connected to the professional niche you wish to enter

Develop a transcript that has a discernible focus For PAD PhDs: A clear disciplinary focus broadens your

market For POS PhDs: Think strategically about rounding out your

teaching portfolio Learn methods appropriate to this concentration / subfield Go to conferences in your area early

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What can I do at the beginning?

Publish – becoming essential Get varied teaching experience, especially in methods

or commonly taught areas Get research experience Make conference presentations – don’t wait until your

last year! Seek grant funding – just applying will help Get FINISHED!!!!

The only good dissertation is a finished dissertation Length of time in program ~ productivity

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OK, What exactly is a faculty job?

Faculty are hired on a 9 or 10-month contract The initial rank is Assistant Professor, with

promotion possible to Associate and Full Associate & Full Professors usually have “tenure”

Summers are not formally committed, but… You may be able to get grants/teaching to earn

summer salary Your summers are not “free” until you get tenure

(if ever) because of research requirements at most institutions

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OK, What exactly is a faculty job?

Faculty are obligated to… Teach 3-8 classes per year, depending on the

institution (teaching “load”) Provide service – serve on committees,

mentor & advise students, help administer the institution, be visible

Be research-active – your institution will determine what this means

At a research intensive university, this usually means 1-2 referred article/year and/or a book every 2-4 years

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OK, What exactly is a faculty job?

Faculty need to be active in their intellectual community Participate in intellectual exchanges on campus Participate in academic conferences regularly

Publish regularly – 1-3 articles per year or 1-3 books over several years

Potentially be a “public intellectual”

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OK, What exactly is a faculty job?

“Publish or perish” Research universities: publication record is your

key credential, but you must teach competently Teaching colleges: Research is less important

Increasingly, faculty are expected to find grants You do not have to be stellar in each to be

successful, but you should be good in all As a PhD student you need to…

Learn a field of inquiry & start publishing Get teaching experience Embed yourself in an intellectual community

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I’m ready to go on the market. Now what?

Bad news: The market was VERY bad this year

Better news: Long-run demographics may be favorable The academy is graying Belief that graduate education = professional success

PublicServiceCareers.org

Jobs Asst. Only Open/Assoc. Non-tenure tr.

2003 74 18 (24%) 17 (23%) 39 (53%)

2004 178 49 (28%) 63 (35%) 66 (37%)

2005 136 23 (17%) 45 (33%) 68 (50%)

2006 169 33 (20%) 72 (43%) 64 (38%)

2007 193 42 (22%) 49 (25%) 102 (53%)

2008 78 35 (45%) 19 (24%) 24 (31%)

2009 96 24 (25%) 25 (26%) 47(49%)

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Finding openings

Searching the job listing sites: Chronicle of Higher Education PublicServiceCareers.org HigherEdJobs.com APSA ASA

E-mail to departments of interest Telephone calls Key: Getting your advisors into the act

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Putting together a portfolio

Goal: Help the overloaded search committee find you! Cover letters

Create boiler plate, but tailor to each job Emphasize key experiences and publications

Curriculum vitae Look at examples Highlight research and teaching experience

Supporting materials Summaries of research interest, dissertation, and teaching Teaching evaluations Grant writing experience Transcripts

Letters of recommendation Job market paper(s) See the sample portfolio online

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Job market papers

Should have multiple items to send Dissertation chapters Papers – preferably published

Some schools only want dissertation chapters; some don’t care Dissertation is best example of current work, but.. Chapters may be highly integrated, so it may be

difficult to pull out something coherent Consider sending any articles that are published or

have been accepted Best if the papers are single-authored

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Sending out applications

This is time-consuming For a national search expect to send out 15 to 60

packets PAD: You bear the costs – $2,500 POS: The Department mails them for you First packets out by late August; the last in January or

February – very front-loaded, BUT… In this economy things are scrambled…

Use express mail to meet deadlines if you must Send out even if the deadline has passed –

committees work slowly

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Fly-outs

Announced in Oct. through Feb. Paid for by the schools – on a reimbursement basis Consist of…

A job talk Multiple faculty, student, and administration interviews Breakfast, lunch, and dinner with students, staff, faculty Possibly a “party” if they really want to torture you

Very time-consuming and stressful Want to be scheduled close to the end of the decision

period for the school

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Preparation

Get to know the school/department and university via their web site Rankings Research agenda Age/rank distribution in school/department

Review the courses offered… For what you could teach For holes

Take a look at strategic plans and vision statements

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Interviews

The job talk gets most of the attention, but bad interviews can also be fatal

Be ready to give a mini version of your job talk Be ready to defend your work Be prepared to answer and ask questions

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Job talk

Bad news: Some significant fraction of the voting faculty will not have read your job market paper(s) thoroughly

More bad news: Your job talk will be one of the key evaluation of whether you belong at a given university

Upshot: THE JOB TALK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WILL DO DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Practice, practice, practice, and practice again… With faculty With students With your dog, cat, or parakeet; with a mirror

Be ready to field tough questions

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Other issues

Remember that faculty positions are for the long haul; much of the job is social

“Illegal” questions and how to answer them Avoid talking money until you have an offer Decisions are highly complex, emergent

Preferences evolve School/department needs evolve Administrative preferences shift Budgets change

There may only be a few good fits out there

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Dealing with an offer

Understand how faculty contracts work Know what the standard package is in your

field and at the institution making the offer Nine or 10 months salary Teaching load Benefits Research support (if any) Summer salary (if any)

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Dealing with an offer

Know what the going rate is, but realize salary may not be negotiable if you have only one offer

Remember that rank and prestige are dynamic – where will this school/department be in five years?

Expect to be pressured for a quick decision, even though you may still be doing job talks

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Uh-oh: I don’t have an offer. Now what? Goal: Stay research active Options

Defer graduation (especially international students)

Post-doctoral work Adjunct positions Staff research positions Consulting A career in the “quasi-academy”

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For more information

See the Rockefeller College job market site:

www.albany.edu/rockefeller/career/career_phd_job_manual.htm

http://eres.ulib.albany.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=331

Password: ROCKjob

http://chronicle.com/jobs/

http://www.publicservicecareers.org/

http://www.higheredjobs.com/

http://www.apsanet.org/section_226.cfm

http://jobbank.asanet.org/jobbank/index.cfm