In the comments section of our newest "How can we help you?" post, a reader ('Stuck, PhD) writes,
I am feeling really, really stuck, and am unsure how to even begin to ask for help. All of the issues Amanda brought up in her recent post (http://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2017/03/reader-query-on-professional-frustrations.html) present serious obstacles to achieving professional success on the basis of merit. But even if you have the good fortune to surmount those obstacles–as I have to some extent–that's no guarantee that you'll get a job. And then, it's not even clear what you're supposed to do to improve your candidacy next time around (even if you had the time and opportunity to do those things, which Amanda points out one doesn't always have). I'm sure there are lots of others in my position with even better CVs than me who don't know what else to do.
To begin with, I have several unearned job market advantages that I don't deserve to have but have nonetheless: I'm a male with no geographic restrictions who went to a top-20 Leiter school and thereby also have a letter from a bigshot in my dossier. Then there are things I've actually worked for: I've taught over a dozen classes; I've sole-authored 3 papers in good specialty journals, all of which have been cited; and I have a 4th paper forthcoming in a top 10 generalist journal.
This year I got two Skype interviews from about 80 applications. What else can I do, other than teach and publish more an hope that makes a difference? I don't have much service experience, but I can't get any of that at this point without a job.
I empathize. I spent seven years on the academic job-market feelingly similarly stuck. While I do not have any silver-bullet type answers, allow me to briefly share a few thoughts and then open things up for reader comments/advice.
My feeling is that aside from what this person is already doing–continuing to publish and teach–they might consider some of the following (if they haven't already):
- Seek advice from senior colleagues/mentors.
- Work hard on improving their dossier materials (cover letter, research statement, teaching statement).
- Hire a job-market consultant for help therein.
- Sign up for the Cocoon's mentoring project when it opens up again.
In my experience (2) and (4) are especially worth considering. The more job-candidates I've met (I just met one at a conference last week), the more I'm surprised at how little training they seem to receive on putting together effective dossier materials (basically, they said their program gave them no guidance). As I learned from the job-market consultant I hired, putting together good dossier materials is really difficult–and, as I learned from serving on a search committee, it is really important. You want your materials to really sparkle–to have a cover letter, research statement, teaching portfolio, and writing sample that really sparkle, jumping off the page, distinguishing you from other applicants, and not making the common mistakes that many applicants make (see my discussion of cover letters here and teaching statements here and here). For better or worse, getting interviews and getting a job are not just about what you have accomplished (though I wish they were). They are about presenting yourself and your accomplishments in a way that distinguishes you from the hundreds of other candidates you are competing against. I have personally mentored a handful of candidates the past year or so, and in each case their job-market materials needed a lot of work. I cannot promise that improving one's materials will get you a job, but I found it increased my own number of interviews substantially and know other people it worked for as well.
But these are just a few of my thoughts. What are yours? Do you have any helpful advice for 'Stuck, PhD'?
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