(UPDATE: comments now open!)
This is a guest post by Meghan Sullivan. She is Professor of Philosophy and the Rev. John A. O’Brien Collegiate Chair at University of Notre Dame, and has lots of experience with job searches.
Jonathan Kramnick's observations about changes in the MLA job market transfer to the philosophy market.
And while the job process is certainly high stress for all involved (especially the candidates), I don't think it needs to be as mysterious as it is often portrayed to be.
I am part of a big research department, that is nearly constantly hiring, that serves a philosophy-theology based core curriculum, and that places a high value on collegiality and pluralism. Like many of my colleagues, I've served on a bunch of search committees for the past seven years and as part of many students' job searches. Here is the guidance I give job candidates to try to take the mystery pressure out of the whole thing.
1. Hiring departments are generally trying to solve a problem and meet some goals — that is what triggered the search. Hiring is not a matter of giving out awards for philosophical worthiness. It isn't a matter of selecting someone who will raise the mean IQ of the faculty. At least not at any healthy department. When a job gets listed, the department is thinking "We really want to grow in metaphysics and we'd love to be able to offer courses in metaphysics and philosophy of science." Or "our university just started up an Honors program. It would be great if we could find a faculty member that will increase our strength in phil religion and help organize that program." Or "We think research on philosophy of race is incredibly important right now. Who is likely to lead us into new avenues in this subfield? What would they write on? What would they do with a conference budget?" Often times when candidates have a rough time on the market, it is no reflection on their abilities or research choices — it is just that other candidates solved the problems better. That doesn't make you feel great, but it helps in not taking a pass-over as a personal judgment.
2. On 1 — It often helps (especially in the late stages) to know what these problems/goals are. To the extent that your dossier and talk provide evidence of this, that is also helpful. Every search committee I have ever served on has been pretty open about this with candidates at the interview phase. But you should also do your own research.
3. Related to 2 — Make sure you are getting accurate information. If someone outside of the search committee reports on the department, be sure to get second opinions. Departments change, sometimes quite quickly, in response to internal changes and external pressures. Just because a department used to be built around its masters program doesn't mean it still is. Tenure and promotion standards evolve. And even in very organized, community-oriented departments… different colleagues have different views about which part of the search are worth emphasizing. Diversify your information sources and don't trust reports on a hiring department that aren't backed up with evidence. (This may seem obvious for *philosophers* but our rumor mill is as bizarre as any).
4. Is there any Edge? Obviously the best (nearly trivial) advice is to have great research and be a great fit given 1. On the margin, I think it also helps if in the time ramping up to the job season you polish your public speaking skills and lecture-style teaching skills. The best way to do this is to give lots of talks, demo teach classes, watch videos/listen to recordings of yourself, and be very conscientious about improving based on feedback. The weird paradox of the philosophy market is your most important talk is one you give very, very early in your career. Most folks don't realize they need to get the wrinkles out of their presentations until it is too late. And most folks have never given a colloquium before, which (I'll report) is really hard even after tons of experience.
5. Make a webpage. Make it easy for the hiring department to find quality information about what you can do research-wise and in the classroom. Put at most one cat picture on the website, and make sure your cat is cute before you go for it.
Of course, the most lasting way to make the job market process in philosophy more sane is for those of us in the field to work harder to create great opportunities for new colleagues. But that is going to take awhile.
In the interim, I don't think hiring needs to be viewed as a measure of intrinsic scholarly worth or as a random circus.
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