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Job-Market Reporting Thread (2025-26)
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Do conference presentations matter on the job market?

In our new “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:

Do conferences matter at all on the job market? I’m a grad student and I feel like I hear such a wide range of perspectives on this topic. Some people say they’re important, but only for practicing giving talks and networking, some people say it’s a red flag if an applicant has no conferences but not a “plus” if they do, and others seem to think that some of the fancier conferences are a boost. Part of the rationale for this question is that I’ve definitely been encouraged to put a lot of effort into applying for and attending conferences, and I’m wondering if this is a good use of one’s time as a grad student.

Another reader seconded the query:

I’ve been wondering about this too! I’d also like to know what “level” of conference is considered enough. Are graduate conferences sufficient? And are big, crowded conferences like the APA meetings or the Joint Session actually helpful for the job market?

I could be wrong, but my sense is that–perhaps with a few special exceptions–conference presentations matter very little (if at all) as an item on one’s CV. When it comes to research, my sense is that committees care vastly more about publications, the writing sample, and (in some cases) recommendation letters. This isn’t to say that conference presentations aren’t important, however. I think they are. They can be a great way to get feedback on one’s work, practice giving talks–and yes, networking can be important on the market. But these are just my thoughts.

What do readers think?

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3 responses to “Do conference presentations matter on the job market?”

  1. Anonymous

    Just my two cents, but when I had no pubs, I put everything on my CV. When I started to have pubs, I only put very selective conferences and invited talks on my CV. Now, I just have pubs.

    I think it had something to do with what I felt I needed to prove. When I had nothing, I had to prove that I’m trying; even if the conferences were more akin to “everyone who pays the admission fees gets to present.” When I started to have something, I think the pubs prove themselves.

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  2. Anonymous

    Take this with a pinch of salt since I am ABD and this is my first year on the market.

    I’m not sure how much conference presentations matter in terms of a line on a CV that gets you a job (I think probably not much), but going to conferences is still very important. Publishing papers *is* very important for getting a job, and going to conferences helps with this. 2 of my published papers were presented at conferences, and were massively improved by feedback I got. Conferences are also the main place for networking, which again also helps with the job market. You can meet people who might be willing to supervise post docs for example, or people who can write references, or read future work. I have often attended conferences without presenting as well, partly because I enjoy them, but also because I learn a lot and I find the networking valuable.

    Also, some conferences do lead to publications and so are very much worth going to. For example, if you attend MadMeta, then you have a good chance of being published in Oxford studies in metaethics, which is one of the best venues for metaethics papers and would definitely help a CV.

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  3. Anonymous

    For a certain set of employers, I think this category matters, but in a limited way akin to the second of the OP’s hypotheses. It concerns mostly newly minted PhDs or ABDs at lower-prestige schools. (More seasoned candidates will likely have presentations.) That type of candidate with publications will have likely already put a few conference presentations on their CVs anyway. For those without publications applying to the vast majority of (non-prestige) jobs, they need something to show that they can do the job without a lot of hand-holding, as they’ll come in having to teach and publish and perform service roles well enough to get tenure without a lot of support. So hiring committees will want to see evidence that they can do the research part of the job when the candidate is all of a sudden teaching 12 hours of class time per week and serving on three campus subcommittees. At least, that was an explicit conversation the last time I was on a hiring committee at a non-prestigious school: conference presentations are one indicator of future success in that regard. No committee wants to roll the dice on a rare hiring line, so showing you know how to do all the parts of the job already is a good thing.

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