Applying for Academic Jobs Dr Madelaine Chapman PhD Careers Adviser, LSE 13th March 2012

Today’s Topics • • • • • •

Looking for positions Analysing and researching the position What you’ll be asked to send CVs Cover letters Strategies for success

Looking for Academic Jobs Academic360.com is a meta-collection of internet resources for academic job hunters in the US, Canada, UK and Australia. UK and some international: • www.jobs.ac.uk

US: • Chronicle of Higher Education • HigherEdJobs.com • http://www.academiccareers.com/ Europe: • EURAXESS job site: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/index • www.academicjobseu.com Australia: • www.seek.com.au

Looking for Academic Jobs Internationally for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: • Jobs and electronic forums on various topics, www.h-net.org Funding opportunities: • LSE website http://www2.lse.ac.uk/intranet/researchAndDevelopment/fundingOpportuniti es/fundingOppotunities.aspx • One to two year fellowships for people up to 5 years from finishing PhD in Economics, History and Civilization, Law, and Political and Social Sciences, www.eui.eu/maxweberprogramme Also: • If you know where you’d like to work keep an eye on their website • Use contacts and networking to find out about upcoming vacancies e.g. at conferences.

Factors to bear in mind • Understand the academic system in ‘target’ country • Know the academic seasons around the world and consider timescales – up to a year from application to starting for a fellowship! • Know your own discipline e.g. Finance and Economics have own job market systems • Think laterally about different disciplines • Level of competition, may need to apply for multiple positions • May be competing with the ‘inside’ candidate

Job Titles Research fellow

Postdoctoral researcher

Assistant professor

Research associate

Lecturer Research assistant Teaching fellow

Temporary lecturer

Tenure-track

Analysing the Job Advert 1. What is the balance between research and teaching? 2. Is this position for me to direct my own independent research or is it to work on someone else’s research project? 3. Is this fixed-term/contract or is it a permanent position?

Answers to these questions will… • help you to create a focussed, ‘made to measure’ job application • help you to decide if it is the right next step for you

For example Application for fixed-term, teaching only lectureship • Put teaching experience on front page of CV and talk about first in cover letter • Emphasise subject knowledge match • Provide lots of detail about teaching • Think about whether you will have time for research too – how will that affect what you can do afterwards

Postdoctoral Researcher (UK) • • • •

All research, no teaching Someone else’s research idea and research £ Fixed-term contract for x years Chance to work with specific people/learn new techniques Key points to show selector:

• You understand goals of project • You can contribute to the research project: experience, techniques, technology • You have a track-record of productivity • You will be able to work with the researcher/team

Fellowship (UK) • • • •

Your research idea and research £ £ covers a fixed number of years Shows evidence of winning funding Chance to build your research profile/reputation Key points to show selector:

• Research project is: *Interesting *Feasible in the timeframe *Well thought through/planned • You are capable of doing this research • You have made a good choice of where to do the research • Fits with funder’s priorities

Lectureship (UK) • Some mix of research and teaching – proportions vary • Fixed-term contract OR ‘permanent’ • More common for social scientists to go straight into lectureship than it is for other disciplines Key points to show selector: •

Depends on position e.g. is research primary, or teaching experience? Read job advert carefully and research institution website • ‘Fit’ is extremely important

Lectureships: two extremes One year fixed-term lectureship in Bristol

Permanent lectureship in Sociology at Manchester

They require:

They require:

• Teach specific subject

• Ability to fund your own research (knowledge of how research is funded in your discipline, experience of winning funding)

• Supervise undergraduates and postgraduates • Contribute to curriculum development/e-learning • Examine students • Administrative tasks

• Research ‘vision’, longer term plans • Strong research track-record • Your reputation in your field

• Teaching and administration

Lectureships: two extremes

• Applications will look completely different even though both academic applications • All elements of application should reflect the type of job that you are applying to

The job advert is not enough…

Your background research Teaching focus

Research focus

• What do they teach? • Who do they teach? • How do they teach – small groups, lectures, media? • Do they want you to teach specific courses? • Do they want you to design new courses?

• What research has been done/is being done there? • Who works in the department? Potential for collaborations? • What are the future plans for research there? • How do they measure success?

Haute couture…….not bargain basement!

They will always want to see: • Enthusiasm for this particular job • Strong references • A good fit

By this point………

Should have a good idea of what will be important to the selector and how your experience and knowledge fits with them.

What You’ll Be Asked to Send • • • • • • •

Application Form CV Cover Letter Research Statement Teaching Statement Personal Statement Abstract of PhD Dissertation

Good Applications - the Basics • Tailor your application to each individual job – CV, letter, statements etc. • Provide evidence of relevant achievements • Look objectively at your application materials – How will they look to someone who doesn’t know you? – What is the first thing the reader will see/learn about you? • Discuss with supervisor, careers adviser, or other person with academic perspective

How to stand out - Research • • • • • • • • •

Get published in good refereed journals Use conferences to raise your profile Get experience of funding process Understand issues in HE research culture Understand quality assessment process Know the field beyond your own topic Know where your research will go next Develop a second research interest Try to get publishers interested in your book idea

How to stand out - Teaching • Describe your existing experience – – – –

Courses, class sizes, teaching modes Training, mentoring Dissertation supervision Teaching qualification

• Philosophy – general, subject • Proposed role in their department – What topics you can teach – New UG/Masters courses – Show you understand their teaching of the subject

CVs

Ideas for Content of Academic CV •

Name and contact details



Research areas



Education



Research positions/academic appointments



Awards and research grants



Teaching experience



Publications (forthcoming, submitted, in preparation and published)



Conference presentations



Organisational and administrative experience



Professional affiliations/memberships



Additional skills (e.g. languages, IT)



References

Academic CVs • Length not important • Use a clear layout • Organise content sensibly e.g. divide teaching experience into ugrad and pgrad • Use reverse chronological order • Make sure your reader will understand it • Provide enough detail

Make it comprehensible • Don’t use institution-specific or countryspecific language • Explain qualifications and awards

Detail • • • • • •

Title of thesis Supervisor(s) Proposed submission/viva dates Size of classes you taught Outcomes of teaching Amounts £ of awards

Covering Letters….

Principles of a good covering letter • Introductory paragraph – refer to job title, where it was advertised • Talk about why you want to go to that specific department/institute • Talk about what you can bring to them with evidence – persuade them to interview you! • Concluding paragraph - include any unavailable interview dates if appropriate

Strategies for Success • Start early • Add useful experience to your CV • Build up your background knowledge of sector • Network • Think beyond the next immediate step in your career path

Networking Tips…. • Conferences: – – – –

Go! Volunteer to help with organisation Offer to help edit proceedings Research speakers, know the personalities, talk to people!

• Research: – Get your own out there – Offer to collaborate – Offer to help with editing of compiled books

• Look out for non-academic forums for speaking, listening or writing • Teaching: – Go beyond your dept: other depts, summer schools, other univs

Where to get help LSE Careers Service, 3rd floor, Tower 3 • Careers advice, CV/cover letter check, practice interviews • Book an appointment: email [email protected] LSE Student Counseling Service, KSW.507 (20 Kingsway) • www.lse.ac.uk/collections/studentCounsellingS ervice/