Please find this post at: https://clairekampdush.com/2014/03/24/the-ultimate-job-market-guide/
Going on the job market is stressful and confusing. I have been working on a new course here at OSU called The PhD Job Market – the syllabus draft can be seen here. It is going up through the levels in terms of approvals; it should be offered in Spring 2014. But with all of the recent controversy about W and the rescinded job offer (see Inside Higher Ed, Slate, and the original post), I decided to post my suggested Job Market reading list here. Check it out – and let me know if you have any suggestions.

photo credit: Jillian Corinne via photopin cc
Books referred to below:
- The Academic Job Search Handbook (AJSH), 4th Edition by Julia Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong
- “So What Are You Going to Do with That?”: Finding Careers Outside Academia (SW) by Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius
- Ebrary link if you are at Ohio State
I also include presentations from the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity library. You need to join NCFDD to access these resources. It is free to join if you are at a place with an institutional membership. Go to: https://facultydiversity.site-ym.com/general/register_member_type.asp and chose “Institutional Sub Account Membership”.
Reflect on what you really want for a future career
- Demystifying The Academic Job Market: From Application to Negotiation Week 1 by Badia Sahar Ahad (review slides and transcripts in NCFDD library)
Academic jobs; Jobs at different kinds of institutions; Postdocs
- The last year of graduate school: Heading for the Job Market and Choosing the Right Institution by Rachel Connelly, Kristen Ghodsee (Chapter 5 in Professor Mommy)
- What You Should Know Before You Start (Chapters 1 and 2) in AJSH
- Deciding where and when to apply (Chapter 4) in AJSH
- Why You Should Consider Community Colleges by Rob Jenkins
- Applying for Faculty Jobs at Community Colleges by Matt Reed
Nonacademic jobs
- Will I have to Wear a Suit? Rethinking life after graduate school (Chapter 1) in SW
- How do I figure out What else to do? Soul Searching before Job Searching (Chapter 2) in SW
- · The Ph.D.’s Guide to a Nonfaculty Job Search by L. Maren Wood
- How to Transition from Academia to Non-academic Professions by Chris Humphrey (review slides and transcript in NCFDD library)
Finding jobs
- The Importance of Advisors and Professional Networks (Chapter 5) in AJSH
- Conference Presentations and Networks (Chapter 6) in AJSH
- Learning about Openings (Chapter 8) in AJSH
- Testing the Waters: Information Interviews and Internships (Chapter 3) in SW
- Making it Past the First Round by Rob Jenkins
- Conducting the International Job Search by Katrina Gulliver
Cover letters
- Cover Letters that will Get You Hired (pp. 122- 125) in SW
- Responding to Position Announcements (Chapter 9) in AJSH
- Why Your Cover Letter Sucks (And What you can do to fix it) by Karen Kelsky
- How to Identify Yourself as a Diversity Hire by Karen Kelsky
- Getting the Emphasis Right by Terry McGlynn
- Getting the Job You Want By Perfecting Your CV and Cover Letter by Badia Sahar Ahad (review slides and transcripts in NCFDD library)
Research statements/teaching statements/diversity statements
- Additional Application Materials (Chapter 11) in AJSH
- Damning Yourself with Faint Praise – Teaching Edition by Karen Kelsky
- What the Heck is an Assessment by Karen Kelsky
- What is Evidence of Teaching Excellence by Karen Kelsky
- The Dreaded Teaching Statement: Eight Pitfalls by Karen Kelsky
- The Professor Is In: Making Sense of the Diversity Statement by Karen Kelsky
- Developing an Effective Teaching Portfolio by George David Clark
Reference letters
- Letters of Recommendation (Chapter 7) in AJSH
- How to Write a Recommendation Letter by Karen Kelsky
- The Perils of “Nice,” Cont’d: Recommendation Edition by Karen Kelsky
- Getting Great Letters of Recommendation by Richard Reis
- Thread on Writing Your Own Reference Letter from the Chronicle Forums
CVs/resumes and your online web presence
- This Might Hurt a Bit: Turning a CV into a Resume in SW
- Vitas (Chapter 10) in AJSH
- Websites (Chapter 12) in AJSH
- Dr. Karen’s Rules of the Academic CV by Karen Kelsky
- The Rhetoric of the CV by Joshua R. Eyler
- Do You Need Your Own Website While On The Job Market? by Jentery Sayers
- Creating Your Web Presence: A Primer for Academics by Miriam Posner, Stewart Varner, Brian Croxell
- Ask Cloud: Turning an Academic CV into an Industry Resume by Cloud
Skype/Phone/Conference interviews
- Interviewing (Chapter 14) in AJSH
- Off-site Interviews: Conference/Convention and Telephone Interviews (Chapter 15) in AJSH
- Sweaty Palms, Warm Heart: How to Turn an Interview into a Job (pp. 140-142) in SW
- Rocking the Phone/Skype Interview by Karen Kelsky
- How Skype s Changing the Interview Process by Stephen Wizenburg
- Mastering Skype by Diane M. Fennig
- The Job Market Is A Lot Like The PBS NewsHour, And Other Advice For Skype Interviews by Claire Potter
- Demystifying The Academic Job Market: From Application to Negotiation Week 3 by Badia Sahar Ahad (review slides and transcripts in NCFDD library)
Campus interview
- Campus Interviews (Chapter 16) in AJSH
- The Six Ways you are Acting like a Graduate Student and How it is Killing You on the Job Market by Karen Kelsky
- How do I address Search Committee Members? by Karen Kelsky
- The #Facepalm Fails of the Academic Interview by Karen Kelsky
- Why You Need a Second Project: An Urgent #Facepalm Fail Addendum by Karen Kelsky
- Dr. Karen’s Rules of the Campus Visit by Karen Kelsky
- How Would You Mentor Graduate Students? Another #Facepalm Fail by Karen Kelsky
- How to Describe a Course (In an Interview) by Karen Kelsky
- The Active Interview by Katherine Ellison
- Interview Questions by Sarah Ann Fleming
- Interviewing at a Teaching-Focused University by Donald E. Hall
- Do Your Homework! A Life Report From a Job Search by Karen Kelsky
- How to Talk to a Dean by Karen Kelsky
- The ‘Be Yourself” Myth by Karen Kelsky
- Dissertation Limits by Karen Kelsky
- Asking the Right Questions by Allison M. Vaillancourt
- ‘An Iced Tea Would Be Terrific by Allison M. Vaillancourt
- Demystifying The Academic Job Market: From Application to Negotiation Week 4 by Badia Sahar Ahad (review slides and transcripts in NCFDD library)
Job talk
- Dr. Karen’s (Partial) Rules of the Job Talk by Karen Kelsky
- Job Talk Blues by Cary Nelson
- Grim Job Talks are a Buzz Kill by Dan Shapiro
- Talking the Good Talk by Katharine E. Stewart
- The Truth Is, You Gave a Lousy Talk by Tory DeFoe
- Giving a Job Talk by Kathryn Hume
- Ask the Administrator: What Makes a Good Job Talk? By Dean Dad
Teaching demonstration
- How to Give a Teaching Demonstration by Karen Kelsky
- The Problem With Teaching Demos by David Evans
- Surprise, You’re Teaching in the Morning by George David Clark
- Teaching Demonstrations: Advice and Strategies by Adam Wilsman
- The Teaching Demonstration: What Faculty Expect and How to Prepare for This Aspect of the Job Interview by Michelle K. Smith, Mary Pat Wenderoth, and Mary Tyler
- My Calamitous Teaching Demo by Rebecca Schuman
Job offer
- How to Negotiate an Academic Job Contract by Yari Bonilla (review slides and transcripts in NCFDD library)
- Negotiation – a must for everyone by Lesobprof
- Negotiating Tactics for Women by Audrey Williams June
- Job Offers, Negotiations, Acceptances, and Rejections (Chapter 17) in AJSH
- Negotiating Your Tenure-Track Offer(s) by Karen Kelsky
- Sweaty Palms, Warm Heart: How to Turn an Interview into a Job in SW pp. 143-147
- Recommended reading:
- Ask for It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
- Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury
Gender, race, family, location, and the job market
- Dual Career Couples, Pregnant on the Job Market, and Related Concerns (Chapter 21) in AJSH
- International Scholars, Older Candidates, Gaps in Your Vita (Chapter 22) in AJSH
- The Two Body Problem
- Negotiating the Spousal Hire by Karen Kelsky
- Should You Check the ‘Race Box’? by Stacey Patton
- Ask the grumpies: Pumping and a job talk by nicoleandmaggie
- Embrace Your Inner North Dakotan by Daivid D. Perlmutter
- Location, location, location by Alexandra M. Lord
Additional Resources:
- A Guide and Advice for Economists on the U.S. Junior Academic Job Market by John Cawley
- The Chronicle of Higher Education “Advice” Section
- Chronicle Vitae
- Linked In