Academic Job Applications: How to do them and Keep Going!

1. Academic Job Applications: How to do them and Keep Going! Dr. Tracy Bussoli Adam Sandelson

2. Today’s Topics • Do you have the experience and skills for the job? Assessing a job advertisement. • Basic principles for a good application • How to keep going. Some job seeking psychology

3. You can complete a ‘good’ academic application if you have developed the appropriate experience/skills/connections during your PhD. Then you have something to write about.

4. In small groups, compile a list of skills and experiences that would be essential for your first academic role after your PhD e.g. a postdoc or a teaching fellowship.

5. What makes you suitable for an academic job? • Existing orplanned publications • Teaching experience • Teaching qualification • Potential as a developing researcher • Sense of where you/your expertise are situated within your subject • Transferable experience/knowledge of academic world • Experience of conference/journal management

6. Assessing a job advert • Why does the job appeal to me? • What do I offer that they are asking for? • What do I not have that they want? • What potential is there for me in this job to enhance and develop my career? • What hidden demands and requirements might there be once I am doing the job?

7. Ask yourself… Teaching: • What can I teach on their syllabus? • What new courses for UGs or PGs can I offer? • How do I fit with their culture of teaching my subject? • What are other people teaching in the department, and how will that affect me? • Am I comfortable teaching things I know nothing about?

8. Ask yourself… Research – open agenda: • How do I fit with their research culture? • What opportunities for collaboration or support are there for me as a new researcher? • Can I add to research groups/create new ones? • How can I contribute to conferences and/or publications or establish new ones?

9. Basic principles of a good application • Always tailor your application materials to each individual job – CV, letter, statements etc. • Always 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

10. Job Application package Will include some or all of: • CV and/or application form • Cover letter/personal statement • Abstract of PhD thesis • Statement of current and future research, including proposed publications • Statement of teaching philosophy, experience and proposed courses

11. Building a Job Application…

12. The right CV for the job • No ‘correct’ way to structure it • ‘To abstract’, or not ‘to abstract’…? • Education or work experience first? • Group work experience by ‘relevant’ and ‘other’ • For publications, use ‘forthcoming’ or ‘submitted for peer review’ or ‘in preparation’ • Awards, honours, professional bodies

13. But always: • Include title of your thesis, supervisor(s), proposed submission date (and viva date) • Include publications, conferences/seminars, awards • Keep layout of dates and information clear • Don’t give too much info with each entry • Consider the reader’s perspective

14. Examples of Academic CVs… • Have a look at the academic CVs provided (all available on-line). • What do you notice about them? • Comment positives and negatives of each.

15. Principles of a good covering letter • Introductory paragraph – refer to job title, where it was advertised • ‘My shoes’ – establish my credentials: who am I (a PhD at LSE!), why does this job appeal to me, how does it fit with who I am now? • ‘Their shoes’ – seeing myself through the recruiter’s eyes, emphasising key strengths they are looking for • Concluding paragraph - include any unavailable interview dates if appropriate

16. Practicals of a good covering letter Make sure you include: • Evidence of teaching experience • Mention courses from their syllabus you could teach at UG1, UG2/3 and PG • Suggest new courses at UG and PG level you could offer • Summary of past and future research plans, especially proposed publications • Demonstrate understanding of key research issues in your area and research dissemination activities • Mention relevant conference or journal activities For application statements (e.g. LSE), make sure you respond to the person spec. headings in full

17. Covering letters with additional statements • In this case, letter is a shorter introduction to your teaching and research statements • So use the letter to summarise key points from your statements • Summarise and string together to show breadth and depth • Don’t repeat phraseology – boring to read

18. How much should you write? • CV – 2+ pages (models on the CS website) • Letter 1-2 pages – shorter if you have statements • Statements – 2-4 pages • Less can be more! • Leave something for interview

19. How to stand out - Teaching • Describe your existing experience • Courses, class sizes, teaching modes • Training, mentoring • Dissertation supervision • Philosophy – general, subject • Proposed role in their department • Existing courses to teach • New UG/Masters courses • Show you understand their teaching of the subject

20. 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

21. Remember…… • Recent research shows that for PhDs currently working in academia, 3 or 4 years after graduating, the most common way they found out about their job was through their professional, work or educational contacts • Looking at employer’s websites or job adverts came third or fourth (depending on whether they were in research or teaching roles).

22. Networking…. • Conferences: • Go! • Volunteer to help with organisation • Offer to help edit proceedings • Research speakers, know the personalities, say hello! • 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

23. Barriers to Networking • Adam to do something on this?

24. Job seeking psychology

25. Issues • Transition • Pressure – internal and external • Envy and Competition • Self esteem • Family pressure • Historic patterns of thinking and relating

26. Dynamics of work, life ...

27. Trying to please others Wanting to be the best Setting yourself impossible targets The family/ historic context for your success Underlying dynamics

28. Practical approaches • Time management skills • Set realistic and achievable goals • Short term targets, longer term strategies • Recognise achievements • Talk to others, ask for help and support

29. Getting things done Concentrate on the task, not the outcome

30. Focussing on the task • Break down activities into small manageable tasks • Remember past successes • Recognise you are likely to get a job and have a career! • Be methodical and allow • time for breaks and • space to breathe and think

31. Stress Management Skills • Regularly switch off - physical activity • Self care – sleep, diet, caffeine, alcohol • Allow yourself time out without guilt • Acknowledge anxiety, don’t deny it! • Check if negative thoughts are realistic

32. Thinking errors • Discounting the positive • Over-generalizing • because I couldn’t get a good job in the past it will certainly happen again • All or nothing thinking • Either I’ll get a great job or it will be rubbish and I’ll be a failure! • Emotional Reasoning • If I feel it then it must be true

33. Challenging negative thoughts • Apply ‘Socratic reasoning’ or imagine this being tested in a Court of Law • Identify the negative thought • Eg, I won’t get a job or it will be a rubbish one • Ascertain the evidence For and Against • Ask if you are making a ‘thinking error’ • Propose a more reasonable alternative thought

34. Things to Do

35. Don’t Panic • 62% of Social Science PhDs work in HE 3 years after graduating (Vitae, 2010). • Successful applications are about a good match, not statistics.

36. Do your research • Network and find out as much as possible about relevant academic departments • How did they do in the RAE/REF? • Do they have an internal candidate in mind? • What is behind the job advert?

37. Be flexible and consider alternatives! • Conduct rigorous research into different academic institutions to broaden your chances of success • Consider a ‘less prestigious’ university to develop your teaching and/or research skills • Be willing to relocate • Portfolio career e.g. consultancy work in your chosen field, part-time teaching post, part-time editor for academic publication.

38. Get advice and help • Use the Careers Service staff and information resources • Developing a strategy is essential, as is flexibility and adaptability • Get advice to help you think laterally and broaden your options • If you are struggling to manage the experience, contact the Counselling Service

39. Where to get help LSE Careers Service, 3rd floor, Tower 3 • www.lse.ac.uk/careers, Information Room • Careers Guidance, CV checking, interview coaching LSE Student Counselling Service, G507 (20 Kingsway) • www.lse.ac.uk/collections/studentCounsellingService/