Getting an Academic Job Stanford University ≫ Department of Philosophy ≫
 
 
“Can I go on the market this coming academic year, 2007-08, for a job starting the academic year 2008-09?”
 
The final decision whether to go on the job market rests with you and your committee, especially with you and your dissertation director.
 
The Bare Minimum:
 
  1. •August 15: Draft of CV and Cover Letter(s)
  2. -Your dissertation director and the placement committee will review these materials and give you feedback.
  3. •August 31: Writing Sample
  4. -Your recommenders must have copies of the writing sample before they write their letters.
  5. •August 31: Substantive Progress on Dissertation
  6. -Your recommenders must be in a position to do the following in their letters:
  7. ‣Describe the main philosophical contribution of the dissertation.
  8. ‣Confidently predict that you will complete your degree before September 2008
  9. -This usually means that you need to have the main ideas of the dissertation worked out on paper and in the hands of your recommenders by this date.
  10. -Check with your recommenders as soon as possible to figure out what they will need by this date in order to write a good recommendation for you. Usually you will be given both a minimum list of chapters they need to see and an ideal list.
  11. •August 31 : CV and Cover Letter(s)
  12. -You should provide your letter writers with a copy of your CV and your cover letter(s) so they have a good sense of how you are marketing yourself. You should of course also solicit their advice on how you should market yourself.
  13. •December 10: Be Ready for Mock Interviews
  14. -You must be ready to explain and defend the main philosophical contribution of the dissertation to (mock) interviewers.
  15. -Please see the page on interviews in order to know what else you need for mock interviews.
  16. •January 6: Be Ready for Practice Job Talks
  17. -We will schedule practice job talks for early January 2008.
  18. -You will present your writing sample or, preferably, another paper to the entire department. You will receive feedback from the members on the department that you should use to revise your paper and presentation in preparation for flybacks.
 
These are the minimum conditions for someone to be a job candidate. If you intend to be on the job market for the coming academic year, your first priority during the coming summer should be to satisfy the conditions regarding your dissertation, your writing sample, and the preparation of your CV and cover letter. Consultation with your committee is an essential part of this process.  DO NOT PUT IT OFF.
 
The Ideal:
 
In recent years, candidates who have applied for jobs with the bare minimum of preparation, as defined above, have in general fared less well than candidates who are more advanced in some or all of the following respects:
 
  1. •They have the Ph.D. in hand;
  2. -or have defended their dissertation;
  3. -or have scheduled a defense.
  4. •Work has been published;
  5. -or accepted for publication;
  6. -or rejected with an invitation to revise and resubmit;
  7. -or submitted for publication
 
Bear in mind that submitting work too early for publication can also do you harm, if it marks you as someone who writes mediocre articles.
 
Is it better to wait?
 
The difference between "the bare minimum" and "the ideal," as defined above, may represent as much as a year's work. So even if you are minimally ready to look for a job, you may have reason to postpone your search for a year, in order to attain the ideal level of preparation. Reasons against postponing your search may include:
 
  1. •You have run out of financial support.
  2. •You have taken too long to complete the degree. (Excessive time-to-degree is a disadvantage on the market.)
  3. •Personal considerations.
 
The members of your committee are in the best position to help you weigh these reasons for and against postponing your job search.
 
What's the best way to use your time between now and August?
 
In most cases, your tasks for the summer will be:
 
  1. •making as much progress on the dissertation as is consistent with ...
  2. •... preparing a writing sample, CV and cover letter(s)
 
In carrying yout these tasks, you will need guidance from your committee:
 
  1. •What progress do your committee members want to see on your dissertation before they write letters of recommendation in September?
  2. •What writing sample do your committee members think would best support their recommendation?