Going on the academic job market? Find out what to expect when you do. Resources below include an overview from U-M's Career Center, as well as links that provide details on the steps of a typical search and offer strategies for success at each one.

When to go on the academic job market

• Resource: Going on the Job Market, ABD: Part One and Part Two

Job announcement

• These are generally posted by national disciplinary organizations as well as higher education publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed.
• Resource: Where to find job postings
• Resource: Screencast: Higher Education Search

Submission of materials

• Prospective employers will ask for a cover letter and c.v. at a minimum. They may also request any number of additional materials: e.g., a teaching philosophy statement, a teaching portfolio, sample syllabi, a writing sample.
• Second round of requests: Often, a subset of candidates will be asked for additional materials: e.g., a dossier of letters of recommendation, a (second) writing sample, fuller teaching materials.
• Resource: Picking Apart Your Application from The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Resource: Preparing your job materials

Review of materials by search committee

• Four to six members of the search committee will review dozens of applications for every job posting. This committee sometimes presents its findings to the faculty for a decision on who to bring in for interviews.
• Resource: Academic Job Search “From the Other Side,” or the search committee perspective
• Resource: What Search Committees Wish You Knew

Initial interviews

• Depending on an institution’s budget, schedule, and hiring process, these can take several forms. Some begin with videoconferencing or a telephone screening interview. Many hold initial interviews at a national professional meeting -- often in hotel rooms, or in a large ballroom containing many small tables. These generally last 30-45 minutes.
• Often invitations for these interviews will come only a short time before the scheduled meeting because the committee’s review of materials and deliberations can take considerable time.
• Resource: Interviewing remotely

On-campus interviews

• This will generally last one or two days, including lots of meetings and meals with faculty, administrators, and possibly students as well as public presentations.
• Depending on the institution and position, candidates may be asked to offer a research talk, a sample class, a presentation about teaching, or some combination of these.
• Resource: Preparing for a campus interview

Selection process

• This will often include many people beyond the search committee -- sometimes a whole department, often a department executive committee as well as relevant deans.
• Resource: The secret members of the search and tenure committees

Job offers and negotiation

• Resource: Negotiating a Job Offer

Start your new job

• Resource: Thriving In Your Academic Job