alvarohuerta6@GMAIL.COM
Dear All:
For those of you on the academic job market (or if you
know someone), see below essay. I also attached PDF version. Feel free to
circulate.
Cordially,
Alvaro
--
Alvaro Huerta, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor (Joint Faculty)Dept. Urban & Regional Planning (URP)
Ethnic & Women's Studies (EWS) Dept.
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Email: amhuerta@csupomona.edu
Book: "*Reframing the Latino Immigration Debate:
Towards a Humanistic
Paradigm*
(2013)
-------
*"Advice on Successfully Navigating the Current
Academic Job Market"*[1] <#_ftn1>
by Alvaro Huerta, Ph.D.[2] <#_ftn2>
As someone who recently accepted a tenure-track faculty
position at a four-year university, I want to share some helpful advice for
those on the academic job market. The selected tips below not only represent my
experience on successfully navigating the academic search process, but also
include insights that I've learned from other academics on the subject.
Like other academics, I lament the dismal academic job
market, where we have too many qualified PhDs applying for few tenure-track job
openings.
*Current Context*
From the demand side, the current saturation of PhDs on the job market is primarily linked to several structural issues: (1) an overall decline in state funding for public colleges and universities; (2) the adjunctification of the academy, where adjuncts or non-tenure track faculty consist of 75% of all instructors in higher education; and (3) the delayed exit or retirement of tenured professors. Regarding the last point, given that tenured faculty represent coveted positions associated with high status, great benefits and lifetime job security (with some exceptions), it's logical that professors hold on to their positions beyond the average retirement age in the U.S. and beyond.
From the supply side, not only do universities produce
too many PhDs for the tight labor market, but there's also a surplus of PhDs
from prior years. Overall, those in the job market for tenure-track positions
include:
ABD's (all-but-dissertation); recent PhDs; postdoctoral
fellows; adjunct faculty; visiting assistant professors; visiting scholars and
researchers; independent scholars; and those individuals working in a variety
of non-faculty positions with the goal of eventually securing a tenure-track
position.
*Managing the Tight Job Market*
*Seek expert advice*. Seek advice from your advisors,
recently hired faculty from your department and other academics who can provide
valuable tips on preparing application packets. In the social sciences, a
typical application packet includes a cover letter, statement of research,
statement of teaching, CV, three letters of recommendation, one writing sample
and, occasionally, teaching evaluations. Transcripts are usually requested once
an applicant secures an interview. Also, don't hesitate to solicit successful
sample applications from other academics. For further excellent advice on this
topic and related areas, refer to Karen L. Kelsky, PhD, at "The Professor
Is In" (www.theprofessorisin.com)
and UC Berkeley's Career Center website at "Academic Job Search" ( https://career.berkeley.edu/PhDs/PhDAcademic.stm).
*Prepare in advance*. Expect to allocate between three to
six months to complete your application packet. Given that each document
deserves a lot of time and effort, you should produce quality documents that
reflect your academic credentials, research interests and potential abilities
in future scholarship. This includes revising documents, proofreading, seeking
input from advisors and getting feedback from peers. After you've completed the
application packet, provide selected documents, such as CV, Cover letter and
research statement to your academic recommenders. By doing so, they'll be able
to write a stronger, more detailed letter for the job search committee.
*Be selective*. Similar to applying to graduate school,
be selective when seeking tenure-track positions. That is, only apply to
positions that you're qualified for. Academic job descriptions clearly
stipulate (or
should) the required qualifications and areas of
specialty. Thus, if a job description requires someone who specializes in
quantitative research methods, don't apply if you're an expert in qualitative
research methods.By narrowing your job search to positions where there's a likely "match" or "fit," you will save time and energy in this time-consuming effort.
*Act like an academic*. Just because you don't have a
tenure-track position, it doesn't mean that you can't engage in scholarship and
academic activities to raise or enhance your scholarly profile. Try getting
ahead of your competition by taking part in activities that help to raise your
scholarly profile, such as publishing in scholarly journals, attending and
presenting at academic conferences, joining and contributing to academic listserves
and networking with other academics, especially in your field.
*On being an adjunct*.
On the one hand, there are three pros from this status. First, you have
the privilege of teaching, mentoring and preparing tomorrow's leaders.
Secondly, you obtain academic work experience to include in your CV. This is
important, since academic positions typically require some level of teaching
experience, especially for teaching-focused colleges and universities. Thirdly,
if successful in the classroom, you acquire strong students evaluations that
you can share with your recommenders and, if you secure an interview, can
provide to the job search committee. On the other hand, apart from the job
insecurity, low pay and lack of benefits, there's the danger of being pigeonholed
an "adjunct" by tenured faculty, especially if you've been lecturing
for several years without any publications in scholarly journals. While there's
dignity in all honest work, unfortunately, in this tight labor market,
perception matters.
*Be positive and confident*. Just because you're on the
job market for one or more years doesn't mean that you should be pessimistic or
insecure about your academic job prospects. Remind yourself that by obtaining a
PhD from an accredited university, you've already accomplished a great academic
milestone and should be proud of yourself. If you display a lack of confidence
or competence to your recommenders and, especially, job search committee
members, you'll limit or eliminate your job prospects for a tenure-track
position. This is not to imply that you shouldn't share your personal issues or
insecurities with trusted advisors. In short, you don't want to give anyone in
a position of power (e.g., a "gatekeeper") an excuse to not hire you,
especially if you meet or exceed all of the job requirements.
*Conclusion*
While there's much more to say about the job search process, I hope the aforementioned advice provides some job seekers with guidance on this rigorous and stressful process. That said, given that we find ourselves in an extremely tight labor market for tenure-track faculty position, I empathize with all of those PhDs on the job market and hope the best for all of you, be it inside or outside of the academy.
------------------------------
[1] <#_ftnref1> Written on October 9, 2014, this essay will be published in academic eNewsletter in late Fall of 2014.
[2] <#_ftnref2> Short Bio: Dr. Alvaro Huerta is an
Assistant Professor of Urban & Regional Planning and Ethnic & Women's
Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He holds a PhD in
City & Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. He's the author of the book,
*Reframing the Latino Immigration Debate: Towards a Humanistic Paradigm* <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1938537033/counterpunchmaga>
(San Diego State University Press, 2013).
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