Possible academic career paths you may be considering include professor, instructor, administrator, extension agent and researcher. Job searches for these types of positions can be time-consuming and complex. While you may love your subject of study and be an expert in many aspects of it, the process of reaching that next step in your career may require a whole different expertise. Now is a good time to start making a game plan for your transition from student to professional scholar.
And remember, it’s competitive out there. The number of tenure-track jobs available has been falling over the past 50 years. According to the American Association of University Professors (2018), 73 percent of faculty positions are currently non-tenure track.
If you have a faculty track in mind, you’ll need to work hard and prepare as much as you can.
Questions to Consider in an Academic Job Search
- Am I willing to relocate? What climate, region, size of town is important?
- Do I want to be primarily a researcher or a teacher, or a mix of both?
- What existing connections do I have with institutions/departments?
- Who is doing the type of work I want to be involved with/to collaborate with?
- Are there certain labs, equipment, focuses that draw me?
- What kind of institution do I want to work for (liberal arts, research, community college, public, religiously affiliated, etc.?)
- Am I interested in alternative paths such as student services, libraries, museums, nonprofits, etc.?
Materials Needed for an Academic Job Search
Positions vary, but these materials are common. Start gathering them in advance of your search as they take time to do well. Consider meeting with your career advisor or faculty mentor to get input:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Cover Letter
- Letters of Recommendation
- List of Professional References
- Diversity Statement
- Teaching Portfolio
- Teaching Statement
- Research Statement
Diversity Statements
Though statement prompts vary, generally this is your opportunity to show your commitment to diversity and equity work, whether in the classroom/lab or in other aspects of your life. Topics you might discuss include racism, ableism, sexism, classism, heterosexism—or other dimensions of power and inequality. Incorporating personal experiences as well as how you support marginalized communities in your research, teaching or work is a good place to start. Here are five reflection questions that may help you get started:
- What have I done in the past to advance diversity and equity work?
- What beliefs and values drive my commitments for diversity, equity and inclusion?
- What are specific examples I can demonstrate (e.g., mentoring, service, inclusive pedagogy, community organizing, advocacy, working to redress barriers and systemic inequities)?
- How have I gone beyond merely accepting difference and really worked for change?
- How do I plan to continue my diversity, equity and inclusion work in this new role?
Teaching Portfolio
If a Teaching Portfolio is requested, pick what you include wisely based on the type of institution and the focus of the role. Show results, your teaching style and your approach. It may include sample syllabi, course lists and descriptions, sample assignments, number of advisees, student evaluations, use of technology, evidence of student learning, hands-on or service-learning projects, etc.
Academic Job Posting and Candidate Review
Prepare for a slow-moving process that is typically tied to the annual academic cycle. During the academic year before a position is posted, the department applies for authorization/funding from university administrators to hire in a particular specialty. This process usually wraps up before the end of that academic year. View our academic job search timeline for a framework of what your academic career path could look like.
- Most tenure-track positions are going to start popping up in the fall, but they could come up as early as summer or throughout the year. Keep your eyes open for good opportunities.
- Some universities conduct interviews at annual professional meetings as a pre-requisite for on-campus interviews. Find out if this happens in your field. Otherwise, preliminary interviews will often be conducted by phone or video conference in fall or early winter.
- Often between winter break and early spring (December to March), on-campus interviews for top candidates happen. Institutions don’t usually invest the time to bring you onto campus unless you are on the 2-4 candidate short list.
- Jobs are often offered and accepted in the spring, but don’t stop looking because candidates back out, new funding pops up and sometimes professors are hired off-cycle.
Research Statements
A research statement is a common application component for academic or scientific positions. The purpose of this essay is to summarize your research accomplishments and focus and to provide a roadmap of where you’ll go in the future. These are often one to two pages in length.
- Your goal is to convince a committee that you are a great fit for their department—that your research will fit their needs, you can bring in funding and you will represent the organization well. Show a track record of what you’ve done as a predictor of what you are capable of.
- You want to demonstrate strategy and innovation. Always keep in mind, why does what I do matter? How does it serve the world? How does it fill a unique need or niche? Many researchers are skilled at communicating the technical details of their work but not their unique impact. This is no place to be humble.
- Remember that reviewers will have different levels of expertise in the field. Be sure to explain technical matters in a digestible way. Also, use informative headers, clear transitions and organization to help reviewers follow your arguments.
Possible research statement content:
- A summary of your research and how it contributes to the broader field.
- Specific examples that illustrate your results and impacts (e.g., major publications, breakthroughs, unique techniques you employ).
- Who you’ve collaborated with or will collaborate with in your field or the new department.
- Funding history and potential (identify real possible funders to help reviewers visualize your plan).
- Where you’re going with your scholarly work in the future, how you will build on current results and your specific goals for the next three to five years.
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Teaching Statements
The teaching statement aims to paint a picture of who you are as an educator for academic positions where teaching will be a large or small component. It should focus on your teaching results, your goals, your values and details of the environments/modalities/methods you’ve taught in. They are often one to two pages in length.
- Your goal is to help a department visualize you contributing to a positive learning environment at their institution as well as the unique teaching talents and experience you bring.
- You want to demonstrate efficacy as an educator, your experience, unique methods you’ve used and how you interact with students.
- Remember that this statement should capture who you are as an educator. Avoid clichés like “students don’t learn through lecture.” Instead talk specifically about your experiences in the classroom and how you personally build content that engages students.
Possible teaching statement content:
- Evidence of your teaching effectiveness (student reviews and comments, problem solving you’ve done, how you assess your success).
- The details of your teaching (specific courses, assignments, samples from syllabi, use of technology).
- Inclusive teaching practices (diversity of methods, intercultural sensitivity, trainings you’ve taken, populations you’ve worked with).
- The classroom environment you establish (modes of teaching, student-teacher interaction, student roles).
- How you are challenging the status quo and bringing innovation into the classroom.
- How you plan to keep growing as an educator and what you can offer to the department going forward.
- If the word “philosophy” feels vague, try answering these questions: Why do you teach your subject? How have you found students learn best? How do you translate your subject for different learners? What makes your style yours?
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