The Econ Job Market
as Economic Historians
(2014/15 version)
Taylor Jaworski
Greg Niemesh
Queen’s University
Miami University
(These are Jessica Bean and James Fenske’s slides from 2011/12 (which were a slightly
modified version of Florian Ploeckl and Marianne Wannamaker’s slides from 2010/12
(which were actually…?)))
Overview of Job Market Process
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Applications
Interviews (ASSA meetings)
Flyouts
Offers/Random Advice
Applications
Before you go on the Market
• You need to decide some big things
– (1) What ARE you?
– (2) What institutions would you be willing to go to and what
institutions are an absolute “NO”?
– (3) Are you willing to take a PostDoc?
– (4) Are you willing/able to stay in grad school for another year if
the market doesn’t work the way you would like?
– (5) Do you have a joint career mobility issue? What are the
constraints?
– (6) Are you actually ready for the market?
Preparing for Applications
• Applications take time. A lot of time.
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CV (sometimes more than one)
Teaching Portfolio and Teaching Statement
Research Statement
Templates for Cover Letter
• Different templates for private/academic, liberal arts/research, etc…
• Get teaching evaluations together
• Heads up on letters of recommendation; may need to check-in with
faculty to remind them that they are on your committee
• One school in 2009 required 4 letters . . .
• Faculty may also target letters to different types of employer
• Older faculty may have problems with online submission
• Personal website
• Make it easy to find and clear for the lazy
• Dissertation abstract; Research “outlines” to give letter writers (may be
optional)
• Copies of undergrad (rare, but sometimes for private sector) and grad
transcripts
Finding out about jobs
• Start early with September JOE; may have some Oct. 15 deadlines
(especially European jobs) and keep checking, even in January
– Don’t get discouraged by specifications.
• There are other sources for jobs as well (especially for different
fields)
• Chronicles of Higher Education, Econjobmarket, HigherEd Jobs, Walras,
eh.net/list-serv/archives, SSRN, among others
• Some schools (esp. international) you may need to contact directly
– “JRF” positions at Cambridge, for example, are specific to each college
• Have a rough ranking of jobs in tiers (let advisors know)
• You may receive solicitations for your application
• Be prepared to send 150+ applications
Actual Applications
• Make organized (and very clear) Excel file; use and check MailMerge
• Is application online, mail, both?
• Are letters sent electronically, or by mail?
• Is entire application going to the same address?
• Find system that works for you for keeping everything organized.
• What makes this school different? Something you could include in
cover letter (esp. for regional or LACs)
• Check ad again before sealing envelopes/pressing send on email
– Even though much of this is online now, postage is still expensive.
• If mail takes three days, give yourself five days (weekends, Veterans
Day, Thanksgiving, etc.)
• Prepare to spend the greater part of a week just assembling
applications and filling out online forms.
Other things
• Make travel and hotel arrangements if you haven’t done that
already.
• Are you putting a second paper in your packet?
• Know that departments rank you internally; faculty who
aren’t on your committee should know who you are and
think you are competent
• Your department seminar is a good opportunity to impress
• Flights: give yourself some time before/after possible
interview times.
• Maybe an interview will pop up at the end
• Flight delays getting there
• Give practice job talks (as many as possible!!!)
• Start lining up mock interviews
After Applications are Sent
• Interview Practice
• Schedule mock interviews with other people on job market
(including from other schools – they may get different training)
and faculty
• You want faculty unfamiliar with your work, or with history in
general
• Meeting them “for advice” can be a chance to practice your spiel
• Talk to advisors about interviews, what to emphasize, etc.
• Don’t try to memorize answers (other than spiel); have concrete
examples
• Tie up any loose ends with JMP, job talk, etc. You may get
flyouts soon after the meetings.
Some sample interview questions
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How would you teach ___ to an
undergraduate class
Where is your field headed?
Why did you apply here?
Why is this economics?
Why is this an interesting question?
Why should we care about your results?
Why didn't anybody do it before?
How did you get the idea for this paper?
To what journal?
What journals do you see yourself
publishing in?
When will you finish your dissertation?
Which senior economists do you wish to
emulate?
Tell us the best paper you've seen
presented in a seminar recently.
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Do you plan to continue to collaborating
with your current coauthors / advisers?
What is your research agenda for the
next 5 years? What are the next 3 papers
you will write?
Do you think you'd be happy in a dept.
like ours?
Teaching experience?
What would you like to teach? What
textbooks or journal articles.
What is your teaching philosophy?
How's the market this year?
Greatest Strength, weakness
If you were the referee of your own
paper, what would you say?
Courses you would like to teach.
Anything you'd like us to know that isn't
on your CV/ Application.
Some JMP tips
• The best guide I have seen is by Goldin and
Katzhttp://www.economics.harvard.edu/files/TenRulesWr
iting.pdf
– YMMV for some of this (e.g. “Do not tell your readers what you
will be doing. Just do it”).
• Use Latex (and beamer)
• Don’t confuse a JMP with a journal article: The JMP can
be longer, and should demonstrate what you are capable
of.
• Submit versions early and often to the EHA and any other
relevant field conferences – poster sessions are your
friend!
Getting Interviews
• Have clear table of all possible interview times (including early
a.m.)
• Check everything twice (at least)
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Correct phone number and email for contact person
Room disclosure code
Hotel and hotel tower number
Recruiting Committee Names
• Different schools call at different times; most first week after
Thanksgiving
• Talk to advisor if you’re not getting “enough” interviews
• Update advisor(s) when you do hear back
• Do preliminary research about schools
– If possible, generate a “cheat sheet” for each
interview.
Interviews
Meetings
• Know where to go
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Hotels (walk / cab)
Leave plenty of time!
Room numbers
Have food, spare clothes, smartphone, things to read
• Be on time
– Knock if they don’t open the door
• Be polite
• Be professional
– Interview situations
– Receptions ?
(hotel rooms....)
Interviews
What are interviews for?
Screening Process:
• Looking for a colleague, not just a faculty member
• Somebody who actually will take this job
• Willing to live in Podunkville
• No bad surprises
• Be yourself (…if you’re somewhat socially competent)
Be prepared
• Who are your interviewers ?
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Try to get names when called for interviews
Learn about those people (facebook & google are your friends).
But be prepared for unexpected extras in the room
Look at the paper “"The hiring of an economist: A case study“”
• Be prepared for them to google you or look you up on
facebook.
• Don’t expect them to be prepared
– Don’t worry if they’re bored
• Be able to adjust your spiel/outline:
– Have a 30 second, 2 minute, and 5 minute spiel, all nested.
Interviews
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Your spiel (expect interruptions).
Questions about your research
Your future plans (especially for research schools).
Teaching ability/approach (especially for LACs).
Their sales pitch
• Research support
• Living in their location
• Questions for them
• Some signal of fit (especially some regions, LACs).
• But be careful!
Flyouts
Invitations
• Flyout invitations start right after meeting
– Arrange date
• Don’t forget travel time
• Try not to have the best one first
• Don’t accept a flyout if you have a better offer already:
you’re wasting other peoples’ money and it will haunt you
– Practical arrangements (Flight, Visa)
– Schedule
• Leverage flyouts into other flyouts
– If flyout to school A, inform closeby school B
Flyouts: basics
• It’s show time!
– Each flyout lasts from a day to 2.5 days
• Structure:
– Meetings with
• Members search committee, faculty in general
• Dean, president, faculty from other departments, librarians
• Students
– Job market talk
– Dinner with faculty
– Class lecture
– Campus/City tour
Meetings with faculty
• With faculty
– Interrogations….
• On your research (current and future): Be prepared to defend your entire
agenda
• On Economics (i.e. current crisis)
• On teaching
• On a paper that isn’t your JMP
• If you are stumped by a question in one of these meetings, it will be asked
during your talk
– Selling the department/city/location
– Interest in your research & offer info on the department
– Don’t get startled by unexpected questions
• With dean/president
– Have a very simple and basic spiel ready to deliver (minimize econ
jargon, just the main result)
– More questions related to teaching and mentoring
– Again, don’t get startled
Job market seminar
• Have your presentation backed up (computer, usb
drive, e-mail)
• Have your own clicker and adapters
• Know your time limit (60-80-90 minutes)
• Consider your audience (not just econ history:
this is true for the entire process)
• Make sure you get your approach and results
across in the first minute or two – you may not
get another chance
• Don’t spend too long on background
Flyouts: success strategies
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Do your homework - interviewers
Be nice and polite to staff
Know fun facts about your research
Have an idea what is going on in the world
Expect random questions about anything related to
economics
• Be prepared for schedule changes… for example
giving your talk without a break beforehand
Flyouts: survival tips
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Be climate ready
Be illness ready
Know your schedule
Stay hydrated
Find some time to yourself (restrooms….)
Know your drinking limit
Sleep as much as you can
Travel smart
Offers/Random Advice
Offers
• Offers CAN be slow to come in due to institutional issues.
– In other cases, they will arrive the next day
• The offer usually consists of a salary, tenure clock
(including retention decision), summer $$, research $$,
travel $$, moving expenses, house-hunting trips, etc.
• Once you have an offer, NEGOTIATE.
– Non-salary $$ are “cheap” money; but consider the specifics of the school.
– Offers may explode. Don’t hold on to something you will never take or the
school will hate you.
– Salary is more difficult, but department chairs are still probably willing to
go to bat for you on that if you have a credible threat point.
– Junior faculty may be willing to talk to you about a strategy here.
– Your dept’s placement chair/committee is also there to help at this stage
Random #1
• You NEVER know what people are going to ask you.
– Don’t get flustered.
• Be prepared to sell yourself and your field as an asset for their
department.
– “Do you think of Economic History as just another applied micro field or
does it have a greater significance in Economics?”
– “We are looking for someone to teach graduate econometrics. How
would you teach that course and does your background in economic
history help or hinder your ability to teach that successfully?”
• Be prepared for intense questioning.
– “Income inequality has increased over the past 50 years in the United
States. Give me four reasons for that change.”
– “I’ve heard about your job market paper and the two projects you are
working on in addition to that. Tell me what is next on your research
agenda.”
– “What would you include in a graduate labor economics course?”
Random #2
• A good or bad interview does not imply a flyout or a
lack thereof respectively.
– Schools cancel searches ALL THE TIME, or they decide to
implement a “rolling” hiring process.
– Sometimes they have put you on the interview list with no
intention of ever hiring you.
– It can be hard to tell how it really went.
• If you’re lucky, you’ll get the hard sell while on the
flyout
– Be careful about saying too much about your intentions.
– It may be a tough job market year, but you are still in
control to some extent.
Some useful links
• Cowley Job Market Guide
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http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/econ/grad/placement/local/conlin_dickert.html tips
from Wisconsin Econ very useful
http://www.ssrn.com/update/ern/ernjob/ern_job.html
http://www.dinhvutrangngan.com/teaching/Advice/JobMarket/
SSRN job postings, useful
https://www.walras.org/
useful
https://econjobmarket.org/ must use it
http://www.bluwiki.com/go/Econjobmarket
somewhat useful and informative
http://www.econjobrumors.com/
pretty much just rumors, racism, misogyny, and bitterness: but shows you how
certain types of research are viewed by hostile audiences (you should know this)
Last, but not least
• Google is your friend;
map, calendar, etc…. even grammar
• Let us know if you have questions, even after
we leave the department --- we become
insiders!
• It is actually (kind of) fun
• And it will all work out in the end! (somehow)