DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND RELATED LITERATURE
UNIVERSITY OF YORK
APPLYING FOR ACADEMIC JOBS IN
THE UK
Dr. Helen Smith (hs25@york.ac.uk)
Dr. Alison O’Byrne (aob500@york.ac.uk)
Graduate Training Program, 2010
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The academic job market for PhDs in English really is a buyer’s market. While there are
still some people who are able to move swiftly from PhD to permanent job, it can take
between 2 and 5 years to land a permanent job. The tips presented today are designed
to maximize your chances, as well as offer some advice on how to continue developing
your profile while on part-time, short-term, or between contracts.
When to apply:
It’s probably best to apply for things once you have a sense of when you’ll be done, so
that you can give a clear sense of when you’ll be submitting/when your viva is (or is
likely to be). Remember, you’ll be competing against applicants who have already
finished their PhDs, and some institutions (depending on the kind of contract it is, and
the stage you’re at if you’re not finished) might immediately put aside anyone who hasn’t
already finished as a first step towards eliminating candidates.
Where to look for jobs:
The three main places for searching for jobs in the UK are
The Times Higher Education (http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk)
The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/jobs)
Jobs.ac.uk (http://www.jobs.ac.uk). This is the most comprehensive and easiest to
search (though bear in mind that jobs.ac.uk lists jobs in English Literature under
Languages, rather than Humanities; their job advice is not nearly as good as their
listings).
Some websites can send email alerts for jobs in your field. If you sign up for these, it’s
still worth checking the website from time to time. Email alerts are often sent a few days
after the job is advertised, and – in cases with a late opening and a quick turnaround –
this could mean losing out on time to put your application together.
Support from the department:
When beginning the job application process, it’s worth having someone look over your
materials – approach your supervisor or Head of Research School for advice.
It’s also important to keep your supervisor and any other referees aware of the
applications you send out in case they are approached to write a reference. Offer to
send them a copy of the letter and your cv if they’re approached for a reference so that
they can see how you’ve presented yourself in relation to the job description. A referee
who has your materials is more able to tailor their letter to each specific job.
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The application:
General points to bear in mind:
Convey enthusiasm and sell yourself. It’s an awkward and uncomfortable feeling, but
remember that everyone else will be doing it.
Make as much use of the job description as possible to frame your letter of
application.
Draw on the person specification and the ‘essential’ and ‘desirable’ attributes as far as
possible, drawing on the language they use.
Maintain a clear distinction between letter and cv. Your letter shouldn’t merely talk
the reader through the cv that they have in front of them. Be sure, for example, that your
project description in your letter is different from the way it’s worded on your cv. Your cv
will list the courses you’ve taught: don’t just repeat this information in the letter, but talk
about the kinds of teaching you’ve done on these courses (lectures, seminars, tutorials),
what texts you’ve taught, the fact that you’ve designed the seminar program yourself,
what you’d like to teach if offered the job (how you present this will depend in part on
how the job is described in the advertisement).
Present yourself as research active. It’s easy, once you’ve completed the PhD, to
continue talking about research in terms of your dissertation or thesis. Doing this,
however, means you risk slipping into using the past tense. Once you’re done the PhD,
talk about your research in terms of a current book project. A small change, but it makes
a huge difference.
Do your research. Have a look around the department’s webpage. Are there any
research centres or clusters that you can speak to? Any ongoing research projects that
connect with your work?
Try to get a good sense of what the institution wants, needs, and prioritizes. But don’t
expect that a teaching-heavy institution isn’t interested in research (or that a research
institution is unconcerned about teaching). One way to think about this is that a
teaching-heavy institution will want to be sure that you’ve got a clear project and
research plans that you can get on with, but will be more concerned to know that you
can fit into its teaching culture and contribute widely to the courses it offers. A research
institution will want some evidence that you have taught and can get on with it, but will
be more concerned to know that you can fit into its research culture and can contribute
widely to its research profile. It’s best not to think in terms of ‘downplaying’ one aspect
of your profile for certain kinds of jobs, but instead to think about what they’re most
interested in hearing about based on the person specification.
It is in the above areas that you will need to tinker/develop/rework for each application.
The details of your experience and achievements will of course be the same, but how
you package and present them will be different for each application.
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The Letter:
Note: in some cases you’ll need a ‘personal statement’ in a space on an
application form. This will cover what you would normally put in your letter.
If possible, address your letter to an individual – if no individual is named as the Chair of
the search panel, then address it to the Head of Department or School (who will almost
always have some role in the hiring process).
The content and structure of the letter will vary depending on the job and what you need
to highlight. However, be sure your letter has a clear structure, and each paragraph has
a clear role. The sample letters will give you a sense of how this works, but here are
some general points to cover in separate paragraphs or sections:
Introduce yourself: Your opening should clearly state which job you’re applying for,
who you are, and what you do. If you’re not yet finished your PhD, then you should state
something like ‘I’m currently completing my PhD with the Department of English and
Related Literature at York under the supervision of X, and expect to submit my
dissertation in Y’. Once you’ve finished the PhD, you might say something like ‘I
recently received my PhD/I received my PhD in 2008 from the University of York, and I
am currently…[a part-time tutor/Temporary Lecturer in the School of English at X, etc]’.
Your research: The next paragraph should outline your research. This should give a
sense of the kinds of debates it engages with, the works or authors it draws on, and
sense of what’s distinctive about what you do. It is worth returning to this paragraph to
revise and improve – ultimately, you want your research to sound exciting. One
common criticism is that candidates often don’t provide a full or persuasive enough
description of their research. Don’t go over-the-top, but remember your documents will
be read by a panel, not all of whom will be in your field (or even your discipline).
While you’re still a PhD student, talk about what your PhD explores. When you’re
finished, present this material as your current research or book project – it shows that it’s
still active research with a clear publication goal in sight.
Your research doesn’t need to be confined to a single paragraph, but additional
paragraphs should have a clear focus. You might (especially if you’ve spent quite a bit
of time developing one for postdoc applications) spend some time talking about your
next project. You might spend some time talking about aspects of your research that are
published or forthcoming, or you might spend some time talking about publication plans
(again, this shows you as research active). For example, you can talk about how you’re
expanding or revising your dissertation for publication (and if you have a sense of where
you plan to send it for consideration, mention that) or about a particular article you’re
writing.
The person specification will also give you a few prompts. It might specify ‘A research
record in a relevant specialism, which gives proof or reasonable expectation that the
candidate is capable of producing research that attains international significance.’ You
might mention as ‘evidence’ any papers presented at major international conferences. It
might specify ‘An ability to secure external funding’ as a ‘desirable’ attribute. Mention
any funding received – AHRC, any conference attendance grants, any library fellowships
[more on this below]. You can also quote your PhD examiners’ reports as ‘evidence’
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(though choose wisely: while at first glance a comment about how your work makes ‘an
original contribution to the field’, remember that ‘original contribution’ is a requirement for
a PhD!). If you apply for a British Academy postdoc, make the most of this: the project
description can slide into your job application as a description of your next project/future
research plans, and you can refer to your project’s grading by the British Academy
(‘Although I did not receive funding for this research, my project received an A+ rating’).
Your teaching experience. Titles of courses taught will be on your cv. Here, in your
letter, take the opportunity to develop a sense of the role you play in teaching those
courses and what kind of teacher you are. Highlight the fact that you’ve had some input
into the seminar programs on the courses you teach at York (rather than following a
strict week by week outline designed by someone else). Emphasize the range of
teaching formats (lecture, seminar, tutorial) that you have experience of, and emphasize
the range of topics, genres, periods, etc. that you’ve taught. If you’ve taught
Approaches, sell it – every university will have some form of first-year, first-term
teaching, so spend some time explaining what Approaches does/what you achieve in
your Approaches seminars, etc. Where possible, make a note of teaching outside of
your research specialism as well as highlighting the ways in which your research informs
your teaching.
Make the most of student feedback. Some jobs will state that they want ‘Evidence of
delivering high-quality teaching’ and will use this to short-list candidates. This is a bit
tricky to come by, as end of term feedback forms often lack detailed comments and are
often more about the course as a whole. But make use of what you can – a comment
about seminars containing ‘a good mix of genres’ can be quoted in your letter. Make a
habit checking your student feedback for some good soundbites on your teaching. If
they haven’t taken the time to write much about your seminar teaching, you could always
email students and invite detailed feedback (if you feel comfortable). [I emailed a
selection of students I had developed a rapport with, from different seminar groups,
explaining that I was looking for student testimonials to include with job application
materials – they were quick to respond, detailed with comments, and I was able to draw
on them in some detail in my letters of application.]
Your CV:
Your cv should follow a fairly straightforward format: you’ll see differences in the set-up
of the different examples offered in the packet, but the important thing is to be sure that
you present what you have in a clear, concise manner, and be sure that your project
description is differently worded than it is in your letter [panels want to see that you can
talk about your project in a number of different ways]. Remember that for jobs in the UK
you do not need to reduce your CV to two sides, though you should aim to be concise.
Be ruthless in cutting out anything that is not directly relevant to your academic career.
You should not include details of unrelated work experience, hobbies and interests,
driving ability etc.
Some people include a ‘Works in Progress’ or an ‘Under Review’ section on their cv. It
isn’t necessary to include this. Some panels will see this as an unnecessary attempt to
present yourself as someone who’s publishing, others will see it as a legitimate stage in
the publication process and worth noting. It may be more helpful to add a sentence or
two about works in progress or under review in the letter rather than simply listing them
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on your cv. You might also consider separating articles and reviews by headings on
your cv.
The sample letters and cvs provided by the department will give you a sense of the
variety of formats these documents can take. They should provide helpful tips on format
and structure, as well as offer a sense of what kinds of things you might include and
how.
What happens next?:
The job advertisement should give you a time-frame – when interviews are likely to be
held, when you might hear back from them. You’re unlikely to hear from them unless
you’re shortlisted.
One thing that’s worth doing while you’re compiling your application materials is to try to
imagine the work the panels need to do. They’re looking for a new colleague who will
need to take on specific responsibilities – have you shown that you can undertake them?
They’re looking to draw up a shortlist from a pile of applications – have you presented
yourself as enthusiastic and exciting?
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The Job Interview:
If you’re invited for interview, you’ll be contacted with specific instructions.
Writing samples:
You may be asked for a writing sample – and you may be given a specific word length.
It’s worth having something in mind, as you’ll need to send this off quickly. Spend a
moment in a covering letter or an email (if asked to submit it this way) introducing the
piece – explain that it’s part of a larger chapter on X, it’s an article currently under review
at Y, it’s part of a new project on Z.
You may be instructed not to send something that is already in print. Even if you aren’t
specifically instructed not to, it’s worth sending something that’s not yet in print
(something that’s forthcoming would be fine). A panel’s point of view may be that they
can access this article already, and want you to send something newer.
Stick to the brief: if they’ve asked for a sample of about 6,000 words and you send a
sample of 10,000 words, you won’t be doing yourself any favours!
The presentation:
You’ll also be given instructions relating to the job presentation. This can take a number
of different formats, and it’s important to develop a clear sense of what’s expected of you
(and why!) and work from there. Each type of presentation is different, and when in
doubt, be sure to clarify what it is they’re looking for. And remember to speak to the
brief. Don’t go off piste, and spend half of a presentation on teaching talking about your
research project. If there’s a connection between research and teaching, mention it, but
be sure to focus on what they want to hear about.
With any presentation, remember to sign-post to make it easier for listeners to clearly
follow along. Handouts and other aids are always a good idea. If you use something
like powerpoint, make sure it’s pertinent and interesting rather than a series of bullet
points, and prepare your presentation in such a way that if for some reason the
technology fails on the day, you can carry on regardless.
It’s also important to remember that not everyone in the audience will have seen your
application. It’s often the case that only the panel members have seen your materials.
Be sure to introduce your material with some context so that those who aren’t on the
panel can get a sense of where you’re coming from.
Remember that you are being judged not just on the intellectual content of your
presentation, but on a number of other factors: most importantly, how you address an
audience (can they imagine you as a good teacher?) and whether or not you seem likely
to be a pleasant colleague. It’s a good idea not to risk actual jokes, but good humour,
and an ability to deal with questions and challenges graciously, even if you are
disagreeing with someone, will be well received.
The most common types of presentation formats are as follows:
Project overview. This is another version of the description of your project, but over the
course of 15-20 minutes or so. The important thing is to present a balance between the
general and the particular, and give a sense of how your research is situated within your
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field. The structure is up to you, and depends on the kind of research you do. If there’s
a different methodology or approach to each chapter, you might want to talk about each
chapter, but try to avoid a plodding ‘chapter one looks at X, chapter two looks at Y’
approach. Thematic connections would be another way to divide your work up into
‘aspects’ and ‘concerns’. If you have a theoretical framework and methodology that
carries through, with each chapter exploring a different text or texts as ‘case studies’,
then spend some time talking about your theoretical framework and its significance (for
about a third of the presentation) and then move on to one ‘case’ as an example of how
this works. Where possible, you might end with a couple of sentences about a next
project, and its relationship to your current research.
An aspect of your research. Depending on how this is described, this is much more
like a straightforward conference paper on a focused topic. Nevertheless, it should be
introduced by framing it within the project as a whole: spend some time outlining what
this is at the start, and how this aspect of your research fits into the whole.
A mini-lecture. Handouts or visual aids are especially helpful here, and in some cases
you might be told to have a powerpoint presentation (if it sounds like they expect this,
then do it – they’ll want to know you’re technically proficient and can provide the kind of
lecture support that their students are used to). Again, give some context – you might
be asked to give a 20 minute version of a lecture that you could contribute to a specific
course. Spend some time talking about how this lecture not only introduces key themes
related to a specific text or texts, but raises issues that can connect with other material
on the course.
An overview of your teaching experience/approach/etc. The openness of this remit
can be a bit daunting, so it’s important to have a clear sense of structure. One way of
doing this is to think about aspects of your approach to teaching or your teaching
experience that you want to highlight. As with the overview of your research, think about
moving between the general and the specific, and think about the specific as providing
‘evidence’ for the more general claims you make. So, don’t just say that you’re a firm
believer in student-led learning; spend some time talking about how you make studentled learning happen.
An introduction to a course on a given topic [possibly with a prompt to explain
how you’d teach one specific seminar on it]. How you go about this will depend in
part on how much detail you’re given. Try to get as much information as you can about
the course set up – is it a two hour seminar or a one hour lecture and one hour seminar?
You may be given a brief course description from their handbook. It’s a good idea to try
to work in any material you’re given as far as possible as a way of presenting yourself as
‘on the same page’ as the department. If there are any changes, depending on your
reasons it might be worth noting (‘I replaced X because it was out of print/I thought Y
would provide an opportunity to include…/Z is shorter and thus more manageable for a
one-hour seminar format’). Spend a bit of time talking about the rationale for the course
as a whole (highlight, for example, a range of genres, male and female writers, etc). In
your discussion of the particular week or seminar, it would be worth thinking about
having a few passages to focus on and the issues you’d highlight from them, or if you
have a handout with some questions to consider for group work, then circulate that and
talk about what the questions are prompting students to think about. As you talk about
the particular seminar, refer out where possible to how this fits with reading in other
weeks (the presentation of masculinity in this passage offers a nice counterpoint to that
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presented in Week 4’s reading). For this kind of presentation, you should always
prepare a handout – often a sample of the seminar programme.
Whatever kind of presentation you give, remember to stick to your time limit! It will show
that you can work to a specific brief and within a particular time frame. Practice and time
yourself, taking into account any movement of powerpoint slides, etc. that might take up
bits and pieces of your time.
It’s worth exploring the possibility of constructing an audience of friends to do a runthrough with. They can point out anything that was unclear, too dense, too fast, etc.
They can also be a good source of potential questions.
It’s also worth sitting in, where possible, on job presentations for posts in the department
(always ask in advance). Watching others can help you to think about what works well
and what’s best avoided.
The Day of the Interview:
Different departments have different formats on their interview days. The usual structure
is to have presentations first followed by a small number of questions, and the formal
interview after lunch. Some departments will make an effort to keep candidates away
from each other; others will leave you to mix and mingle amongst yourselves. Be
prepared for the possibility of meeting other candidates, and don’t let them psyche you
out. Some people will be very pleasant, and some will show their nerves by rattling off a
list of achievements, or the number of interviews they’ve been on that month. Just do
what you need to do – if that means sitting outside on your own for a bit to collect your
thoughts, then do.
You’re likely to be put in a position of socializing with members of the department. This
can sometimes happen in large group situations (say, over lunch) with the other
candidates, and can feel horribly awkward as everyone seems to be trying to ‘network’
their way around. Smile, be pleasant, and be a good conversationalist – show interest in
the job, and in your potential future colleagues’ research interests. In some cases your
contact with members of the department will be limited to lunch with one or two people.
This is an opportunity to learn more about the department, so ask any questions you
have, and draw on useful information you pick up in the interview if possible or relevant
(‘X was telling me over lunch about the opportunity for developing courses with staff in
other departments, and I’d be especially interested in developing something on Y’).
It’s important to remember that more often than not, the people you meet who aren’t on
the panel won’t have had a chance to look at your application materials. So be prepared
for questions on what you work on, what kind of teaching you’ve done, etc. in various
informal conversations.
It’s a good idea to take a bottle of water with you, especially for the presentations. It
should be provided, but if it’s not you’ll look prepared, and won’t send someone
scurrying off in search of a jug. Be ready to deal with failed equipment: never be in the
position of relying wholly on a technological aid. If there are problems with noise, or with
inappropriate furniture or equipment, try to take them in your stride – you will look better
if you deal with problems gracefully than if, as one job candidate once did, you appear
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visibly annoyed by (and consider asking the panel to silence) a nearby lawnmower. If
there is a real problem, bring it to the attention of the panel politely and efficiently.
You certainly don’t have to wear a suit, though many people do. You should, however,
always look polished, clean, and professional. The important thing is to feel comfortable
in the clothes you choose, and not to be fiddling with or readjusting your outfit. It’s a
broad generalisation, but post-92 Universities are often more managerial in style, and it
is correspondingly more likely that the interview panel will be besuited, so more casual
clothes are more likely to stand out. It’s quite possible you will need to walk some
distance for lunch or between venues, so wear appropriate shoes. As in any interview,
too much cleavage or too short a skirt is not a good idea.
Interview Questions:
Interview questions can range from the general to the specific, to the downright bizarre (I
was once asked what shape I thought the eighteenth century was, and on another
occasion, a question by a representative from HR about team work). Below are some
common – and uncommon! – interview questions. Thinking broadly about these (and
about the kind of information panels seem to want from such a question) can help you
feel a bit more on the ball on the day. Practice talking through your answers to these,
even if it’s just when you’re pacing around your room: the more times you’ve thought
about your responses, the more fluent and natural they will be on the day.
The important thing to remember when answering questions is that they’re really trying
to get a sense of you – as a teacher, researcher, and colleague.
As a general rule, always be able to answer the question ‘Why do you want to work here’
in a way that shows you’ve done your research.
In some cases, the final question may be along the lines of ‘If you were offered this job,
would you take it?’ – the answer to this is always yes! Remember, it’s not legally
binding, but if you sound like you’re not sure, especially if it’s for a temporary post that
begins in a month’s time, they may opt for someone they know will say yes immediately
and not leave them hanging on.
You will usually be asked whether you have any questions for the panel. It is good to
have something to say here, but you don’t want to get into specifics about remuneration
or overly detailed aspects of teaching provision. Questions like ‘Can you tell me a little
about the broader research environment here?’; ‘Will there be an opportunity to organise
conferences / seminars on x?’; ‘I would love, at some stage, to develop a course on y. Is
there the opportunity to do something along those lines?’ may be appropriate.
There will be a small number of questions following your presentation, and then a
different set of questions in the interview (though some will refer back to your
presentation, and some will follow on from the questions asked there).
Before the day of the interview, return to the department website again to refresh your
memory. Think about how they present teaching and research in your field and think
about the ways in which you can present yourself as contributing to these areas. Not
only are these possible questions, but being able to speak to these things can give the
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impression that you can make a seamless transition into their department, and makes it
easier for them to imagine you as a colleague. Be sure to have a look over your
application materials again, too, before the interview: the panel may pick up on
something you’ve said in your letter (contribution to a particular research centre or MA
program, for example) and you don’t want to be caught off guard.
Sample Research Questions:
How did you get interested in your topic?
How does your project engage with current debates about X?
Where do you see the field going in the next five years and how do you see your work
engaging with/shaping these developments?
How do you ensure that you take into consideration change over time? [If your project
covers a large historical period]
How can your research help us to rethink some of the more familiar/canonical works of
the period? [Something like this is especially likely to come up if you present your work
as interdisciplinary, or if you deal with a less familiar writer or group of writers].
[Be prepared for a couple of questions on your writing sample, if one was requested – be
sure to re-read it before the interview]
How do you see yourself fitting into our research culture? Do you see yourself as adding
to existing strengths or do you see yourself as covering new/additional areas? [as this
question suggests – you’ll need to do a bit of snooping around the website]
What kinds of conferences would you like to organize?
What funding bodies have you identified for your current/next research project?
Sample Teaching Questions:
What do you think are some of challenges of teaching [Victorian novels/eighteenthcentury poetry/Modernist fiction]? How would you make X interesting to students?
What do you think are the main differences between undergraduate and graduate
teaching? How would you teach undergraduate and MA students differently?
How do you see the link between your research and your teaching?
How would you teach a course on X [a first-year intro? A period survey? Etc]
Tell us about a defining moment in your teaching experience?
Describe the worst teaching experience you’ve had and how you handled it.
What do you do if students haven’t read?
What makes a good seminar?
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What do you think are the benefits/difficulties of small group teaching?
How would you describe your approach to lectures?
What kind approach would you take to a single author course?
[If you’re interviewing for a post in which it’s been made clear what courses you’ll be
teaching, be prepared for specific questions on those courses. You won’t need to say
anything too detailed, but have a word or two prepared about how you would approach
the teaching of those courses, or about what kinds of contributions you see yourself
making to those courses]
I see from your CV that you’ve been teaching for X number of years: how would you say
you’ve developed as a teacher over that time? What would you hope to gain from
completing the PGCHE course?
How would you approach teaching first-year, first-term students?
I’m a student in your seminar on X – how would we spend the next hour/two hours/etc?
We’re thinking about altering our [first-year program]/introducing a new [MA pathway]:
how would do this? What features would you structure it around?
Do you think period boundaries are helpful/an unhelpful constraint when teaching
undergraduate courses?
What happens next?:
At the end of the interview you should be given a time-frame of when they expect to
make a decision and get back to people. In some cases, this may be immediate, and
you’ll hear that night or the next morning. In other cases, they may need to get final
funding approval or wait for late references before they can make an official offer.
Remember, too, that a first-choice candidate may decline the offer, and so you may hear
from them later than expected (and sometimes after you’ve been told you didn’t get it).
Do bear in mind that some won’t call, but will give you a time frame in which you can
expect to hear something if it is offered to you.
Most departments will offer feedback, and it’s worth asking for some. Be prepared,
however, for comments that are too general to be helpful: it was an excellent field, you
were really close, in the end we wanted someone who worked on poetry, etc.
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Applying for Jobs in the USA:
The academic job market in the USA follows a structured timeline, much more so than in
the UK. Most institutions seeking to hire a new colleague will follow a timeline that
involves advertising in the autumn, holding a round of interviews at the MLA convention
in early January, and then inviting finalists for a campus interview in late January/early
February. There are exceptions to this: some institutions try to avoid the MLA to cut
costs, others don’t have funding approved until it’s too late to advertise in time for the
MLA and so need to make other arrangements. In these cases, there is sometimes a
phone interview before a campus interview, and sometimes just campus interviews. But
broadly speaking, the majority of jobs are advertised in the autumn. The MLA Job
Information List is accessible via their website (http://mla.org). For MLA members, the
cost to access the Job Information List is currently $40 per year. You can also find jobs
advertised on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s website for free (http://chronicle.com).
Both of these websites have useful information for applications for jobs, though the
MLA’s website is much more targeted to people working in language and literature.
Job advertisements for American posts are normally very brief; further information about
the department will not normally be included, so it’s important that you do your research
to get a sense of the department. Is it a four-year liberal arts college? Does it have a
Master’s program? Is it a top-level research department with full PhD program?
Covering letters for jobs in the US tend to be briefer as well – no more than 2 pages.
But as there is less room here to talk in detail about publication projects, some
applicants include articles that are ‘under review’ on their cvs to give a fuller sense of the
picture. You will often be asked to include some form of dissertation abstract as a
separate document: it’s a good idea to have different versions of different lengths
prepared so that you can provide whatever is requested at short notice. Along the same
lines, it’s good to have writing samples of different lengths to hand – some will want to
see just 12 pages; others will ask for 25. When sending this off, take a few sentences in
a covering letter to say something about the chapter it’s extracted from, and how it fits
into the whole, in order to give them a sense of context. Some places will ask you to
submit a draft of the whole thesis/book draft before an MLA interview – you’ll need to be
ready to move swiftly, so it’s a good idea not to give an overinflated sense of how close
to being finished it is.
MLA Interviews: These take a variety of forms: some feel like a casting call in a large
conference room full of tables, where candidates for a range of posts have short 20-30
minute interviews. Others will take place in a hotel suite and can include 5-6 members
of a department, and might last for just under an hour. The kinds of questions will be
roughly similar to those for British jobs; you may be asked to bring along a syllabus or
two for a particular course. Research questions might be tied to the writing sample
you’ve sent, so read over it before. At the end of the interview, you’ll be given a timeline
on what to expect next. Many places won’t send an official letter of rejection until the
person they hire signs the contract, which may not take place for a couple of months. At
this stage in the process, you’ll need to pay for your own travel and accommodation to
the MLA.
Campus Interviews: The campus interview is a more intensive affair in the US than in
the UK, and will involve a range of different meetings/events. You will be given
information about what kind of formal presentation they want. This can range from an
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overview of your project or a presentation based on part of it, to teaching a seminar. In
the latter case, this can sometimes mean taking on a seminar for an undergraduate
course that’s currently running with members of the department watching, or it might
involve a mock seminar group that includes representative undergraduates, graduates,
and members of staff. You will be given the opportunity to choose what you teach, but
often within some limits.
There will also be a meeting with the Dean; this meeting is much more a dialogue than a
presentation, when you will be given information about the department and the tenure
process, but it’s important to remember that it is still part of the interview. You may, for
example, be asked about the kinds of courses you’d like to develop; you may be told
about new initiatives or future plans and asked to say something about how you might
contribute to these; you may be asked about a next project and your own sense of
career trajectory.
There will also be a number of ‘informal’ meetings – but do remember that these groups
will feed their thoughts back to the hiring committee. These might include meeting
current graduate students in your field or current undergraduates (who will have
developed a handful of questions to ask all candidates), or meetings with members of
interdisciplinary programs to which you might contribute (such as Women’s Studies or
American Studies).
There will also be more social occasions with members of the department. Lunch and
dinner meetings will include a few members of the department, and sometimes a
graduate student or two. Resist the temptation to partake too freely of the wine, and just
try to relax, be genial, and be ready to answer work-related questions (about your
presentation, about your teaching interests, etc) in between more general conversations
about life at their institution/in their city, etc. Along the same lines, there will be time for
one-on-one conversations with faculty – someone is likely to drive you around (and may
even take you on a property tour); you’ll be invited – and encouraged – to ask questions
about the department and the university.
Travel and accommodation for campus interviews will be paid for by the department who
is interviewing you (though you may have to pay first and then be reimbursed).
The important thing to remember is to relax and be professional. They want to get a
sense of you as a colleague in the fullest sense: not only what kinds of research and
teaching you’re interested in, but whether or not you’re a good fit. Do you seem like
someone who’s likely to jump in and get involved? Do you seem like someone who is
willing to pull their weight when it comes to committee work? Showing your interest in
the post by asking questions and putting forth ideas of how you might contribute to
different aspects of the curriculum and research culture can go a long way.
What happens next: American universities characteristically take a lot longer to make
their hiring decision. You may hear within a few weeks, but it can be up to a couple of
months. There is also often some room for (sensible, rather than grasping) negotiation
on your part if something in the job conditions worries you, or if the starting time clashes
with a grant you've received, etc. These kinds of considerations are on the whole best
left until you receive an offer, not stipulated at interview.
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The job search process:
The process of applying for jobs can be disheartening, and it may sometimes feel that
you’re getting nowhere. It’s important to give what time you can to developing your cv
while you’re searching for jobs. Here are some things you can do:
Pursue the book contract: In some cases, this will be the Holy Grail and the arrival of
the book contract may mean you get shortlisted more often.
Publish an article: Not quite so straightforward as it sounds, but it’s worth getting
advice from your supervisor or external examiner about whether or not there’s a
particular part of the thesis that would work well as an article and has a chance of being
well-placed.
Attend conferences: This is a considerably more expensive way of showing that your
research is ongoing, so choose conferences carefully. Can you combine it with a
research trip? Is it a suitably ‘international’ conference for you to name-check it in your
letter? Would the paper provide the basis for an article that you could talk up in your
letter? Look into available funding: while some conferences will give waged and
unwaged rates, others divide things into staff and student rates. It’s worth explaining to
conference organizers if you’re no longer a student but only part-time staff; they may be
able to offer a reduced rate.
Research Fellowships: When applying for research fellowships, be sure to think about
tailoring your application materials. Applications for British Academy or Leverhulme
postdocs, for example, will want to see a well-developed second project. Applications
for postdocs for a funded or themed projects should speak to how your research
background suits the particular topic or needs. When applying to libraries for
fellowships, remember that they want to see that your project is interesting and viable,
as well as know that their collections can support your research.
Major research fellowships like JRFs, British Academy Postdocs, and Leverhulme Early
Career Fellowships are no easier to get than a job. But it’s worth looking into short-term
fellowships at libraries: they not only provide an opportunity to undertake research, but
can offer you the opportunity to present yourself as having ‘a record of securing external
funding’, an increasingly common specification in job advertisements. It can also be
used as evidence of a developing ‘international’ profile.
Below is a list of libraries (by no means complete) which offer fellowships of various
lengths and for various topics. It’s also worth having a look at the hard copies of the
PMLA in the library, as many fellowships are advertised in its issues. Also, look into the
kinds of funding available through the national and international societies in your field.
Folger Institute/Folger-Shakespeare Library:
http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=298
Library of Congress:
http://www.loc.gov/hr/employment/index.php?action=cMain.showFellowships
Houghton Library (Harvard University):
http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/public_programs/fellowships.html
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Clark Library (UCLA): http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/c1718cs/Postd.htm
Huntington Library: http://www.huntington.org/ResearchDiv/Fellowships.html
Newberry Library: http://www.newberry.org/research/felshp/fellowshome.html
Library Company of Philadelphia:
http://www.librarycompany.org/fellowships/american.htm
American Philosophical Society: http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (University of Texas):
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/research/fellowships/
John Carter Brown Library (Brown University):
http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/pages/fr_resfellow2.html
Beinecke Library, Yale University:
http://www.library.yale.edu/beinecke/brbleduc/brblfellow.html
Part-time teaching: Unless you don’t have any teaching experience, more teaching
experience isn’t going to make a huge amount of difference to your application in the
eyes of prospective employers (though a teaching-heavy institution may be reassured by
a wide range of teaching experience). However, we all need to eat, and part-time
teaching is one way of making ends meet and staying within a university context while
applying for posts.
If you decide to keep up the part-time teaching, keep Rose informed that you’re looking
for groups and she can offer you teaching accordingly. It’s also worth getting in touch
with nearby universities to let them know that you’re available for part-time teaching:
York St. John, Leeds, Leeds Met, Hull, Newcastle, Trinity and All Saints, Huddersfield,
Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam, Durham, Lincoln, Manchester and Manchester Met are all
more or less commutable.
If you do take on teaching somewhere that involves a commute, be sure to do what you
can to organize your teaching timetable so that you can go in for a day or two a week, to
help leave you time for research (or better-paid employment) and to ensure that train
fares don’t eat into too much of your pay. It’s also a good idea at other institutions to get
a clear sense of what your role is and what your responsibilities are, so that you don’t
end up being roped into more work than you’re getting paid for. Finally, be realistic
about how much teaching you can do and still leave yourself time to focus on the things
that will make the biggest difference to your applications.
Good Luck!
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