Job Market Preparation Many thanks for the creation of this list to go to Prof. Kelly McDonough Associate Professor and Graduate Adviser/Graduate Studies Chair, Department of Spanish & Portuguese. Suggestions and resources aimed at helping you succeed in your search, whether in or academia or beyond: The most important thing you can do is talk to your dissertation supervisor about your career goals and, if applying for academic positions, the components of a job market dossier (worry about the interview process after you have applied). Your mentors may not have interviewed recently for an entry-level position, but they have been the ones on those search committees; they know what a competitive dossier looks like. At each step of an academic search process (usually dossier submission, Zoom interview, campus interview) you should be in close contact with your supervisor. If you are invited for a Zoom interview, please alert your mentor as soon as possible and request a mock interview. I am happy to participate, as likely will be other faculty members. 2. The second most important thing you can do is take advantage of the unparalleled resources offered by the Texas Career Engagement Center. This is doubly important if you are interested in exploring careers outside of academia. I strongly urge all of you, no matter where you are in your program, to request a one-on-one appointment with an advanced degree Career Advisor from Texas Career Engagement. Career Advisors work individually with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars on a wide range of career-related topics to help them explore and prepare for careers in academia, nonprofit, business, government, and industry. Topics you can discuss with your Career Advisor include: Preparing application documents including CV, cover letter, and resume Professional communication skills such as interviewing, negotiation, and networking Managing your graduate program and working with your advisor Exploring career options in academia, government, nonprofit, industry, or business Utilizing strategies and resources for your job and internship search Understanding your skills, interests, and values through self-assessment Creating an individual development plan for degree completion, skill development, and employment The Liberal Arts Career Services office also has similar services, geared specifically to graduate students in the humanities and social sciences. You can make an appointment with Tatem Oldham at toldham@austin.utexas.edu where you can explore career paths, go over drafts of your CV and cover letter, and prepare for interviews. If you are on the job market for an academic position this year, you likely began drafting your dossier materials over the summer and are working with your dissertation supervisor on revisions. For those on the market next year, FYI at a minimum a dossier will include: Academic CV (see “Rules for the Academic CV” here) Cover Letter (no more than 2 pages, see this page for a great example of cover letter formats and topics and this short read on Dos and Don’ts of cover letters) Most positions at Small Liberal Arts Colleges (SLAC) or Regional Comprehensives (think UT San Antonio) will also request a Teaching Statement/Philosophy. For assistance with Teaching Statements see resources at the Center for Teaching and Learning and The University Writing Center. Research Intensives (R1) will likely request a Research Statement (here is good guidance on Research Statements). Many searches also request a Diversity Statement (here is good guidance on Diversity Statements). Of course, there are also career development resources, including sample dossier materials, and what to expect at interviews, in our shared Box folder. You can also see recent crowdsourced CVs, cover letters, and statements on the Academic Job Market Support Network. There contributed materials in this site, including info on how to talk about research in job interviews. Finally, for just about everything related to the academic job market, we recommend Kelsky, Karen. The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph. D. into a Job. New York: The Crown Publishing Group, 2015. It is available online through UT Libraries. As you can see, there are a lot of resources on campus available to you; please take advantage of them. Career Resources Tenure Track Resources Development During Graduate School Alternatives to Academic Careers Resources How-to Guides
