Approaching soft job market years in a postdoc

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

How should one think about soft job market years while on a postdoc? Should you take one every year, or relax if you've got a few years to go? How time consuming are they, and what other factors should be considered?

These are good questions, which apply equally well to VAPs (Visiting Assistant Professor positions), and I'm curious to hear how readers respond. I'm apt to think that because the market is in many ways a lottery--and you never know how your luck may play out year to year--it's probably a good idea to apply each year, all things being equal. Applying each year may simply be the best way to maximize your overall chances of getting a permanent job. Still, not all things may be equal. Let me explain.

First, going on the job-market can take a ton of time, and can distract one from the things (publishing, teaching, and service) that one needs to do in order to become more competitive on the market. So, if you have (say) a three-year postdoc or VAP, it may make sense to take a year off the market at some point.

Second, a lot depends, I think, on how long your postdoc or VAP is. If, for example, you only have a two-year position, then taking a year off the market may result in you only having one more chance on the market--and who knows: that may be an even worse year for the market, or for jobs in your specialty. On the other hand, if you have a 3-year postdoc or a 7-year VAP (like I had), then taking a year or two off might be less risky--especially if you use that year or two to improve your dossier a great deal.

Third, I think a lot may depend here on how good your dossier currently is. If, for example, you have a really good publication record and you are extremely competitive right now (let's say you got a good number of interviews when getting the postdoc), then it may not be the best strategy to take a year away from the market, even during a soft year--as you may well be one of the more competitive candidates in that year.

Fourth, however, a lot may depend on how prestigious your postdoc is. If, for example, you have one of NYU's Bersoff postdocs, then taking a year off the market is probably not going to hurt you--as people in Bersoff positions have tended to get amazing jobs afterward.

Finally, I think a lot may depend on one's mental well-being. If you just need a year off the market (due to the stresses of the previous year, etc.) and your postdoc or VAP is a few years long in duration, then it may make sense to take a year off in a soft year simply to be 'good to oneself.' This is what I did at one point during my second VAP (though I had a good cushion, as my VAP was renewable for 7 years), and I'm glad that I did: the year that I took off the market was really helpful psychologically, and enabled me to improve my dossier a lot, leading me to become much more competitive than I was before.

Long story short, I think there are a lot of things to consider here, and that a lot probably depends on context. But these are just my thoughts. What are yours?

Comments

[Anon TT]

I agree with basically everything Marcus says. FWIW, after two years on the market, I took a 3 year postdoc. Since it was long enough, I decided to not even look at the job market my first year. Honestly, best decision I ever made. It was mainly for my own mental health, but it also did let me focus a lot more on work and dramatically improve my dossier for the following year.

[Michel]

I had a two-year postdoc. I only went on the market selectively the first year, to give myself a break and a chance to rack up publications. I think it was the right decision.

I'd be cautious about not applying at all in any given year, and would recommend a targeted search (i.e 1-10 applications) instead.

[postduck]

I think your area of research matters. If you work in an area that doesn't normally have a lot of job ads every year (e.g. aesthetics, cog sci) then passing on an opportunity in your field can be quite costly. But if you do something like ethics or history of philosophy where there is a higher average number of job ads every year, you might be safe taking a year off. People working on booming areas like AI, philosophy of race, or non-Western philosophy can probably rest easy too.

[Tim]

I agree with postduck. It can be nice to sit out the job market for a year. But jobs do not wait for you. And if your AOS is one with few postings, sitting out a year can mean missing out on some of the few jobs you are particularly well suited for. So it may well be worth it to apply, but just for them.