Contacting a faculty member of a hiring department as a job applicant?

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

I have a question related to applying for TT jobs. When is it appropriate to contact faculty members of a department you're applying to? I'm planning to apply to a department where I have met one of the senior faculty. I don't know them well, but we hit it off at a small conference. Is it appropriate to reach out and let them know I'm applying? Ask for their advice? Or would this come off as tactless, presumptuous, or craven?

Fair questions. Another reader submitted the following reply:

You need to be clear on what you hope to achieve by contacting this person? Anything you write in e-mail, etc. may have to be disclosed by the faculty member. And even if you want more information about the position, the ad often says explicitly who you should contact. If it is not that person, then you really should not be contacting them. Finally, if you decide to mention the person and your nice experience with them in your cover letter, you may find other faculty members will rank you lower (if, for example, they do not like the colleague you know). So get clear on what such contact is going to achieve.

What do you all think? It would be especially helpful to hear from search committee members!

Comments

[Michel]

I don't think you should do that. It may be normal in the non-academic world, but it's not normal in the academic world. It's likely to rub people the wrong way.

[Michel]

I should have added that it's normal and acceptable to contact people you know relatively well to ask questions about the job in their department. Just not a relative stranger with the goal of telling them you're applying.

[Matt]

What is your goal in contacting them? If it is an attempt to bolster your candidacy, it is very likely to fall flat. If it is to find out more about the position, then you should contact whoever is listed as the contact in the job ad instead.

Two of my biggest irritations when we are doing a job search is advisors/recommenders contacting me to push someone that they have written a letter for and candidates themselves doing the same. Best case scenario is my simply ignoring this. Worst case scenario is that it leaves a bad enough taste in my mouth that I drop them from my list. There are too many good candidates for me to waste my time on those who try to manipulate our process.