The Philosophers' Cocoon

Work-life balance during the PhD?

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asked if we could have a thread on work-life balance during the PhD. I'm probably not the best person to give tips here. On the contrary, I'd probably benefit from such a discussion as much as anyone!

While I do have a couple of strategies for preserving some work-life balance--I never work in the evenings, and rarely on weekends--for the most I've never been able to achieve what I take to be a good work-life balance. During my PhD, when I felt like my life was too dominated by work and tried to cultivate a life and hobbies outside of academia, I ended up spending too much time on those things, and not enough time on work. Conversely, ever since I've become a faculty member, I've been on the opposite extreme, spending the vast majority of time on work, and not enough time (by my own estimation) enjoying life. In truth, I've never been very good at half-measures. When I do something, I tend to go "all in." I wish, though--especially here--that I could do better, and could have done better during my grad studies. 

So, then, do any of your have any good tips for work-life balance--specifically, during the PhD? It might also help to hear from people whether similar tips work for faculty!

How can we help you? (September 2018)

Now that the academic year and job market are in full swing, I thought now might be a good time for another monthly 'how can we help you?' post.

For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section below on anything you could use help with related to the profession. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss your query.

Please feel free to ask questions on anything (within the Cocoon's mission) that you could use help with, including but not limited to:

• The job-market (applying for jobs, etc.)
• Graduate school
• Transitioning into a new job
• Publishing
• Teaching
• The profession
• Work-life balance
• Personal struggles
• Etc.

Fire away - we're here to help!

Query on submitting extra application materials

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, anonymous writes:

I have a small question but it is one that I know a lot of people face. When applying for jobs, is it always best to send exactly what the department asks for? Or is it sometimes better to send more materials if you have them? (I think this has been discussed but I can't find where.)

Also, more specifically: if a job asks for, say, two research and one teaching letter, but it is possible to send them more (e.g. whatever system they are using allows for additional uploads), should you send them more?

My thoughts about this were as follows: it's probably different for research-focused and teaching-focused jobs, and you should try to identify which category the job in question falls into. I worry that sending additional research letters to teaching-focused jobs communicates that you think of yourself as a researcher/writer more than a teacher/philosopher, or perhaps that you are aiming to get a more research-focused job. But for research-focused jobs, you should send as many letters (within reason--once you hit six or so it's probably just annoying to have more) as possible, if you are sure that they are very strong.

This is a good query, one I wondered about a lot as an applicant and didn't get much guidance for. I'm curious to hear what readers who have served on search committees think. For my part, I'm inclined to think it may be good to submit extra materials (i.e. additional recommendation letters) when applying to research jobs. However, my sense is that it is probably not a good idea to submit additional materials for teaching jobs. Allow me to explain.

Query on length & structure of teaching dossiers

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, anon writes:

It emerged in discussions in recent-ish memory that some people have pretty short teaching dossiers.

How are those structured? When I put together just all my course evaluations, from about 12 courses, I have about 25 pages of material.

More generally, I guess I would be interested in hearing about guidelines for minimum and maximum lengths of the various sub-sections of the dossier.

This is a good query, as in my experience many candidates go wrong here. In reply to anon's query, 'On the Search' wrote:

Committees just do not want to see all your teaching evaluations. Let us imagine you submit 25 pages of evaluations. And let us assume that 120 people are applying for a job. That means there are 3000 pages of teaching evaluations. Do you think any committee will read this much?

Having served on three search committees now, I entirely agree...

Reader query on posting drafts online

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Jake Wright writes:

I'm curious about something in light of the recent posts regarding the peer review process and making it more like arXiv. Given the current peer review system we have in philosophy, warts and all, how would/do reviewers, editors, etc. respond to identifiable drafts posted to an archive like PhilPapers? I generally like the idea of moving towards a more identifiable preprint system for many of the reasons Marcus identifies, but I worry that posting my own work will negatively affect me by somehow impacting drafts once they are submitted. Am I right to worry about this? Wrong? How can one manage this, if it's a concern?

This is a great query, one I have wondered a good deal about myself. Indeed, it's the main reason I don't currently post unpublished drafts online, let along offer up drafts for feedback here at the Cocoon (which I think would be a great place for early-career philosophers to share and discuss drafts publicly). I worry that reviewers and editors may take openly posting unpublished drafts as subverting anonymous review, which might in turn influence review of the paper in a negative way.

Reader query about 'key selection criteria'

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, E writes:

Jobs in the UK and Australia often ask applicants to complete forms detailing how they satisfy "key selection criteria." They seem like HR documents that no one ever reads. And they're often _very_ lengthy. Should these be taken seriously?

As I don't work in the UK or Australia, I am probably not the best person to answer this question. However, my sense is that key selection criteria matter a great deal in these markets in the sense that, yes, one had better address them in detail somewhere (either in your cover letter or a supplementary document).

How can we help you? (August 2018)

Now that the academic year and j0b-market season are here, I thought it might be a good time to run another 'how can we help you?' post (I'm going to try to run one of these posts each month now, given the helpful questions we receive!).

For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section below on anything you could use help with related to the profession. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss your query.

Please feel free to ask questions on anything (within the Cocoon's mission) that you could use help with, including but not limited to:

• The job-market (applying for jobs, etc.)
• Tips for starting a new job or grad program
• Publishing
• Teaching
• The profession
• Work-life balance
• More personal struggles
• Etc.

Fire away - we're here to help!

Reader query on reading vs. writing

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Amanda writes:

I guess this might help me in terms of understanding my own attitude toward the profession. I am curious whether most philosophers like writing or reading philosophy more? Also, I am curious whether most philosophers read things they like, or mainly read for the purposes of their own research. Either way, what percentage of the philosophy that you read do find intellectually fulfilling? 

I too am curious to hear people's answers. Here are mine...

Query on interdisciplinary job-marketeering

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, VAP of X at a SLAC writes:

My PhD is in philosophy, but my background in cognate field X is sufficiently strong that I'm now a VAP of X at a SLAC. I expect that at a handful of schools, separate tenure-track jobs may be advertised this year in both philosophy and in X. I'd like to apply to both jobs when that occurs, but I can foresee upsides and downsides of that strategy, and I'd like advice on how to maximize the upsides and minimize the downsides.

The main upsides I see are that I can teach interdisciplinary courses, conduct research with faculty members and students across disciplines, and foster student and faculty dialogue across disciplines. The main downside I see is being perceived as a unique kind of flight risk. Philosophers might think that I'll either leave for a job in X or, worse yet, use up a line in their department while only really contributing to X. Members of the department of X might have the reciprocal thought.

Am I overthinking this, overlooking other concerns, or both? And do you have any advice on how to navigate this situation? Thanks!

Good questions. I'm not very sure on what the best answers to them might be, but here are a few thoughts...

Reader query on choosing a PhD program

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, AnonMA writes:

When choosing which PhD program to attend, is it more advantageous to choose a program based on the reputation of one's (presumed) advisor, or based on the reputation of the program itself? That is, when considering future employment prospects, is it more important that one's advisor/letter writer is a "star" scholar in their specialty, or is it more important that the overall rank of the program where one receives one's PhD is high? I am a recent MA who is interested in some PhD programs in philosophy that boast "star" scholars but not high overall rank.

I think this is a great query, one many prospective PhD students are likely to have--and I am curious to hear what readers think. My own initial reaction, to be frank, is to question a presupposition the questions seem to be based on: namely, that reputation (of a program or advisor) is the best way for prospective students to think about which PhD program to enter or what their "future employment prospects" are. Allow me to explain, and then give a more direct answer to AnonMA's query.

Reader query on solving a two-body problem

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you? thread, 'Anonymous associate professor' writes:

I'm not sure this has come up yet on the blog. If so just ignore. I'm an associate professor, and have some name recognition in my AOS. 

After several years on the market, my partner is still struggling in VAPs, postdocs, adjunct positions and so forth. My school didn't offer a partner hire and as I am in the UK they don't have such a policy. There was the idea of a new tenure-track line opening a while back, when he was a temporary lecturer there, but now our school is facing drastic cuts including in admin and library support, and things are much likely to get worse. 

For these and other reasons, and also because our 2-body problem remains unsolved, I am looking to move, and am hoping that we can solve it this time (I would be looking to move in any case because of the financial difficulties our school faces). Any tips on how we can solve the 2 body problem best much appreciated. 

In particular:
- How do we look for jobs? Should he look for tenure-track jobs and should we then try to negotiate a tenured hire for me (I've been associate prof for 3 years, and quite frankly, would rather not restart the tenure clock). Or should I look for tenured jobs and try to negotiate a tenure track for him?
- There are right now 2 positions that are open rank and that fit our respective AOS. Should we somehow mention that in our letter? Or just apply and see what happens? (Without 2 positions we cannot realistically move there - the salary, even if I manage to negotiate the top of the salary band, is not good enough for a one-income family to survive on. I've made inquiries with people who live in the area and they told me this).

Great questions, ones I suspect many other people face in various guises (as I myself have known more than a few people with two-body issues). Unfortunately, I have to confess that Ireally have no clue on what the answers are.

Anyone with experience in these matters willing to weigh in?

Reader query on finding CC and foreign jobs

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Tom writes:

So, you've had posts on this before, but I would love it if we did it again:

Where, other than philjobs, should I go to look for philosophy jobs? More specifically:

o If I want to job at a community college, where do I find them advertised?
o If I want a job in Italy, where are those posted?
o How about it I want a job in India?
o etc.

Anyone who can answer any one of these questions will be doing us all a huge favor. Answers of the form `here is a link to several job descriptions' are also waaaaay more appreciated than answers of the form `you have to look hard', since having examples of what I'm looking for often helps making the search easier.

This is a really great query. I expect a fair number of candidates don't even apply to a lot of good community college and foreign jobs simply out of ignorance of their existence. And indeed, as a former job-candidate, I know I didn't apply for many of these jobs because I didn't know where they are advertised.

In reply to Tom's query, Nick Z. wrote:

Most community college jobs are posted on HigherEdJobs and the Chronicle. Even this late in the summer there are two full-time teaching positions posted at the former, one in Buffalo, NY, and the other in Plano, TX. (Both positions are made even more attractive by their proximity to the border, just in case the political, social, and economic conditions of the US get even crazier.) Philjobs rarely posts community college positions.

Nick Z.'s suggestions are helpful, but still, I wonder whether it is true that "most" CC job are advertised in those venues, and it's still unclear to me where most foreign jobs are advertised. Although I don't know for sure, I have to believe there are far more philosophy jobs in Continental Europe, South America, Asia, and elsewhere that aren't advertised on any of the above websites (I've recently met philosophers who work in places like Colombia, Spain, and Sweden, yet I don't recall seeing jobs in those places advertised on the above websites).

Anyone have any insight on these matters? Tom suggested that I might throw up another side-bar on the Cocoon where people could list jobs not advertised on philjobs, and I think this might be a good thing to do. But it would also be helpful, I think, if people just knew where to look for such jobs themselves!

Queries: going on the market from a TT job

UPDATED: comments now open!

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, two readers wrote in with slightly different questions about heading on the job-market when one already has a TT job. First, Tenure a-comin' wrote:

I go up for tenure this year, and am going on the job market because I'm pretty scared about the future of my current state university. I've heard some people say that you should make clear in your cover letter when applying to any TT job that you're willing to start over from scratch - but I'm not. I want my current pubs counted, and I want to cut at least several years off the tenure clock. Given that I'm not willing to start from scratch, should I address this in cover letters at all? What about when/if people ask about it in interviews?

Similarly, Anonymous TT prof wrote:

I too will be going on the market from a TT job. It would be great to have a thread with advice about how to carefully do this. As Tenure a-comin' asked, should I provide some sort of explanation in my cover letter as to why I am applying out? When (if at all) should I tell my colleagues? Have others had to manage being on the job market and a search committee at the same time?

Notice there's a difference between these two queries. The first reader is going on the market while coming up for tenure, whereas Anonymous TT prof didn't mention that. Let's assume for the sake of discussion, then, that Anon TT prof isn't coming up for tenure, but just wants to move from one TT post to another. Does this make a difference as to what one should do? I think it very well could...

Reader query on unconventional teaching practices

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" post, gradstudent14 writes:

I'm planning to go on the job market next year, and lately I've been thinking about my teaching statement. I know that it's often said to be a good thing to stand out here, to make sure that you don't sound like every other candidate. And I suspect that I do, indeed, stand out here. Yet I also worry whether some aspects of my teaching philosophy and pedagogy are simply *too* radical, such that they'll scare search committees off. For example, I don't require attendance in my classes, nor do I require that students do the suggested readings (I don't give reading quizzes or assign homework on the readings). Nor do my classes have any required papers or other assignments. Rather, students may turn in a variety of different kinds of work (papers, posts on the class blog, presentations, podcasts, an optional exam, etc.), and the number of points they get for a given submission depends on factors like the kind of work it is, how long it is, and its quality. A student's final grade for the course is based on how many points she's accumulated by the course's end. There's essentially only one due date for students' work, and it's at the very end of the course. Before that due date, there's no limit to the number of submissions a student can turn in.

There are of course other aspects I could mention, but the above should give a basic picture of the structure that I prefer in my courses. When I talk to others about this way of structuring a course, often the initial reaction is to think that I must be crazy. People seem to be particularly struck by the absence of an attendance requirement and of a requirement that students do the readings. The message I get is "In a class like that, no one's going to show up, no one's going to read any of the readings, and no one's going to do any work." (As a side-note, such predictions have not been borne out by my experience thus far. While I'm still in the middle of teaching my first class, so far I've been quite impressed with the level of initiative students have shown...)...

Once I get a chance to explain my rationale for structuring a course in this way, I've found that people's disbelief often becomes a bit more tempered. But it's the initial reaction, the moment of being taken aback, that worries me when it comes to search committees. I worry that my preferred pedagogy will make me seem too "weird," too much of a risk, and that it'll be difficult to give as full or convincing a justification of it within the confines of a teaching statement as I could in a longer document or in person. And so, not that I suspect the question has a simple or easy answer, but I thought I'd nevertheless ask: When it comes to a teaching statement, how radical is too radical?

This is a really great query! I am very curious to hear other readers' reactions, but here are my own, speaking as someone who has served on three search committees.

Reader query on editing a special issue

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" post, JR writes:

Is it worth to edit a special issue for a journal? I was accepted (I contacted the journal myself) to co-edit a special issue (with a more senior colleague) for good specialised journal. The topic is something I have myself published and reviewed for.

I assume there is quite a lot of work to do, but what are the potential benefits? Publishing is must to get a job (I have done that and continue doing it) peer-reviewing and writing book reviews, on the other hand, seem to have almost zero benefits in the job market. So what about co-editing a journal issue? Is it worth doing it? (I am doing it anyway because I think it is itself valuable thing to do and something I am very much looking forward to). But perhaps others have some ideas or experience regarding this.

Good question, and I'm curious to hear what readers think. My own sense is that there is no simple answer to this question, and that it probably depends on the totality of one's situation. Allow me to explain.

Reader query on teaching an undergrad seminar

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" post, UKgraduate writes:

I am a graduate student being given my first opportunity to design and teach a course in September. The course is a 4th year undergraduate seminar, and I am somewhat daunted by the task. If the course was lecture format I would feel confident that I could fill all of the space each day, but because of the seminar format (minimal lecturing) the success of the course is going to come down to whether or not my students are keen to engage with the material and to enter into dialogue in class.

I am wondering if anybody has tips for approaching seminars that help to get students engaged. I've tried to build some things into the syllabus that encourage / require this: in particular, I am requiring students to provide questions / comments about each week's readings online before seminar begins, so that we can discuss them as a group. But are there any other tips that others have for me?

Great question! I've never taught in the UK, so I don't know what the culture and expectations there are like. However, I have taught upper-division undergrad seminars in the US every semester for the past 9 years, so I can say what has worked for me.

How can we help you? (July 2018)

I'm going to be away in Oxford the rest of this week beginning, so posting this week might be a bit light. In the meantime, I thought it might be good to run one of our 'how can we help you?' posts.

For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section below on anything you could use help with related to the profession. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss (and hopefully help you with!) your query.

Given that the academic job-market will be ramping up the next month or so, and given that people will be starting new jobs, grad programs, and so on, please do feel free to ask about these things and other topics including:

• Job-market questions/concerns
• Tips for starting a new job or grad program
• Publishing
• Teaching
• The profession
• Etc.

Basically, if you could use help with something, just say so in the comments section below! 

Reader query on taking a break from the market

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Time for a break? wrote:

After another brutal year on the job market, I've managed to secure a decent two-year postdoc at a pretty nice institution. Although I've been advised to go back on the market again in the fall, I'm strongly considering sitting the next round out. Mainly, this is for mental health reasons: I get really depressed and anxious when I'm on the market, to the point that it starts to interfere with my work and personal life. I also figured that time not spent worried about the job market could be better spent making the best of my postdoc for when I do go on the market again the next time. And, of course, there's the fact that the odds of getting a job are so slim that the effort of going out on the market again could be for naught (it's happened before). But, there are very few jobs in my AOS, and passing on any of them seems like a very expensive luxury. I was hoping to hear from other people who have been faced with this kind of calculus, and how they ultimately made their decisions. In short, is it worth it to go out on the job market when you don't absolutely have to?

In response, 'been there' wrote:

Take a break. The only reason to apply for a job is if you work in a micro-sub-field, like aesthetics. Then it seems you must apply. But you only need to apply to those few jobs. But think of your health and well being.

I agreed. Despite being warned by many people that taking a break was too risky, I took a one or two year break from the market myself, and it worked to very good effect: the break not only improved my mental well-being--it also enabled me to focus on improving as a candidate, as it enabled me to publish more, improve my teaching, and engage in service to my university that I wouldn't have had time for had I been on the market non-stop. Still, upon further reflection, I have to note that I was in a unique position. I was in a year-to-year visiting position that I had reason to believe would be renewed annually for up to seven years. Given that relatively few people are in such stable long-term nonTT positions, taking a break could well be more risky for most people than it was for me.

Which is why I want to put it to you all. Did any of you take a break from the market? If so, what kind of position were you in when you took it? And how did it turn out? Did it help your well-being? Did it help you improve as a candidate? And did you end up getting a job? I think it would be really good--and hopefully, helpful to 'Time for a Break?'--to find out!

Reader query on jobs at English-speaking institutions in non-English speaking countries

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, 'S' writes:

Can we have a specific thread about the international job market in philosophy in predominantly non-English speaking countries, but for faculty positions at predominantly English-speaking universities? Is PhilJobs the best place to learn about job opportunities abroad for US PhD candidates? Are there any guides or resources that give information about international searches that can't already be extrapolated from guides or resources about national searches? What are some impressions or misimpressions that people have about international searches and working abroad, but in a place where the culture and language are unfamiliar to them?

This is a great query. I actually would have loved to get a faculty job in a non-English speaking country, but didn't have much of a clue how to track them down and be competitive for them. While philjobs does advertise such jobs (I've seen jobs advertised in South America, Asia, etc.), it doesn't list very many of them, and I have to imagine there are far more jobs out there that for one reason or another are not advertised there.

Does anyone have any insight on these things? What's the best place to look for job-ads in non-English speaking countries? And what should job-candidates know about these jobs - about being competitive for them, what they are actually like (if one gets the job), and so on? If you work at such a place and choose to chime in, please feel free to share which country you work in, how you found the job, what the job is like, etc. It would be great to find out! 

How can we help you? (May 2018)

Because I will be traveling abroad for a conference, comments and posts this week may be a bit slow to appear. Still, I hope to get a few new posts up and will approve comments at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, I thought it might be good to run another 'how can we help you?' post, as we haven't run one in a while!

For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section on anything you could use help with related to the profession. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss (and hopefully help you with!) your query.

Possible topics include (but are by no means limited to):

• The academic job-market
• Non-academic jobs
• Graduate school (e.g. writing a dissertation, etc.)
• Research & publishing
• Teaching
• Etc.

Fire away: we're here to help! (Also, a quick side-note to other commenters: please don't weigh in preemptively on people's queries in the thread below. Just wait for the new thread I post on the person's query so that everyone can join the discussion!).

Fire away: we're here to help! (Also, a quick side-note to other commenters: please don't weigh in preemptively on people's queries in the thread below. Just wait for the new thread I post on the person's query so that everyone can join the discussion!).

How can we help you? (Feb 2018)

I just realized it's been quite a while since our last "how can we help you?" thread. Given that it's now late in the job-season (viz. fly-outs, etc.), I thought now might be a good time for a new thread.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section on anything you could use help with as an early-career philosopher. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss (and hopefully help you with!) your query.

Please do feel free to post a query on anything we can help you with:

• The academic job-market
• Non-academic jobs
• Graduate school (e.g. writing a disseration, etc.)
• Research & publishing
• Teaching
• Etc.

Fire away: we're here to help! (Quick side-note to other commenters: please don't weigh in preemptively on people's queries in the thread below. Just wait for the new thread I post on the person's query so that everyone can join the discussion!).

Fire away: we're here to help! (Quick side-note to other commenters: please don't weigh in preemptively on people's queries in the thread below. Just wait for the new thread I post on the person's query so that everyone can join the discussion!).

Reader query on revising rejected papers

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" post, Amanda writes:

So I was wondering if you could have a thread on revising papers that were submitted and rejected. I have a hard time with this, because lots of people give the advice to just turn in the paper again with no changes. And lots of people give the opposite advice. I think we all know that when a reviewer points out a serious problem, we should change it. But what about the majority of cases when we ourselves are skeptical about the reviewer's complaints? And for me, it is rarely the case that two reviewers mention the same problem. If they did, then it would be an easy case to go ahead and change it.

I struggle with making changes because I simply am not confident that the changes would help increase the odds of acceptance. And if they don't, then basically I wasted a lot of time that I could have been using to edit different work.

Basically, I am curious about two things. First, have people noticed a correlation between making changes to their paper and having it accepted at a decent journal? And second, do most of you cocoon readers recommend making changes to a paper, or simply just resending it unless there are obvious problems?

Good questions!

Reader query on applying for higher-ranked jobs

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Troy writes:

I have two related questions. First, is it possible to apply for a tenured job while once is still tenure-track oneself at a different school? (Suppose that I'm about to go up for tenure at School A, and would almost certainly get it. But School B is hiring a tenured line this year before I would go up for tenure, and I would like to apply for it if I can.)

Second, does the answer to the first question change at all if one is applying for an American job from a country with different academic ranks? For example, if one is applying from Australia as a Lecturer (which I understand is roughly equivalent to Assistant Professor in the United States), is one in basically the same boat as if one were an Assistant Professor in the United States, or is this harder if one is coming from a different country?

I'm pretty sure the answer to the first question is generally "no." I mean, of course you can apply for a tenured job while still tenure-track--but I'm pretty sure you won't be seriously considered. Am I wrong?

As to the second question (does the same thing apply for jobs in other countries with different academic ranks?), that I have no idea about. Anyone have any insight to share on this and/or the first question?

Reader query about interviews with deans

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Curious Individual writes:

I have my first fly-out! The visit will include a meeting with a dean. But what gets discussed in such a meeting? What should I expect? How should I prepare? Any insight would be very much appreciated.

First of all, congrats - I hope you knock it out of the park! Second, great question. It's been a few years since I've interviewed with a dean, so I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask, but I'll share a few thoughts in a moment.

Before I turn to that, though--and ask you all to share your thoughts--I'd like to highlight an important issue. In response to Curious' comment, Amanda wrote:

The meeting with the dean is the easiest part of the interview. It is basically just for show. When I've had these meetings I was asked easy questions about my research, teaching, what I think of the area etc. Most schools choose who they want to hire and the dean signs off on it. (Curious if anyone has a different perspective from me. I think in Europe and the UK things might be different?)

As I mentioned in a brief rejoinder, my experience is very different than Amanda's. I had an on-campus interview at a very small SLAC whose dean (I learned from a search committee member) was not only a de facto member of the search committee, but the person whose "vote" mattered more than anyone else's. Basically, the school was so small that the dean micromanaged things and wanted to make sure new hires fit his vision of the college. In essence, if the dean wanted you, he would make that known to the search committee, and if he didn't then you were out. So, yeah, the interview with him was sort of important!

Reader query on a deceased letter-writer

A reader writes,

One of my letter writers unexpectedly passed away. I am still able to send this person's letter. I was hoping to get help with the following questions:

1) Is this something that I should indicate in my application?

2) If so, what is a respectful, appropriate way to do so?

Thanks!

Good questions - and not ones I've ever encountered before. Any thoughts?

Reader query on custom student evaluations

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Assistant Prof Eugene writes:

Eventually, I can see myself giving the job market another go. But next time, I want to submit job applications with evaluations of my teaching that contain answers from students that search committee members might actually find illuminating, given all the well-known problems with student evals (e.g. unreliability, biased, etc.). There have to be questions that search committee members would prefer to see answered over those questions found on a typical university-approved teaching eval, such as "How would you rate this teacher's effectiveness overall?" or "Did this teacher arrive to class on time?". So, my question for Cocooners, is what are they? Imagine you're on a search committee. What kind of feedback would you like to see from an applicant's students?

While another commenter  ('With a Job') wrote (in somewhat more colorful language) that people could care less about student evals when trying to move around after your first TT job, I'm not sure this is true if one is looking to move from one teaching-focused institution to another, which Eugene confirmed he is indeed considering for reasons relating to geographical location. Although I know people who are skeptical of student evaluations in general (for what seem like good reasons), I know others who do care. As to Eugene's follow-up question, "I suppose it would be interesting to hear, then, why people think that matter at _any_ job stage. Why is there is so much emphasis placed on them when we apply for our first jobs?", I don't think it takes too much imagination to speculate on some purely pragmatic reasons for institutions to care about them.

In any case, Eugene's query raises several questions I suspect readers might be interested in hearing answers to, among them:

1. Which types of student-evaluation items do search-committee members care about? Why?
2. What kinds of alternative questions might be formulated that committee members might find insightful? Why?

Undergraduate query on grad school

In the comments of our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Jonathan Lauret writes:

...I'm an undergraduate student majoring in philosophy, and I'm entering into the process of looking for what graduate schools to apply to.

I just today have been scanning through the internet for information on graduate school situations involving philosophy, and the tone is almost always very disheartening and depressing due to a number of given reasons. Most posts or blogs wrote about really rough conditions involving the application/hiring process, the amount of experience required for a very punishing and unrewarding job (typically), and the sheer rarity of any resulting enjoyable professorial position. 
I don't know what exactly I'm looking for in regards to the particular positions out there for graduates in philosophy. I do know that I love the discipline, that I hold it in value not due to some sort of desire to be famous or great or sage-like, but to get a better grasp or understanding of the world I live in. I feel as though teaching and talking to students/other people who have their own ideas and feelings on these things will bring me what I'm looking for in a profession.

I guess the question that comes from all this may be, where do these sorts of feelings fit into the grand scheme of going into graduate school and later entering the academic job market?

I think this is a great query, in part because we might be able to help Jonathan, but also because this is a kind of inquiry I expect a lot of get fairly often from undergraduates (I know I do). Indeed, I'm hoping a lot of you chime in, as perhaps this thread can function as an online compendium of different people's responses to these kinds of questions--one we might direct our undergraduates to in the future to hear different perspectives on the issue!

Reader query on teaching-intensive visiting positions

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, Recent Grad writes:

Given that the job market is about to start-up again, I have a question I'd love to hear some views on. I just graduated from a lower-ranked Leiter program without any publications (I know!). I have two papers under review (including one that is approaching a 12-month review time) and am currently drafting more. Given my low Leiter rank and current lack of publications, I expect I'd be most competitive for visiting positions, if that. My question is about taking high-teaching load visiting positions--let's say high prep 4/4's or low-prep 5/5's--vs. low teaching load adjunct positions that leave time for research (there's plenty of adjunct work to be had where I am). I've heard advice going both ways. Younger faculty tell me it's always worth it getting a VAP position on my cv, even if that means teaching something like a 5/5. Older faculty warn me against the, well, dismal prospects of life under something like a 5/5. Any thoughts?

Excellent query! Here are a few of my own quick thoughts.

Reader query on publishing outside of philosophy

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" post, a UK reader writes:

I'm mid-way through my graduate student career, and am working pretty squarely in mainstream epistemology. However, I also have some other non-philosophical academic interests - particularly in history and literature. I've actually written up a couple of papers, one in history, one in literature, and have been told by academics in both disciplines that these papers have a shot at being published in reputable history/literature journals. My question is: Should I try and publish them?

Now, I know that my focus should be on publishing philosophy papers, and it absolutely is. But I do also have this other work already completed, and it seems a shame not to make something of it. So my question really is: Could having publications in (high-ranked) history and literature journals hurt my philosophy job chances (assuming I also have publications in philosophy journals)? Perhaps it might suggest I'm not committed enough to philosophy? Alternatively, could it help my chances? Or is it completely neutral? One thing I'd add is that, although the papers would be pretty squarely in history and literature, I do have a story to tell about how the issues they explore link up to my philosophical work. And I do have a area-of-compentence [sic] in aesthetics, which might perhaps tie-in nicely to having a paper published on literature.

I'm curious to hear what everyone thinks. My sense is that the risks and benefits of publishing outside of philosophy are probably neutral on balance...provided one is actually publishing successfully in philosophy. Because hiring and tenure decisions, both at research and teaching institutions, will presumably be based on one's performance in philosophy (since that is the area one is hired in), I suspect there are few professional benefits to publishing outside of philosophy--but I could be wrong about this. In any case, my sense is that if one wants to publish outside of philosophy, and doing so is at least consistent with one's other career goals, there's probably little harm in it.

But this is just my sense. What's yours?

Reader query on planning for a "plan B"

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" post, Another Prospective Graduate Student writes:

I am also a prospective PhD student. Given the state of the job market, I have thought that should I get into graduate school (especially if at a school with weaker placement rates) that I should prepare myself for a plan B career while I'm in graduate school. But while I have seen lots of stories about what paths philosophy graduate students take--from law school to management consulting to programming to the civil service--nobody discusses how one goes from being a grad student in philosophy to those various paths. I would feel much more comfortable about going to graduate school (especially at a lower ranked program) if I knew there were steps I could take to ensure that I could relatively smoothly transition to another career.

But, it seems to me that in most of cases where former philosophy graduate students find other jobs, the grad students had to acquire knowledge and skills that were not much if at all relevant to getting a PhD (or MA), and possibly also network with people in these alternative professional fields. But how does one do that while also being a successful graduate student? How does one find the time or energy to do so? What can a grad student in philosophy start to do early on to make their transition to another career, should they not get a desirable academic job post-graduation or drop out of graduate school, be as smooth as possible? Or, is it foolish to be thinking that far ahead in the early stages of one's career as a graduate student, and thus distracting yourself from philosophy?

This is really important query, I think, given significant grad school attrition rates and state of the academic job-market (where only 26.5% of philosophy PhDs evidently get tenure-track jobs three years post-PhD). Anyone have any tips? We recently had a 'Alt-Ac Workshop' series here at the Cocoon where people who transitioned to jobs outside of academia shared their experiences. However, I'm not sure we've ever had a thorough discussion of concrete steps grad students can take in grad school while still being a successful grad student. I'm sure it would help a lot of current and prospective grad students if those with experience could paint a clearer picture of feasible things to do to prepare for a Plan B!

Reader query on academic job-market competitiveness after an alt-ac job

In response to our most recent "how we can we help you?" post, Nate asks:

I have a question about alt-ac jobs. I'm not sure at this point that I want to leave academia, but I've come across a non-academic job opportunity that I think could be both enjoyable and rewarding for me. This year was my first year post-ph.d. on the academic market. I didn't land a position, but I had seven interviews (which I'm given to understand is pretty good in this climate). I've got an above-average publication record, and I'm somewhat confident that I can land a TT job in the next few years.

So, my question is this: how difficult is it to return to academia after leaving? That is, if I pursue this other opportunity will I be a viable candidate for academic positions if I decide after a few years that I want to go on the academic market, or is leaving academia for even a short time a death knell for one's academic career?

I'm curious what readers think--particularly those in a position of experience (i.e. both search committee members, as well as individuals who went back on the job-market after taking an alt-ac job). I'm inclined to think that time out of academic is a "death knell" depends in part on what you do with that time. If you spend time in an alt-ac job but find a way to publish in good journals, then I don't see any reason why search committees wouldn't at least take your candidacy seriously. Still, I have three concerns.

Reader query on joint JD/PhD programs

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" post, 'Prospective Student' writes:

I'm a prospective PhD student, but I'm also a prospective J.D. student. I would like to enter a joint J.D./PhD program. I don't really care where. I love philosophy, and I want to write a dissertation and attend conferences. Surely, I want to teach; but I'm sticking to weak generalizations about my interests because I'm still a student.

My dilemma is this. I'm not really interested in the philosophy of law or value theory. I want to do a joint PhD/J.D. strictly out of interest and financial gain. I'm hoping to write a dissertation in metaphysics or in a related area. But I'm also hoping to graduate with a J.D. so I can leave academia if I can't find a job. I'm okay with not finding a job in philosophy. I'm not ok with not writing a dissertation, publishing, or attending conferences. I hope to do this my entire life, even if I'm not a professional philosopher.

That being said, will departments think that this is not feasible if I lack an interest in philosophy of law? For example, I am thinking about applying to UCSD for metaphysics and then UCSD law school; would it be audacious of me not to include that information in my statement of interest for UCSD and then, if I were accepted, to inform the department that I would like to go ahead with the joint program (or otherwise do a joint program elsewhere). Thanks all.

In response, Craig wrote the following (which I have abridged due to its length):

My advice here is not to do the JD/PHD if you aren't interested in philosophy of law or value theory. You are right to suspect that programs will look askance at this. This is in part because a phd is hard and requires tremendous concentration, and disrupting it for three years to study a topic mostly unrelated to your research is going to make it far, far less likely that you'll succeed...

[B]y seeking the JD/PHD, you are going to limit the schools you might attend, on both hooks. There are good law schools where you won't find good phd programs (not naming names, b/c I don't want to be a jerk), and there are good phd programs without competitive or any law schools (e.g., UCSD does not have a law school). If you want a shot at academia, give yourself the best possible shot by going to the best possible school--it matters significantly.

Finally, your goals as I understand them would be far better served considering these projects in serial. A JD/PHD program is not a good way to save time or money or to increase one's employment chances--it is a good way to do interdisciplinary research...

Reader query on how reviewers review papers

In the comments section of our newest "how can we help you?" post, a reader 'NK' writes:

I think it would be helpful to hear from those who've done some refereeing about how they approach the task. For early-career people like me, that would help both with refereeing, which we're just starting to do, and with publication, since it would give some insight into what referees are thinking.

But I'm thinking it would be especially helpful if the focus were on the kinds of things you ask yourself about papers you review, the kinds of things you remind yourself to do when reviewing, and so on. (For example, how do you figure out whether the fact that *you* disagree with something an author says constitutes a [perhaps defeasible] reason to reject?)

This is a really great query. When I was first struggling to learn how to publish, I felt like I had no clue what reviewers were looking for--and I suspect a lot of early-career people are in a similar boat. So, then, when you're reviewing for journals:

1. How do you approach your task?
2. What do you look for in a paper (viz. making a recommendation, such as "accept" or "reject")?
3. How do you figure out whether something you "disagree" with is a reason to reject?

Reader query on preventing 'google reviewing'

In the comments section of our newest "How can we help you?" post, a reader writes:

I'm wondering if anyone can give advice on how to hide your paper from Googling by referees. I have recently noticed that my website gets a huge spike in traffic right after I submit a paper--even to a triple-blind journal. (Of course, at any journal, the googler may just be the editor, which is not as bad as it being the referees.) Plus, there's all this independent testimony that it's a common practice.

Anyway, I think the problem is very acute for those of us on the market (as I will be in the fall). Think of all the places a job candidate will have a paper's info:(1) under a research tab on the website, (2) in an "Under Review" section on one's CV, which is on one's website, (3) in a research statement or dissertation abstract, which is on one's website (even if the titles aren't there, often a candidate will describe his/her papers there--and that will show up when someone Googles phrases from the paper).

I'm finding it hard to scrub not only titles but even paper descriptions from all those places. Any advice?

This is a really excellent query. I too have repeatedly had the experience the reader mentions here -- of people searching for my paper's title and visiting my website or academia.edu page immediately after submitting it to journals. And I've heard many other people I know report similar experiences. What can be done to prevent it?

Reader query on recommendation letters when seeking to leave one TT job for another

In the comments section of our newest "How can we help you?" post, a reader writes:

I have a TT job that I have started recently, but the location is not ideal for a few reasons not worth mentioning, as well as some family issues that pressure me to be closer to home.

I love this job and my colleagues, but I think its only realistic to expect that I may want to apply for a few other jobs in a few years.

My question is this: As far as letter writers and what-not go, what does one do? Stick with her original letter writers from graduate school? Look to ask external letter writers not affiliated with either her graduate school or her place of employment? Or would it be ideal to get letters from her place of employment, despite the fact that this would involve admitting that she's looking for a different position?

And regardless of what the right answer is to these questions, what other things should she do to keep her letter writers updated for if/when she goes on the market?

(I realize this is a first world problem wrapped within a first world problem encased by a first world problem. I am very lucky, and I would be very lucky even to keep my current job for the rest of my life. So don't take my questions as coming from a place of entitlement or some such!)

Great query, and I would be very curious to hear what others think.

Reader query on teaching reviews

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, a Fourth-Year grad student asks:

Discussion of the following might be helpful. So far I have taught intro to philosophy for two semesters. I am a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate at a so-called top 20 program. I teach at a state school. The first semester I taught, the department didn't review my teaching because of internal issues. This philosophy department is actually brand new. So, I only have a teaching review for one semester. Will the fact that I only have one review even though I've taught two semesters hurt me if I go on the job market this fall?

Although it is not entirely clear whether the reader means student reviews or a faculty review of their teaching (I assumed it is the latter), I think there are some interesting issues to discuss here.

Reader queries on disability and UK jobs

In the comments section of our newest "How can we help you?" post, a couple of readers asked questions about the 'Two Ticks" policy in the UK, which evidently requires institutions "to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a job vacancy and consider them on their abilities." Amanda wrote:

So I am applying for a job in the UK and would really appreciate feedback as I am super conflicted about this. So I have a disability, but usually lie or give no answer when asked this on the job application. So someone on this site mentioned that the Uk guarantees an interview if you have a disability. This time around, I said yes on the application, and sure enough they informed me that I would be guaranteed an interview and asked if I wanted to proceed. I am very conflicted about this. It is not so much that I am against affirmative action, but this seems a pretty extreme version of it. In addition, I don't want to go through an interview when they are just interviewing me to comply with the rules. Also, if I would get an interview anyway I would rather they not know about the disability. What does everyone think of this? I have not turned in the application yet, but I only have a few days. Feedback is much appreciated!

Similarly, 'Stuck PhD' wrote:

The Two Ticks scheme in UK job applications is also of interest to me. I have a rather serious and sometimes-disabling autoimmune disorder, but I've always figured that an obligatory interview is a waste of my time and the interviewers'.

Does anybody (most likely, I suppose, a person who's been offered a job) know of a case where a disability-guaranteed interview has resulted in a job offer?

As this is a policy I was not familiar with until now, I think it might be best to have an open discussion of Amanda's and Stuck's queries: Should Amanda feel conflicted ('really' doesn't think so!)? Does the Two Ticks policy work (i.e. does it benefit candidates with disabilities)? Also, given the very broad definition of disability provided, who should avail themselves of the policy? (An example: I've never given a second-thought to declaring a disability myself, despite having a very serious sleep disorder and some other conditions that, before they were well-treated, did seriously compromise my ability to carry out day-to-day tasks).

Reader query on pensions

In the comments section of our newest "How can we help you?" post, Amanda asks:

Here is another simple question that I should probably know the answer to but can't quite figure out by googling. Do most TT professor positions come with a pension? Is this at all common? Since academics are generally getting a late start on retirement saving, this seems pretty important to know. More generally, how does a responsible academic save for retirement when they are 10-15 years late in the game?

Anon provided a helpful answer regarding jobs in the US:

The pension system in the USA is quite structured. You will probably be offered a plan with TIAA-CREF (these accounts are not tied to a single institution, so if you move it is no problem). Provided you live in an affordable city, then you should be able to save enough for retirement. But you should probably expect to work until you are 68 or so. That is not a problem as long as you do not lose your mind (seriously!).

Most (all?) tenure-track jobs in the US do indeed offer pensions--though it may be very helpful to inquire as to "employer matching" policies (many universities, my own included, have policies of matching your own contributions to your retirement account, in essence doubling what you are putting into it!).

However, this brings up issues raised in our previous query about differences across countries. Are retirement plan policies dramatically different for jobs in different countries? If so, which countries have better/more attractive policies, etc.? It might be helpful to hear from readers!

Reader query on work visas for significant others

In the comments section of our newest "How can we help you?" post, Lauren asks:

I have a question as someone going on the job market with a spouse who is (reasonably) flexible about location, as long as it is in a city. We are both American, but are considering options in other English-speaking countries. How difficult is it to get spousal visas that allow spouses to work in countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia, etc.? We lived together in Canada before, and although my spouse wasn't able to automatically work, he did get a spousal visa automatically and then was hired by a company that sponsored his work visa, so we would be open to doing that again, too, as long as the situation wasn't such that no one would want to hire him because of the necessity for visa sponsorship. Anyone with experience of foreign two-body issues want to weigh in?

Anon's reply seems right to me:

You must get an answer from a USA citizen who has moved to the specific country you are moving to. I am not a US citizen but moved to the US, and will be moving elsewhere soon. Each country is different, and it differs significantly with respect to what country of citizenship you hold. It also has profound implications for money that you hold in other countries.

I was a finalist for a job in South Africa, and it was made clear to me that my spouse would not be able to get a work visa there for something like 3 years--and this was a very big issue for us. However, since Lauren asked--and since Anon pointed out things can be different for different countries--it might be helpful to hear from readers who have moved abroad. 

If you moved abroad for an academic job with a significant other, what were the work restrictions? How did they affect your decision to accept the job, and/or your relationship if you did accept it?

Reader query on 'two-body problems' (i.e. long-distance relationships)

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, a reader by the name of 'Tim' asks:

Here's an early career problem that hasn't been discussed much on this blog: how do you deal with the long-distance relationships that often come up because of two-body issues? All sorts of suggestions are welcome.

Great question - and indeed I'm surprised we haven't talked about it before I've known more than a few academics who have faced the 'two-body problem', and I was in a long-distance relationship for a year myself (during my first job). So, I think it's a great issue to discuss!

Reader query on book proposal workflow issues

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, a reader writes:

I am joining a philosophy and religious studies department this Fall as a new TT faculty member. I have been told that the norm for tenure in this department is to write a book. I happen to have a book project in mind, based on my dissertation, so this works out great. However, I am not sure exactly what my work flow ought to be as I am putting the book proposal together. Up to this point, I have been fairly successful in my work flow for publishing articles: write papers --> conference those papers --> get feedback from colleagues --> submit to journals --> revise and resubmit --> publication. I am not quite sure, however, what my work flow is supposed to be like with the book proposal. Should I still be conferencing while working on the proposal? If so, what should I be conferencing? Chapters? Ideas for chapters? Should I still be sending articles that could/will be chapters to journals for publication? Should I just start working on the book proposal directly? Focusing lots of my time/energy there? Or should I be working on the book proposal and these conference/journal-sized papers simultaneously? Do I need to be building my CV up in certain ways to be appealing to publishers? etc.

I've seen some very helpful advice (here and elsewhere) on how to move forward *once you have the book proposal more or less done.* My question here is about how to get to the book proposal. For the past two years, I've followed a routine/work plan designed to put out journal articles. Now I'm wondering how that routine/work plan needs to change to put out the book proposal.

Really good questions! I will be curious to hear what others think, but here are some thoughts based on my experience writing a book:

Before I turn to the reader's main questions about "workflow", here are a few quick thoughts on proposals themselves. I do know a few people who published books based on their dissertation (so it's certainly possible!). However, I have also heard that publishers generally don't like to publish revised dissertations. Why? I'm not exactly sure--but when I was approaching publishers (and even after getting a contract), it was made clear to me that publishers wanted the book to be as original as possible, not using material that had already been published. Since dissertations are already "published", and most people publish material from their dissertations in journal articles, book publishers may worry that too much of the book being proposed is already out there and available (indeed, I was even forbidden by one publisher from sending out material from the book for review as a standalone article!). Consequently, in putting together the actual proposal, I would advise this reader to try to distance the proposal as much as possible from the dissertation. But perhaps I am wrong about this? What do other people who have published books think?

Let me now turn to the reader's workflow questions:

Reader query on informing one's department of publications and honors as a new hire

A reader recently wrote in:

Hi Marcus - I have a question for a possible post on cocoon. I'd prefer it to be anonymous since I think it reflects poorly on me. Here it is: As an early career philosopher at her first permanent job I am wondering if I am expected to tell my chair / report to my chair every time I receive an honor or publish a paper, or do I just report this info at my end of the year evaluation? That's it! Maybe it's an easy one but I've had people tell me different things so I thought I'd throw that out there.

I'd be curious to hear what people think, as this indeed mostly seems like an easy one me (but I could be wrong!). My thought is that when starting a new job, it can indeed be a good idea to let people know informally that you've published something or received an honor. I think this is a good idea because, early in my career at my current university, I did receive the occasional concerned question from people (who were not necessarily in my department), "How's publishing going? Are you getting stuff out there?" Because new employers care about how you're doing--and because questions like these (in my experience) can be uncomfortable and awkward--I think it is probably a good idea to let people know of your early successes (though, once you get enough successes, I don't think it's necessary any longer).

Still, although I think it's probably best to let people know, I also think it's probably the most tactful to do it informally--like when you run into your department chair or some such (viz. "Oh, by the way, I just got an article accepted at X. Just thought you might want to know!"). I say this because part of what I think one wants to do in a new job--particularly a tenure-track job--is to calmly affirm yourself as everyone's equal: as just another faculty member in the department. I guess I'm inclined to think that, say, sending an email to the chair every time you get a publication could look a bit needy/grad-student-ish. And so, by a similar token, I'm also inclined to think that after one's first few publications, it's probably not necessary anymore--and one should just make sure one's new publications and honors appear prominently within one's end-of-the-year review.

But these are just my thoughts, and I only work in a mid-sized teaching institution. I imagine different advice might apply for a high-powered R1 job (where, say, people are really concerned about journal prestige, etc.). Anyway, what do you all think? 

Reader query on feeling stuck

In the comments section of our newest "How can we help you?" post, a reader ('Stuck, PhD) writes,

I am feeling really, really stuck, and am unsure how to even begin to ask for help. All of the issues Amanda brought up in her recent post (http://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2017/03/reader-query-on-professional-frustrations.html) present serious obstacles to achieving professional success on the basis of merit. But even if you have the good fortune to surmount those obstacles--as I have to some extent--that's no guarantee that you'll get a job. And then, it's not even clear what you're supposed to do to improve your candidacy next time around (even if you had the time and opportunity to do those things, which Amanda points out one doesn't always have). I'm sure there are lots of others in my position with even better CVs than me who don't know what else to do.

To begin with, I have several unearned job market advantages that I don't deserve to have but have nonetheless: I'm a male with no geographic restrictions who went to a top-20 Leiter school and thereby also have a letter from a bigshot in my dossier. Then there are things I've actually worked for: I've taught over a dozen classes; I've sole-authored 3 papers in good specialty journals, all of which have been cited; and I have a 4th paper forthcoming in a top 10 generalist journal.

This year I got two Skype interviews from about 80 applications. What else can I do, other than teach and publish more an hope that makes a difference? I don't have much service experience, but I can't get any of that at this point without a job.

I empathize. I spent seven years on the academic job-market feelingly similarly stuck. While I do not have any silver-bullet type answers, allow me to briefly share a few thoughts and then open things up for reader comments/advice.

How can we help you? (March 2017)

It's been a while now since we had our last "how can we help you?" post, so I thought now might be a good time for another post. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section on anything you could use help with right now as an early-career philosopher. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss (and hopefully help you with!) your query.

Please do feel free to post a query on anything we can help you with:

• Graduate school (e.g. writing a disseration, etc.)
• The academic job-market
• Research & publishing
• Teaching
• Etc.

So fire away: we're here to help!

So fire away: we're here to help!

Interviews gone wrong

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, Amanda writes:

So I think it would be helpful/fun to have an "Interviews gone wrong" post where people share their stories of, well, interviews gone wrong. This might not only help people learn what to avoid, but serve empathetic purposes for those on the market.

I agree. Sharing stories of interviews gone wrong might not only help candidates learn what to avoid, and serve empathetic purposes. It might also give candidates a better idea of the kinds of unexpected things that can happen during interviews to cause them to go awry. Finally, it might also give search committees and hiring institutions important information on things to avoid, so as to better ensure that candidates get a fair shake to succeed in interviews. I suppose, then, that I will kick things with a couple of stories of my own - and then invite you to share your stories!

Reader query on publishing pseudonymously

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, a reader asks:

Say I am (somewhat) in a (the?) closet and decide to publish something scholarly anonymously or pseudonymously. I don't mind my colleagues knowing, but I'd rather my mom didn't google me and find this. I need to put it on my CV. Do you know of any issues that can arise with not having one's name or institution on a paper?

Any thoughts?

Reader query on negotiating with teaching schools

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, a reader asks, "What are the do's and don'ts for negotiating a TT job offer/ contract at a teaching college/university?"

Excellent question. As some of you may know, there was a widely publicized horror story a few years back concerning a candidate who had an offer from a teaching university rescinded after she emailed asking for a bunch of things, including limited teaching preps and a pre-tenure sabbatical. The email she received read:

It was determined that on the whole these provisions indicate an interest in teaching at a research university and not at a college, like ours, that is both teaching and student centered...Thus, the institution has decided to withdraw its offer of employment to you.

I don't know of many stories like this, but still, it is a cautionary tale--especially given that in my experience the negotiation stage can be really nerve-wracking. In any case, because schools may be very different here, it might be most helpful to hear from a variety of readers who work at teaching schools or have negotiated offers with them about the kinds of things can be negotiated at their school. Does anyone with experience here have any tips to offer?

Reader query on whether to accept an undesirable job

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, a reader ('Amanda') writes:

So this post comes in response to a number of conversations I've had with friends on the market, as well as various faculty members, as well as reading Allen Wood's job search advice on the APA blog. So Wood suggests that you should not take a TT job just because you have been on the market for some time and it is all you got. Rather, you should see if the job is a good fit. Now from almost everyone else I've talked with, they would disagree. The job market is horrible, and anyone should be happy with any job. (Maybe those at the top 5 schools are different, but I am not even sure then).

So what happens if you are offered a TT job and the location is awful, the department members appear disagreeable, and the general environment is not one of your liking? (FYI I am NOT in this position myself. I currently have no TT offers...) If this is your only offer, should you take it? Basically everyone I've talked to says yes. (perhaps assuming you would choose this rather than leave academia). Does anybody disagree? Does anyone think it would ever make sense to turn down a TT offer in the hopes that you find a better fit in a year or two. (Or would the rule be take the job and then apply out?)

 

Reader query on choosing between advisors

In the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you post?", a reader asks:

The following question will be relevant to people who are soon to decide about which graduate school to attend in the UK (but will also be relevant for US students currently at graduate school):

When one is selecting a supervisor for one's PhD thesis, what's most important: (1) the supervisor's energy, engagement with your project, level of expertise, etc; or (2) the supervisor's seniority and worldwide reputation? Obviously, in a perfect world, one would want one's supervisor to have all these attributes, but this isn't a perfect world. If one has to decide between a supervisor that fits the attributes in (1) but not those in (2), and one who fits the attributes in (2) but not so much those in (1), what should one decide? (Let me pre-empt an obvious reply: get them both on your supervisory team. Sure, but that's not possible if they're at different institutions.)

I've heard it said that one should never be supervised by someone who isn't at the top rung of the career ladder, because it will make it much harder to get a job after one's PhD. Does this sound right? Can relatively inexperienced supervisors place their students?

Reader query on unhappiness with one's institution

A few days ago in the comments section of our most recent "How can we help you?" post, an anonymous reader asked:

How common is it to be suspicious of and resentful towards your institution's administration? I would love to take a job elsewhere, in part to spite them, but it might not be worth it if it's a problem almost everywhere.

The reader then added in a follow-up comment:

I won't get into specifics about my administration, but the resentment is due to a combination of the following: the need to fight for almost everything despite being at a financially healthy university, a general lack of respect for faculty and their role in the institution, and a history of ethically questionable behavior.

It might indeed be helpful to find out (A) how common these kinds of sentiments and experiences are, as well as (B) what kinds of things different institutions actually do that lead to happiness or unhappiness/suspicion/resentment among faculty. (Important note: in line with the Cocoon's mission, I am not looking for--and will not allow--comments outing specific institutions. Only reports that preserve institutional anonymity will be permitted.

For my part, I will say--with full honesty--that it has been an honor and privilege to work at my institution. Although I am only one person, my experience has been that faculty, students, and staff here are treated honorably and with respect. 

What are your experiences?