The Philosophers' Cocoon

Reader query about undergraduate research

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

As an undergraduate student, I wonder what is the best way to choose a dissertation topic? Since my department does not provide many courses on the topic I am interested in, I have to read something by my own. I have read some companions and Philosophy Compass articles, is there anything else I can/should do?

It's not entirely clear to me what SSW means when they ask about a 'dissertation topic.' For example, if they are asking about a PhD dissertation, then my answer is that it is probably much to early to think about that. On the other hand, if the question is about an undergrad thesis, then the question seems to me an apt one. Either way, though, I'm glad they asked these questions, as in thinking about them it occurred to me that I would advise something quite different than what they are currently doing.

Informing committees of job offers

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader writes in:

I've just been offered a VAP at Institution X, where a decision is expected of me within about two weeks. However, I recently interviewed for a VAP at Institution Y, where I was told that they'd make a decision in about a month. I strongly prefer the position at Institution Y. How do I diplomatically reach out to Y in a way that might speed up their timetable, but not in a way that seems pushy or likely to tell me to PFO?

Maybe I'm wrong, but this seems to me pretty straightforward. Just write a polite email informing the search chair you have a job offer (without mentioning who the offer is from), maybe mention that you are still very interested in their job, and ask them what the time-frame of their search looks like. At that point the ball is in their court. If they are seriously considering you as a candidate but don't want to lose you, then they will make something happen. If not, then not: they'll give you a polite PFO and that's that. I don't see any other real options here. Finally, for what it's worth, I suspect a search committee is less likely to speed up its timetable for a VAP position--simply because VAPs are temporary positions (whereas there is probably much greater incentive to hire the committee's top choice in a TT job).

But these are just my thoughts. What are yours, particularly those of you who have served on search committees or engaged in this kind of negotiating as a candidate?

Why do journals not give comments?

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, EL.DEE.ESS writes:

I have a question about the journal review process. I have run into the following problem in submitting to top tier journals, namely, that the journal gives a rejection without providing comments. It seems clear that it is not a desk rejection, as the papers were under review for several months, so it seems that the referees would have written down their thoughts on the paper. But the following justification is given for not providing comments: “We cannot provide comments on all rejected papers. We focus rather on arriving at a well-informed judgment without undue delay.” What is going on here? Are the editors simply refusing to provide comments because it takes up unnecessary time? Did the referees not write comments up at all? If there are no comments, on what basis is the rejection being made?

I know that the journals in question *do* occasionally given comments for rejected papers, so it is not as if they do not have the infrastructure or mechanism to provide them. I am wondering then why comments are provided on some rejected papers but not others. It is hard to see how simply *passing on* the comments for all rejected (but not desk-rejected) papers would make the process take longer or cause an undue burden in any material sense, but if I am missing something here, I would genuinely be curious to know. After all, having the comments can be extremely helpful. Any thoughts on what’s going here would be greatly appreciated.

This is a really great query - one that I have wondered about myself for quite a long time. I suppose it makes sense not to forward comments for quick desk-rejections. What does seem more puzzling is when a paper has been under review for a number of months (2-3+ months) but no comments at all are forwarded to the author. Assuming the papers did go out to referees, there seem to be only two possibilities: either the referees gave no comments, or the editors did not forward the comments to the author. However, both of these possibilities seem puzzling: if referees gave no comments, then there would seem to be no justification provided for a making a particular editorial decision--and if the referees did give comments, it seems strange not to let authors know what those reasons are. Finally, one further possibility is that the paper never went out to referees, but instead took 2-3+ months to desk-reject. But that seems strange too, to say the least--as it is hard to see why it should take so long to desk-reject a paper.

So I share EL.DEE.ESS's puzzlement. Anyone have any insight to share about what's going on in cases like this?

Prospective-student visits and PhD advisors

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Kent writes:

I'm a current MA student about to visit PhD programs, and I've realized that I have no idea what to say in meetings with potential faculty advisors. I've thought about trying to read some of their work beforehand, but I'm not sure how discussing that would help me (other than perhaps getting a handle on their methodological approach). I'm concerned about quality of advisement and so on, but I don't want to ask questions that might come off as indelicate or rude. Some guidance would be much appreciated!

Great query. In my experience, a student's eventual choice of PhD supervisor is absolutely vital. Some supervisors are effective, churning our successful PhDs and job-candidates left and right. Other supervisors, on the other hand, are truly awful--routinely having students who either never graduate or fail to be competitive on the job-market due to poor mentoring.

Negotiating tips, especially w/unionized schools

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Anon writes,

I would love some advice (and maybe even some sample language!) about how to negotiate effectively. Some background info: I'm a junior woman, and the institution that made me the (as yet unofficial) offer is unionized, which might affect how much room there is to move when it comes to salary. Thanks in advance!

The best negotiating advice I am aware of is by Karen Kelsky at the Professor Is In (see here and here). I won't belabor repeating all of her advice here, but let me discuss two things I think are probably vital to know.

First, I want to emphasize something vital that Kelsky emphasizes: your negotiating strategy needs to be in touch with the kind of job you have been offered. In brief, my experience is that although a lot of things are negotiable for R1 jobs, not much is for jobs at teaching oriented schools (e.g. liberal arts universities and community colleges). For example, asking for a reduction in teaching load or deferring your job for a year are totally fine at a research school. However, these are not things to try to negotiate with a job at a teaching-oriented school (e.g. a liberal arts university or community college). For one notorious horror story, see here. My sense is that at teaching schools, course-load reductions may never be given (or only given to department chairs), and there may never be pre-tenure sabbaticals nor (to my knowledge) job deferments. Indeed, my sense is that for jobs at teaching schools, the only thing one may be able to negotiate may be a modest salary increase. Candidates should be aware of these differences. Personally, when it comes to jobs at teaching schools, the safest thing to do is to probably just ask for a bit more salary, and the next-safest thing to do is to ask the chair of the search committee the open-ended question (after receiving the offer), "What, if anything, do you think is safe to ask for in negotiating?" My sense is that there is probably little harm in asking a question this broad, and that most people sincerely interested in hiring you will give an honest answer.

Second, there is the other issue Anon asked about: negotiating with unionized schools. Although I am no expert on unionization, to the best of my knowledge once a university is unionized US Federal Law prohibits one-on-one negotiations--as unionization is a legal status, entitling both sides (the university and its unionized employees) to collective bargaining. If I am wrong about this, please do let me know--but this is my understanding. 

Anyway, these are only my thoughts. What are yours, particularly those of you with experience negotiating (either as job-candidates on the hiring side of things)?

Addressing flight-risk in cover letters?

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, NotaFlightRisk writes:

I have a question about tailoring cover letters. I'd like to convey in my cover letter that I'm not a flight risk but I'm unsure of the best way (or anyway besides outright saying this) to do that. Any advice?

This is a great question, and I am curious to hear from people who have served on searches about what they think. But here are a few quick thoughts of my own...

Using older teaching letters?

Two readers wrote in this week about using "old" teaching letters on the market. One reader writes:

I've noticed that a lot of schools lately require a rec letter that addresses teaching. What do people do about these? I've been in the same job long enough that the people who've seen me teach recently are all colleagues who don't know I'm on the market, and I need to keep it that way. The only teaching rec I can get, then, would be [many] years out of date. I'm sure that's not an unusual problem.

And Anon wrote in our "how can we help you?" thread:

Normally I just use one teaching letter, from someone who saw me teach at my current job. I've come across something that asks for more than one teaching letter.

I do have another teaching letter handy that describes my teaching from the last job (it's on Interfolio). The thing is, it's "out of date" - but does that matter in a case like this?

I get that my research letters change from year to year, but this is just a letter describing what I was up to in the classroom at a particular time and place. So is it okay to use an old one or does it look weird?

I'm curious to hear what other readers think--but I'm inclined to think it's just fine. A search committee member might notice that the letter is a few years old, but for all that I think they are likely to be more interested in what the letter says than anything else. I think it probably is a good idea to get a newer letter if you can--but if you're in our first reader's position and that's not really an option, I'm inclined to think it's not a very big deal.

But I'm just one person, and may be idiosyncratic. What do you all think, particularly those of you who have served on search committees?

Preparing for structured interviews

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, anonymoose writes:

I have a practical question about interviews. It seems like there are two kinds of interviews--(a) those where the committee asks follow up questions, and (b) those where they don't. I assume (b) happens because of HR regulations, but I am really bad at these interviews. My answers tend to run short even when I have a lot to say. And that's bad, since a lot of fixed term lecturer jobs have (b) type interviews, and that's mostly what I'm competitive for right now. Should candidates plan responses to certain typical questions to fit a target time-length, so they don't run short? Or is it expected that this stuff happens? Is there some way to turn it into a conversation that I'm missing? There's often not even any nodding or eye contact during my answers, let alone follow-ups. Sometimes these interviewers skip important questions too, like "How would you teach Intro?" I'm pretty good at (a) type interviews, but utterly bewildered by (b).

This is an excellent query. My experience isn't that '(b) type' interviews tend to occur because of HR regulations. Rather, it is because science supports them. Allow me to explain, and then offer a few tips on preparing for such interviews.

Remaining research-active outside academia

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Worried philosopher writes, 

I am applying for a research position (in ethics) outside Academia. I want to remain active as a researcher (go to conferences, give talks, publish, review papers, etc.). I feel like I'll remain much more active with a research job than with a teaching position. Yet I'm worried: since the position I'm applying for is outside Academia, perhaps I won't be taken seriously by the rest of the research community. So, a couple of questions:

- Do journals care whether you hold a position in Academia or not?
- You see people at a conference with "private sector/government/public sector" on their name tags. Will you talk to them? Will you attend their talks?
- When browsing for papers on topic X, you notice that the author is not from Academia. The paper is published in a good journal. Will you still read the paper?

Great questions. I'm actually personally familiar with a few folks who have continued to publish successfully (in some good journals) after moving outside of academia. So I definitely know it can be done. However, I am not quite sure how to answer the specific questions Worried asks. I mean, I wouldn't treat someone differently at a conference on these grounds, and I would definitely read their paper if it looked interesting to me. But I don't know how others feel.

Anyone have any insight to share?

VAPS vs. Lecturers: do search committees care?

Update: comments open now!

In our newest "how can we help you?" post, anon writes:

Is there a meaningful difference between going on the job market as a lecturer and a visiting assistant professor or are both viewed equally?

Obviously, the institution where you're employed and other details have to be considered, but all things being equal, will the title alone confer or convey any meaningful difference or are both viewed as what they are: temporary, contingent appointments?

I honestly don't know the answer. Because I know Lecturer positions in the UK are basically equivalent to Assistant Professor positions in the US, my sense is that search-committee members regard them as basically interchangeable titles for candidates from the UK. In the US, however, my understand is that Lecturer positions can be any one of many things.

Search-committee prejudices?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Caroline writes:

A few years ago, before I secured a permanent position, I applied for a tenure-track position at the institution where I was on a year-to-year fixed-term contract. Department members seemed favorably disposed to my teaching, service, and research. When a tenure-track position in my AOS was advertised at the institution, I jumped at the opportunity to apply.

One member of the department sent an email to other members of the department indicating he was against my candidacy for the tenure-track position. According to the email, which one member of the department forwarded to me, his reasons were that people who obtain fixed-term contracts shouldn't be hired at those institutions permanently and that people on fixed-term contracts were less talented than those who get a tenure-track position directly out of graduate school.

You've discussed the precarious relationship between permanent department members and fixed-term contractors on this blog, but what should we make of this professor's behavior? Is it prejudice? Or is it mere preference?

I basically agree with what Craig wrote later in the comment section ("That seems like a gross prejudice..."). I've known a lot of excellent philosophers--including ones with some pretty astounding publication records--who have been stuck in fixed-term positions for a long time. And I think it is terrible that some people evidently hold this against job-candidates. But, assuming this is a problematic prejudice, this raises two questions:

1. What can be done about it?
2. What other prejudices do search committee members sometimes have?

Books: how short is too short?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Anon writes:

How short is too short for a book? To make it more concrete, I have a book idea, and am thinking it'd end up being around 50,000 words. I know that's quite short for a philosophy book, but short books are always better! Moreover, I can say what I want to say in that many words. (Why not do journal articles? I have. I'd like to do an elaborated defense of some things I've written on, as well as bring in new, related material.) Should I consider adding more material to make it longer, or should I try to swing it as a short book?

There were some very good replies to Anon's concept, such as this one by Harry:

Some publishers want book manuscripts of very specific lengths, say 90,000 to 110,000 words. So such publishers will generally not be interested in a short book. But there are now series devoted to short books, like Springerbriefs, published by Springer, of course. Some of the books in the collection are quite good. If you were already an accomplished author, then many publishers would publish whatever Bullshit you have (I hope this joke is not lost everyone).

Amanda's comment is also helpful: "Routledge has a series for short books. Some other publishers too. So you can make it work. You just have to find the right spot...". As someone who has written two books--a long one and also (presently in progress) a shorter one--allow me to add a few additional thoughts.

Dealing with unresponsive journals

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Anon writes:

(Part of the reason I haven't been super alarmed by this issue is that the paper in question is a short side project sort of thing rather than my main research project, which has been doing better than this paper.)

But anyways: say a paper of yours has been under review for about a year, and that you started checking in on its status after the four month mark, and you haven't gotten a reply to your 3-4 short, polite inquiries that you've sent since then.

Is it fine to just send an email saying "I am withdrawing this MS", and then to proceed as if the MS has been withdrawn? I get the impression I shouldn't expect a reply (or for anyone to read my email), which makes me a bit worried about effectively double-submitting when I resubmit the paper elsewhere. But on the other hand, this paper has probably just been "lost" this whole time.

This is a good (albeit distressing!) query. As far as I am concerned, the moment you send an email to a journal indicating that you have chosen to withdraw a manuscript, it is withdrawn, whether the journal responds or not. You do not have to wait for the journal to acknowledge your message, particularly if (as in this case) the journal has been unresponsive. Further, if any problems were to arise (i.e. a referee never being told by the journal and complaining about you engaging in double-submissions), then by my lights you would be "safe" as an author: as long as you have a copy of your email to prove that you withdrew it). Or so say I. What say you?

Handling 'split-verdict' R&R's

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, Mercado writes:

I wonder what folks think about the following publishing issue. I just received a second R&R from journal x regarding a particular paper.

This second set of referee comments is mixed. One referee’s comments are on the mark and helpful. But, the second referee’s comments are a bit off the mark, by my lights, and she or he recommends that the editor not publish the paper.

Now, the editor’s communication regarding this second R&R seems fairly positive because he or she uses language like “before we can publish your paper you must respond to these referee comments.”

My question is how much should I countenance or revise in light of the negative referee comments? I ask because seemingly the editor is not taking the second referee’s recommendation to not publish the paper.

In response, Tenured SLAC chair wrote:

This is a fine line to walk. I would say that in the event you do not make changes as per referee #2, that it would be wise to explicitly state why you do not feel they are necessary. This too requires a delicate hand. By the sounds of it, something like what I describe would satisfy the editor. Sorry for being so vague.

I'm curious what everyone else thinks. However, my answer is a bit different. I think what Mercado should do probably depends on what referee #2's comments were actually like. Allow me to explain.

How can we help you? (February 2019)

Now that it's a new month, it's time for another 'how can we help you?' thread.

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
• Publishing
• Teaching
• Issues in the profession
• Work-life balance
• Personal struggles
• Etc.

Fire away - we're here to help!

Tips for negotiating spousal hires?

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

Do folks have any tips for how to negotiate a spousal hire? I assume the right time to ask is at the offer stage, but after that I'm not sure. Do you ask for a TT line specifically, or just ask what can be done for them? Would it be helpful to hire someone like the Professor is In team to help with negotiations?

Great questions - ones that I'm sure more than a few job-candidates could use good answers to! Unfortunately, I don't know the answers. Do you any of you? It would be great to hear from people who have experience on either side of the matter, i.e. people who have negotiated spousal hires themselves, or who handled spousal hires on the hiring side of things (as search committee members, Dean, etc.). Anyone have any helpful tips to share?

Retaining late-semester student engagement

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Josh writes:

My apologies if this has been covered before, but I'm starting my first teaching job this year and noticed that my classes seemed to suffer from intense mid- and late-semester fatigue. That is, during the first 7 weeks or so of the term, I would get (e.g.) multiple unprompted questions, consistent student-led "back-and-forths," etc. After that, however, class momentum really began to slow down (with some exceptional days sprinkled here and there, of course). I get that this is part of university life, but I wonder if folks out there have been impressed by this phenomenon enough to factor it into their pedagogical approaches (and, if so, how?). I teach a 3-3 here--all different courses--and this fatigue was painfully evident in all of them.

This is an interesting query. I will be honest: I really haven't encountered this issue before. In my case, I've noticed that student interest seems to wane a bit at the tail end of the semester--maybe the last two or three weeks (about the time I begin to feel run down from the semester too!). Anyway, my strategy for addressing this has increasingly been to have end-of-the-term final presentations, where students have to apply theories (of ethics, law, just war theory, justice, etc.) to outside, original areas of research (e.g. ethical problems not discussed in the course, Supreme Court cases in philosophy of law, etc.). I find this works like a charm, as students often present on unexpected, fascinating, and important issues--ones that other students are interested in, want to discuss, and so on. However, this doesn't address Josh's specific question, which seems be more about the second half of the semester more generally--and final presentations aren't always doable (in very large courses) or everyone's cup of tea. So unfortunately, I guess I'm not the best person to answer Josh's query. 

Do any of you have any helpful tips for Josh? Also, here's a question for Josh (which might help me better understand his situation): what is your general teaching style like--specifically, what do you typically do in the classroom on a day to day basis? 

Making the most out of visiting-positions

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, 'VAP' writes:

I'm a new PhD and a VAP at a teaching-focused, undergraduate institution. I find teaching meaningful, but I also found myself over-worked and under-stimulated. My students are great! But they're undergraduates. How do other people deal with this experience, particularly long term? Of course, more teaching experience/more experience with a heavier teaching load will, I'm sure, help - but I'm not sure how significant that help will be.

This is a great query. I was in VAP at my current institution for 6 years before being hired tenure-track, and I faced roughly the situation described here. In fact, I still face something like this situation now that I'm tenured--as I'm still a member of a very small (four-person) department at a school where most of the philosophical discussion I engage in is with undergraduates.

So let me offer a few suggestions on the basis of my own experience. I don't pretend that my strategies will work for everyone. But I hope they at least get a good discussion started, and I am curious to hear how others have handled similar situations!

Volunteering as a philosopher?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Asst Prof writes:

I would enjoy a post on "volunteering as a philosopher."

I am passionate about reducing climate change (for example), but I am not sure how to jump in and use my skills as a philosopher to advance this cause.

I could of course just volunteer "as a regular person", but I am curious if any philosophers have been able to link up with charitable or activist groups and use their skills as a philosopher specifically--kind of like a doctor or lawyer doing pro bono work.

If so, any stories or advice would be a helpful inspiration to me and maybe others!

This is a great query. In fact, it's one that I would afford to hear some good stories or advice about myself. My own experience 'volunteering as a philosopher' is pretty limited.

Tips for good teaching demos?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, First time ABD writes:

I have had a few skype interviews now that have warned that if I were to get a fly out interview, I will have to do a teaching demonstration. So the more general question I have is, for those who have done a teaching demonstration, do you have any pragmatic tricks or tips to share, or experiences that you've learned from. For those on search committees, what exactly are you looking for in a teaching demonstration?

The more particular question I have is: I work hard, especially at the start of the year, in classes to structure my classes such that they will function optimally (for instance I make students sign up to email me reading responses the day before class which helps structure my lectures but also makes sure that I have 12/60 students ready to ask questions during the lecture). I feel like in a teaching demonstration, I'm being (unfairly?) parachuted down into a class where my structure is not there. Should I, as a part of my teaching demonstration, try to get the class structured, even just a little bit, to the specifications that I want? (I hope that second question made sense, it's a little vague)

This is a great query. I am curious to hear how people who have served on search-committees (or otherwise witnessed a teaching demo) respond. But here are a few quick thoughts of my own...

How can we help you? (January 2019 edition)

Now that it's a new year (happy new year everyone!), I thought now might be a good time for another 'how can we help you?' thread.

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
• Publishing
• Teaching
• Issues in the profession
• Work-life balance
• Personal struggles
• Etc.

Fire away - we're here to help!

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?