The Philosophers' Cocoon

Cover letters for VAPs vs. TT jobs?

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

How different should a cover letter for a VAP position should be from a TT position? Should one talk about research at all (or minimal)? I'm guessing one should focus on teaching and that's about it?

I'm not sure. Some VAPs are teaching-focused, but others in my experience some places (e.g., R1s, R2s) may be looking to hire VAPs who do interesting research. Back in the day when I applied for jobs, I don't think I changed my cover letter in any appreciable way and it didn't seem to hurt. But that was a while ago.

What do readers think?

Publishing in lower-ranked journals after top-ranked journals?

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

I'm a PhD student, with two pretty fancy publications and nothing else published so far. I have another article draft prepared but it got rejected from the top journals in the relevant subfield. Is it risky to send it to a medium-ranked journal or even a lower-ranked journal? Will that look like a stain on my CV that lowers my average, or will it just have an addititive affect considering I already have two other fancier publications?

Good questions. We've discussed this before on a number of occasions. There are plausibly some risks and potential benefits, and perhaps some hiring committees at top-ranked R1s might look down on it. However, the only empirical study that I'm aware of that looked at whether "weaker" publications hurt or help on the market found that they do tend to have a positive additive effect, helping candidates who already have good publications.

Do any readers have any helpful insights or experiences to share?

Job-talk conventions: slides and/or handout?

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

Is the convention for job talks to use slides, either instead of or in addition to a handout? Really hoping the answer is no, as I hate slides, but I've heard this from enough people that I wanted to check...

I'm not sure. Do any readers have any helpful insights to share?

Is it always better to have more publications on the market?

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

Is it better to have more publications when going on the job-market, or fewer? I'm not from the fanciest of PhD programs, most of our graduates end up teaching at smaller regional colleges/universities. My question isn't whether it is best to have more/fewer publications in order to "publish into getting" a job at a Research Universities or a prestigious SLAC, but whether it is better to have more/fewer when applying in general.

I'm inferring a bit here, but I take it the OP's concern may be about whether one should maybe avoid "publishing too much" to be competitive for the kinds of jobs that people from their PhD program have tended to get (e.g., jobs at smaller regional colleges and universities). On that, I'm not sure. But I did some informal data collection a number of years ago which suggested that having more publications is a good predictor of job-market success, particularly for those kinds of jobs--and my own experience on the market matched that: the more publications I got, the more interviews I got at those kinds of schools. 

What do readers think? I imagine it would be helpful to hear both from job candidates and search committee members.

Negative online student comments and the market

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

I have a question about web presence. I'm in my second year on the job market.

I know that some committee members google candidates, because they leave a footprint on linkedin, academia.edu, philpeople. I do not use social media apart from those sites.

If you google my name, one of the first things to come up is a reddit comment from a student in the first week of classes in the first class I taught, a year ago. It expresses extreme frustration at my shaky lecturing. It also expresses frustration at the fact that their department (biomedical sciences) requires them to take this philosophy course -- but that's mentioned as an aside. Two other students from the same class chime in, agreeing. A student from another course I was teaching the same term, in which I had a better first week, expresses disagreement, but that's a ways down the thread.

The reddit thread is a year old. My teaching evaluations are so-so and can't entirely counterbalance it. Students tend to give fairly balanced critiques that reflect the real weaknesses in my lecture style -- though they also say other things that reflect strengths in the facilitation of classroom discussion. In other words, the reddit thread expresses (though also sort of caricatures) a genuine shortcoming.

Since this thread, which has been dormant for almost a year, is still at the top of my google results, I've started to think that it might be a good idea to ask for advice about the effect that this might have, and whether there is anything I can or should do to counterbalance it. (The problem is partly related to the google algorithm, which places reddit results near the top of the results, but that's not within anyone's control.)

I wouldn't worry about what the OP describes. Everyone knows that unhappy students can say things online (including on RateMyProfessors), so I think search committees who come across this stuff are likely to take it with a real grain of salt, especially if your official student evaluations are decent. The only time to worry, I think, is if the number and tenor of negative online comments is overwhelming, and/or this is corroborated by official evaluations.

But what do other readers think?

Tips for Writing Teaching Philosophy Statements for Religious Institutions?

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

I have seen several religious SLACs ask for Teaching Philosophies rather than Teaching Statements. I don't think they are using philosophy and statement synonymously; it seems like they really want your philosophy of teaching and not just the standard fare statement where you list 1-2 pedagogical goals and give concrete examples of how you achieve them.

So, I'm wondering: how do you write an excellent Teaching *Philosophy,* especially for religious SLACs? 

Do any readers in the know have any helpful tips or other insights to share?

Trends for "teaching-only" jobs?

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

I’m interested in trends for teaching-only jobs. I know that Lecturer/VAP positions have been around for many years, and I’ve held these myself. In recent years, I’ve noticed an increased number of ads for “Instructional Assistant Professors,” “Assistant Teaching Professors,” etc. Some of these seem to have more expectation of permanency than the Lecturer positions, and I’ve seen some with promotion schedules. But the position titles are not consistently applied.

Have others observed this trend? Do others perceive that these are more permanent than Lecturers? Those of you chairing searches or involved in obtaining permission to run searches, what considerations prompt you to seek a teaching-only position? I wonder, for instance if they are less common in schools with graduate programs, because perhaps the grad students fill some of those needs. And what determines the position title?

I ask because, after a decade in the profession, teaching philosophy is my greatest strength. As I make some decisions about my future, I’d love to hear about trends in teaching-only jobs.

I've definitely noticed this trend, though I'm not sure what best explains it.

Do any readers have any helpful insights?

Trends for "teaching-only" jobs?

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

I’m interested in trends for teaching-only jobs. I know that Lecturer/VAP positions have been around for many years, and I’ve held these myself. In recent years, I’ve noticed an increased number of ads for “Instructional Assistant Professors,” “Assistant Teaching Professors,” etc. Some of these seem to have more expectation of permanency than the Lecturer positions, and I’ve seen some with promotion schedules. But the position titles are not consistently applied.

Have others observed this trend? Do others perceive that these are more permanent than Lecturers? Those of you chairing searches or involved in obtaining permission to run searches, what considerations prompt you to seek a teaching-only position? I wonder, for instance if they are less common in schools with graduate programs, because perhaps the grad students fill some of those needs. And what determines the position title?

I ask because, after a decade in the profession, teaching philosophy is my greatest strength. As I make some decisions about my future, I’d love to hear about trends in teaching-only jobs.

I've definitely noticed this trend, though I'm not sure what best explains it.

Do any readers have any helpful insights?

Using a paper co-authored with a supervisor for a writing sample?

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

I am an international student. I have a paper published in a well-regarded journal, though not top-tier (I am the first author, and my supervisor is the second author. His contribution was to provide feedback and suggestions; the paper was written by me). Despite this, I intend to use this paper as my writing sample for application. I would like to know if this is acceptable.

I've heard many times that this is a very bad idea, as search committees want to evaluate the candidate's abilities, and this obscures them. Worst case scenario, I've heard that regardless of authorship, people may be liable to believe the supervisor did most of the important work. Finally, though I don't know all of the details here, from what the OP describes it's not entirely obvious to me that the supervisor should be a co-author here. Supervisors often provide a great deal of feedback and suggestions on their students' work, but my sense is that in the humanities at least, this isn't generally taken to warrant co-authorship--though maybe the the amount of and nature of the contribution here justifies it. But in that case, my first worry arguably applies all the more: the OP would be better served submitting a writing sample that showcases their own abilities, without the confound of co-authorship.

Anyway, what do other readers think about the OP's query?

How do search committees perceive non-philosophy teaching?

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

I am curious about how non-philosophy teaching on a CV is perceived by search committees.

In other words, is teaching a person may have done in other disciplines irrelevant or is it seen as a positive indication of teaching experience that gets lesser weight than philosophy teaching experience? In particular, I am curious about a scenario where a person might have more teaching experience in a different discipline than in philosophy. Is that person evaluated only according to the philosophy teaching experience or is the non-philosophy teaching experience also factored in somewhat.

I suspect it probably depends on a case-by-case basis. For example, some universities have general education or honors programs with interdisciplinary courses taught by multiple faculty in different disciplines. For jobs at places like these, I imagine non-philosophy teaching experience could be helpful. But I don't know how common this situation may be, and I suspect that by and large search committees are simply looking for evidence of good teaching abilities simpliciter.

What does everyone else think?

Predicting a candidate's chances on the market

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

Preparing myself for the market next year. Wondering if anyone could give me their sense of my chances based on my overall profile: PhD candidate from a top-10 leiter program, 2 publications in good, but not tip-top journals, and a person of colour.

Personally, I'm not sure that it's possible to predict a person's chances on the market with much (if any) reliability, particularly with this kind of broad information. In my experience serving on a bunch of search committees, some good publications and PhD program reputation can get your file taken seriously. But there's virtually always a large number of similarly qualified candidates with similar profiles for the same position. So, things really come down to the details of a candidate's dossier (their writing sample, research statement, teaching dossier, etc.), perceived "fit" for the position, idiosyncratic views and preferences of search committee members, etc. So, if I were a candidate, I wouldn't focus on trying to predict anything. Instead, I'd just focus on presenting myself as the best candidate possible and see what happens.

But these are just my thoughts. What are yours? 

Obtaining a philosophy job with a PhD in another field?

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

First-year PhD student here. What are my prospects for academic employment in philosophy at R1 institutions given my PhD in social sciences from a top 3 globally ranked university? Would publishing 2–3 papers in leading political philosophy journals before graduation outweigh the lack of a formal philosophy PhD? Also, how might publishing in non-philosophy journals be perceived—would it strengthen my interdisciplinary appeal or work against me? For context, I hold a master’s degree in philosophy, but my undergraduate degree is in another field.

Hmm, I don't know. The philosophy job market is so competitive that I'm not sure how competitive someone might be with a PhD from another field. I also know that some (many?) job ads state explicitly that a PhD in philosophy is expected or required. But maybe exceptions may be made for exceptional candidates, particularly if they've published in excellent philosophy journals and have a philosophy MA? I'm not sure.

Do any readers have any helpful experiences or other insights to share?

Asking for feedback from a search committee?

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

Is it ever okay to ask a hiring committee (e.g. the chair) for feedback on your job market materials if you were denied an interview? Here's the scenario I have in mind: a school posts an ad which is a very good fit for you, you spend a significant amount of time on your materials (e.g. tailoring cover letter to the job, etc.), but they don't even interview you. In that situation, is it okay to ask the hiring committee for feedback and advice, purely in the spirit of trying to improve your materials? Or is that too much of an ask?

Hmm...I've heard of people asking for feedback from committees that interviewed them, which I'd be curious to hear people's experiences with. But I don't know if I've heard of people asking for feedback when they weren't interviewed.

What does everyone think?

Tips for going on the market as an Associate Prof?

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

I could use some advice on navigating the job market as an associate professor. Unfortunately, my university is going through a budgetary crisis, and so I'm going back on the job market. This season, I applied to a few open-rank positions, but is it common practice for senior candidates to apply also to tenure-track jobs? Do committees hire senior candidates into t-t positions? Do they then grant those candidates tenure in the new position, or do the new hires have to start all over again on the tenure track? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

All good questions. Do any readers have any helpful insights to share?

"Real" differences in teaching loads between R1s and teaching-oriented undergrad programs?

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

I would like to hear more about the "real" differences in teaching load between a research-oriented program and a teaching-oriented program.

I am curious about this because I feel that the numbers of courses could be very misleading. I work in a teaching-oriented, undergraduate-only program, and the standard teaching load for us is 3/2. The typical teaching load in a research-oriented program seems to be 2/2 (I could be wrong though). However, I feel that my teaching load is way more than just one course, and I almost have no time doing research during the semester. I have never gone to more than one conference during a semester: simply canceling classes for conferences seems less acceptable in my institution, and I usually fell behind on grading/teaching if I went to a conference.

I have never taught in a research-oriented department, and my impression of the teaching load at such a place is mostly from my time in graduate school. It seems to me that professors at research-oriented programs usually have TAs for service courses, so they only need to teach in the classroom and done with teaching, leaving grading for their TAs. TAs can also cover classes so professors go to quite a few conferences during semesters. They can also teach on topics that align well with their research. So, the actual teaching load in a research-oriented program is way lighter.

Am I right? I would like to learn more about this. Thank you!

Good question. Teaching loads at my university are 3/3, and I find myself in a similar position with respect to research during the academic year--though canceling classes for conference travel aren't a problem and I'm able to get plenty of research done during summer and winter breaks. While my sense is that faculty in research-oriented programs seem to have far fewer teaching burdens with undergraduate courses (for the reasons the OP gives), I've wondered whether that is made up for by much higher demands with respect to graduate teaching and mentoring (including serving on dissertation committees for multiple students, reading and commenting on several-hundred page dissertations, etc.). 

Anyway, it would be great to hear from readers in different types of jobs. What are the "real differences" between teaching loads in teaching-focused versus R1 programs? What type of job are you in? What is the official teaching load, and how much time does it leave for research?

Workshop papers as "invited presentations"?

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

Suppose I'm invited to participate in (i.e., present a draft of a paper at) a workshop at an institution outside my home state. Should this go on my CV under "invited presentations"? The reason I ask is because (i) I wouldn't put a workshop I participated in at my home institution on my CV, since workshopping papers with colleagues at home is a rather mundane part of the research process; and (ii) listing it under "invited presentations" might be misleading, since it might give readers the impression that I was invited to give a colloquium talk or something like that. But since I worked so hard and travelled so far to give the paper, I feel it would be a shame not to list it somewhere.

It seems to me entirely right to list this as an invited presentation, as the salient difference to me is that it's at another institution--that one was invited to. I'd just be sure to list next to the paper title that it was a workshop. That seems to me to give the reader of the CV everything they need to know (it's not a colloquium talk per se).

What do readers think?

Visa-sponsorship issues for international job applicants?

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

There was some discussion on the job market reporting thread about Wyoming sending emails to candidates saying that they did not meet the minimum qualification for the job. A commenter said, "I got a similar response (“you don’t meet the minimum qualifications”) from a smaller US college immediately after submitting my application. I followed up and they said I got disqualified because they don’t sponsor visas (I’m not a US citizen), despite not stating this in the ad."

This could be the case for Wyoming: I got the email saying I don't meet the minimum qualifications (I do), and I must have indicated that I will need visa sponsorship in the online application.

This is a bit frustrating because it seems like job ads really do not indicate whether or not they would sponsor visas. This means that international folks are needlessly applying to and getting rejected from jobs without any indication that this might be due to visa-related issues. People also don't really talk much about the hurdle of needing visa sponsorship when on the job market.

A question for folks at smaller colleges and universities: do you sponsor visas? if not, do you automatically remove any application from someone who indicates that they need a visa? how is this handled, if at all?

And for international folks who have been able to get sponsorships: any advice for people on the job market? are you honest and upfront about your needing sponsorship? has this ever been an issue while interviewing for a job?

All good questions. Do any readers have helpful insights or experiences to share?

Should R1 postdoc selection committees be more open to a wider variety of candidates?

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

Practically speaking, why are (mostly R1) postdoc selection committees not more open to the prospect of hiring VAPs, lecturers, or even t-t asst. prof. to their attractive postdoc positions when these folks have shown research aptitude on top of their teaching work? Why are the common candidates for most postdocs fresh graduate students who just had all the time in the world to do research?

This seems like an easy place where an equity problem could be effectively dealt with in academic philosophy. Let those folks who have taught, and who would value time to work on a research project, be considered seriously for your positions! [I think the APA should get on top of this, developing their own postdoc for those coming from teaching positions.]

The following strikes me as a worthy new perspective for postdoc committees to take: 'hey, look at this person's CV: they're on a 4/4, but they're getting research done; and oh look at their research proposal! It seems like with a full year or two for work, they have a really interesting project they could get off the ground. Let's consider them'. Whereas this does not: 'Oh look, here we have a fresh graduate student who looks to have been in a fellowship heavy PhD program. Oh, and seems they've already managed an article in PPR and Nous. Better give them another year to write even more'.

This is an interesting query, as I seem to recall coming across some research showing that it is very hard for academics to "move up" in the academy, i.e., from an initial placement at a SLAC or R2/R3 to an R1. Given how much luck seems to be involved in initial job placements (many have called the academic job market something of a lottery), it could be good for the discipline to reflect on and potentially address the situation in the way the OP raises. Then again, I'm not sure what the APA might do, or indeed, what anyone might do above and beyond "changing minds" through drawing attention to the issue. I also wonder whether, given all of the other serious issues facing higher ed, addressing these issues might seem to many like a pretty low priority.

What do readers think? 

How will the new PGR rankings affect job-candidates?

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

With the new Philosophical Gourmet rankings coming out, I was wondering if folks could chime in about how they think the rankings impact, if at all, hiring PhDs from the ranked schools. I don't mean to reopen the question of whether they are good rankings or whether rankings are good at all, just the practical question of whether and how the ranking of a candidate's degree-granting department indirectly or directly affects a candidate's chances.

Good question. I suspect that a lot of people hiring at "non-elite" institutions probably don't pay much attention to these matters. But maybe people hiring at (elite) R1s might?

Do any readers have any helpful insights?

Jobs looking for "community engagement" and/or "impact beyond the academy"?

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

I'm increasingly applying to jobs that want me to explain how I do "community engagement" or have "impact beyond the academy." This includes some applications for postdoctoral fellowships, applications for UK lectureships under the REF, and sometimes applications for other professorships that have an interdisciplinary or applied focus. I'm looking for practical suggestions about how a philosopher who mainly sits at a desk and writes academic papers can do/claim they will do community engagement.

I'm not sure, but one plausible conversational implicature here to me seems to me that they may be looking for evidence of public philosophy, i.e. publishing in popular venues. Perhaps they are leaving it more open/vague than that, as there can be other ways to make an impact beyond the academy? I'm not sure.

Does anyone have any helpful insights to share?

Applying after "full consideration" deadlines: a waste of time?

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

Q: Is it a waste of time to apply for a job after the “deadline for full consideration” but still accepts applications until the position is filled?

I came across a few job ads that are great fits, but there are so many more still to come that I don’t want to waste time on a lost cause when I could put energy into apps that will be given full consideration. Has anyone had a positive experience applying late anyway?

Related Q: How do committees view these late submissions?

In my view, the market season needs to stop clustering deadlines all on the same days, e.g., 10/31, 11/1, 11/15, 12/1, etc. Interfolio can’t even keep up! Are committees understanding about this, the possibility of finding a job ad just a little too late, or “life happens”-type considerations? (I assume it’s best not to give an explanation so as to not call further attention to the lateness of the submission…)

Or, is it always best to keep working on the job ads coming up?

Good questions. I suspect many committees meet to discuss candidates soon after the full consideration deadline, so in some cases it could be a waste of time to apply after it. But I'm not sure whether this is always the case.

What do readers think? It would be great to hear from some search committee members.

What are R2 jobs like?

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

I'm currently in a teaching-only position with a pretty manageable workload but no research funding. The role has good job security from what I can tell. My long-term goal is to publish enough to eventually get a SLAC or R1 TT job. I am currently (selectively) on the market, and I am wondering whether I should be applying to R2 jobs (think 3-3 load with multiple preps, regional state schools, etc.). Do these jobs typically come with some research funding to be able to attend conferences, even if it's modest? In the short term I think I would have more time to publish if I stayed put at my teaching-only job, but is it worth it to try to get a TT job with a heavier workload for the boost that seems to come from applying to a TT job when one already has one?

Good questions. I'd be curious to hear about this too, as I suspect that like many people, I probably don't know much in detail about how jobs at R1's and R2's differ.

Do any readers have any helpful insights to share?

Noting your writing sample as an R&R?

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks

I just got an R&R on my sample. Would it be a good idea to include this at the top of the sample? Or would this be a violation of peer-review practices?

I honestly have no idea. As with many job-market and publishing-related things, I suspect there's likely to be some diversity of views here, though maybe I'm wrong. 

What do readers think?

Is it bad not to publish from one's dissertation?

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

is it a bad thing if one does not publish from their dissertation? (recently I heard that some people are doing just okay if they moved on and did not publish anything from their dissertation, but i feel like this is not common maybe?) what do you think? thanks!

I expect this may differ across institutions, but also that a lot may depend on what one does publish. For example, if you don't publish from your dissertation but you are able to place a number of articles in good journals, you may have a good enough publishing record to get a job, receive tenure, etc. But maybe at other institutions it's expected that you will publish from your dissertation? I don't know. 

Do any readers have any helpful insights?

Struggles talking about your dissertation?

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

I hate talking about my dissertation/research and wish it felt easier. I like my topic, but when people ask me about it, I get defensive even though people usually ask out of good will, interest, or politeness. The fact that it's somewhat upsetting for me to be asked about it makes me not want to discuss it because I don't want to accidentally be rude. I don't know if I'm just sick of my dissertation at this stage, if it feels more vulnerable because I'm more attached to the project, or if I'm overly anticipating combativeness. This even comes up when people outside of academia ask me about my dissertation. Has anyone had this experience and worked through it?

Good question. I recall struggling with this too, though I'm not sure I ever came up with a good solution other than simply practicing (very reluctantly) with grad faculty, other grad students, and later, my spouse. 

Do any readers have any helpful tips to share?

Accept a TT job at a struggling college or stay in grad school?

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

I have a scenario for which I would like some advice. Let's say you're ABD, and have just a couple (just OK) publications, though with a lot of teaching experience. The remainder of your papers are still under review, and you expect one or two to wind up at more prestigious journals over the next year.

You get a TT job offer, but at a small & struggling liberal arts college, and with less than competitive compensation. You could take it and attempt to move laterally, or push your defense back a year, and use your final year of funding, going on the job market again. Is there any scenario where the latter course of action would be advisable?

This is a tough scenario, but if it were me, I'd take the TT job and try to move laterally. To me, the job-market is simply too unpredictable to pass up a TT offer. There's no guarantee you'll ever get another one, and you could spend years suffering on the market trying to get another one, especially given a "just OK" publishing record. Of course, there's also no guarantee that you'll be able to move laterally, or that the struggling college you go to won't cut your position at a later date. But at least this way you've secured something and given yourself some time in a full-time tenure-stream job (which is good experience on a CV) to find something elsewhere.

But these are just my thoughts. What are yours?

Examples of good job-market materials?

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

I know that one or two recent job market candidates (for example Elise Woodard) have shared examples of their successful materials, and I was wondering if there was anywhere a compendium of others who've done the same. I find the concrete examples exceedingly helpful for writing cover letters & research/teaching statements (significantly more so than generic advice).

Does anyone have any examples (or a compendium) to share?

Changing job-market conventions and applying to senior-level jobs?

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

How have the requirements for job documents changed (if at all) in the last decade? What should documents for associate professor positions do differently than documents for assistant professor positions?

Some context: I'm a TT Assistant Professor who is readying documents for promotion to Associate, and also applying for jobs. In preparing my applications, I noticed that the most cited advice for job application materials is the same (e.g. Karen Kelsky) as when I was as a graduate student. Kelsky's "The Professor is In" is almost a decade old now, and it regurgitates blog posts that were out for several years prior. A lot has changed since then. The book is also written specifically for newly minted PhD's, and gives little to no advice on how job documents should change as one progresses in their career. Can you say how conventions have changed since TPII was published? What conventions exist for those applying for jobs later in their careers?

All good questions. Are any readers in the know able to weigh in?

Interfolio costs and the job-market

In our job-market discussion thread, readers have been discussing the costs of Interfolio. One reader wrote:

Some of us use interfolio for letter uploading. I know this is probably beyond the capacity of philosophy search committees, but if not, please ask for letters at later stages of application. a) You probably won't read any of them until later stages; b) each uploaded letter actually financially costs the applicant.

(The paid basic subscription to interfolio allows us to upload letters 50 times, then we will have to buy more quotas.)

Other readers provided some counterpoints, such as:

FWIW I think people in many (maybe most?) searches read letters even on the first pass (at least skim them). While I'm sorry for the costs to candidates, I personally find letters really valuable on even a first pass (I know there's variety in this and also disagreement about whether they are just noisy, but, at least at the extreme ends of the spectrum, my experience is that they are NOT just noisy.)

And one reader pointed out that Interfolio only seems to charge for some ways of sending letters but not others:

Just since the cost, of Interfolio deliveries was mentioned above, I thought I'd emphasize: when a candidate bundles up some files and has Interfolio send those files as an "email delivery" to a specific address, it shows up as a "free email delivery" in their account history.

(this is how it goes for me, anyways)

By contrast, when an application system has various little slots for email addresses of my letter writers, and when I input an email address and Interfolio sends them a letter, this is what makes the paid credits total go down and eventually cause a person to get more paid credits.

So it comes down to whether HR forces you to do things the second way. The first way is better.

This has been mentioned before, maybe even on Letier reports. But it seemed to me that some of the above commenters may not have been aware, so I thought I'd put it out there.

In any case, I wanted to amplify the issue, as hiring committees may not be well-aware of these issues. I seem to recall some online discussions of Interfolio in the past suggesting that hiring committees consider steering away from the service for these kinds of reasons, but maybe I'm misremembering.

If anyone would like to discuss these matters further here, please do comment below!

What stands out to search committees in a good teaching portfolio?

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

A teaching-portfolio question for all, but especially recent search committee members:

What stood out about good teaching portfolios in your applicant pools? How many pages, syllabi, and complete course evaluations do you recommend including? How many of each are too much or too little? What are some things no one should ever do?

I know teaching portfolios have been discussed here and elsewhere in the past, but I find that disciplinary norms change from year to year, and I'm also dragging my feet in trying to figure out how to improve my own teaching portfolio. So advice would be appreciated.

All three are great questions. Are any readers (particularly those who have served on search committees) willing to weigh in?

When to leave a university with budget problems?

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

How do you know when it's time to jump ship at a university with budget problems?

Sadly, I think the answer may be: as soon as you find out it has budget problems. If recent events in higher education (e.g., the closure of one college and university after another) are indicative, budget problems tend not to improve but rather worsen.

I had a friend at university that, much like other universities that have closed down, proceeded rapidly from "budget problems" to something like a budget death-spiral. It went something like this. The university was poorly-off financially because of some bad strategic decisions by its administration, coupled with a drop in student enrollment. The way it addressed those problems (presumably, the only way available) was to cut faculty and programs. But, of course, as soon as students and parents found out about its budget problems and cuts to programs, this led to even lower enrollment ... which, you guessed it, made the university's financial situation progressively worse.

Maybe the OP's institution is a different situation--I can't know without knowing more details. But, in any case, given that the situation at my friend's institution changed rapidly (and unexpectedly to many people working there), my sense is that the prudent thing to do is to probably begin looking for alternative prospects of employment sooner rather than later. But perhaps I'm overstating things? Given that I don't work at an institution with issues like these, I don't have any direct first-hand experience.

It would be good to hear from readers who have worked at a college or university with budget problems. How did things go at your institution? And when do you think it's good to "look toward the exits"?

How to list 'teaching competencies' in job-application materials?

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

For on the job market as a new PhD holder: what is an appropriate amount of teaching competencies to list in your application fresh out of grad school? I assume teaching competencies can be claimed by showing one's interest in developing and willingness to develop courses for these on short notice, but that number for me would exceed the number and kind of courses I've taught or TA-ed for thus far. (I imagine the answer will vary, so anecdotes are more than welcome to show the possible range of competencies claimed and how those applications went)

It seems to me that search committees are going to be interested in what a candidate has actually taught, what their graduate training makes them qualified to teach (even if they haven't taught in an area before), how they teach in general, and perhaps any syllabi they've drawn up for courses they haven't taught before. But, it seems to me, virtually all of this can be gleamed from portions of a CV that enumerate courses one has taught, perhaps a list of graduate-level coursework, and any syllabi or course outlines in a teaching portfolio. Beyond this, I'm not sure what listing "teaching competencies" might look like.

What do readers think?

Separate sections for teaching-related publications and presentations on a CV?

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

CV question. If I have a some pedagogy-related presentations and/or publications, do these go in a different section from my research-focused publications & presentations? If so, what do I title the pedagogy-related and the non-pedagogy-related sections to make that clear?

Note: I would like to be competitive for teaching jobs. But I already have a significant number of research-focused pubs & presentations, and so I'm worried the teaching stuff will get lost inside if they are not separated.

Good question. I suspect it's probably best to lump all publications together when applying to any job, but that maybe having distinct sections for teaching presentations on a CV could be good when applying to teaching-focused institutions. But I'm really just speculating here.

What do readers think?

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

CV question. If I have a some pedagogy-related presentations and/or publications, do these go in a different section from my research-focused publications & presentations? If so, what do I title the pedagogy-related and the non-pedagogy-related sections to make that clear?

Note: I would like to be competitive for teaching jobs. But I already have a significant number of research-focused pubs & presentations, and so I'm worried the teaching stuff will get lost inside if they are not separated.

Good question. I suspect it's probably best to lump all publications together when applying to any job, but that maybe having distinct sections for teaching presentations on a CV could be good when applying to teaching-focused institutions. But I'm really just speculating here.

What do readers think?

Including 'reappointment letters' and/or teaching observations in job market materials?

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

Is it appropriate to include reappointment letters (which specifically comment on my scholarship, teaching, and service from the Chair and Dean) and teaching observations in a job application? If so, where? Teaching obs could go in a teaching portfolio I suppose...Any norms here?

Teaching observations seem just fine to include in a teaching portfolio. But I don't think I've ever seen 'reappointment letters' in a dossier, and I think this would probably seem strange. 

What does everyone think?

Should CVs include every talk you've given?

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

Should CVs include every talk you've given? I'm embarrassed by some older talks, and I would rather not have them on my CV if I can help it. If I did a "Selected Talks" section and listed what I think are my best talks, would that raise red flags for committees?

Good questions. I suspect that over a 20-30+ year career, a CV that included every talk would become very bloated. Then again, depending on your university, until you're promoted to full Professor, it could be wise to list everything you've done. Not sure, but the OP sounds like they are on the job market, and if so, it seems to me they might be better advised to list every talk (unless, I suppose, there is something about the title or venue of the talk to be "embarrassed about", which I wouldn't know how to judge).

What do readers think?

Asking an editor for an update because you're on the market?

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

Is it unwise to sending a polite email to an editor to inquire about the status of a manuscript with minor revisions? I am going to be on the job market this year, and deadlines are coming very soon. Given the very short turnaround time that they allotted me for the revisions, I was hoping the journal would also be relatively swift with the decision. However, the paper has been sitting at "editor assigned" for a few weeks. Given the real benefit that another publication would add to my dossier (if it were to be accepted before job deadlines), should I reach out? If it's relevant, the revisions requested were indeed minor and mostly took the form of suggestions (rather than actual objections).

Hmm...while I understand the temptation to do this, my guess is that's probably best to let the process play out in the normal way, and avoid inquiring unless the journal has had it an inordinately long time (i.e., many months). Maybe the editor would be sympathetic if you explained the situation, but on the other hand, some might be irked by what they might perceive to be a request for special treatment (compared to the normal review process). But I'm pretty cautious with things.

What do other readers think?

Tips for people pursuing 'couple-hires'?

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

Lots of people (reasonably!) have complicated feelings about couple hires – to be clear, the following questions are partly about strategy, but partly about how and whether this can be done in a transparent and upfront way.

If your goal is to get a couple hire, should both members of the couple apply for all the same jobs (when reasonable, like if both work in the same area or they’re open area searches)? If you do this, should you mention these facts in the letter?

Or should just one member of the couple apply – whoever has a better shot for whatever reason at some particular job, say, one’s from a “leiterific” program and the other isn’t, or one’s research aligns better – and bring up the partner if given an offer?

Do the answers to these questions change when there’s one job vs when a department is hiring multiple people?

Good query, and I don't know the answers!

Do any readers have any helpful insights to share?

How are "research associates" viewed on the market?

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

How do TT hiring committees regard research stints on a CV, particularly for job openings at R1 schools? If one secures a postdoc but then becomes a research associate for several years, is that looked down upon in any way? Could it make one seem a less competitive candidate, beyond the obvious things like reduced opportunities to gain teaching experience? Also, does it matter for hiring purposes if the research position is unpaid?

Good questions, and I'm not sure. Are any search committee members or other people who have been research associates willing to weigh in?

Dissertation abstracts in CVs?

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

If a job doesn't explicitly ask for a dissertation abstract, is it okay (or even beneficial) to include one at the bottom of your CV?

Another reader seconded the question. I guess I think there's little risk of harm in doing this, but also probably not much upside. My experience is that committee members tend to use CVs to see whether a candidate has published, which courses they've taught (especially independently), and to see their overall accomplishments. When it comes to a candidate's original work, the research statement and writing sample seem to me like the main things that committee members will focus on.

But these are just my thoughts. Are any search committee members out there willing to weigh in?

How to list a book under contract?

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

I wrote a complete book draft. It was reviewed by an editor and two referees, it received generally positive reviews with some suggestions for revisions, and I signed a contract. There is, of course, language in the contract about if the book that is delivered is deemed unacceptable, they don't have to publish it.

I'm applying for jobs. How do I list this book draft. Under "Work in Progress"? Or can I put it under forthcoming publications with something like "(under contract, revisions pending)". Would anyone care, as long as its status is clear?

Good questions. I think as long as your CV is clear about its status, you're okay listing it either under Work in Progress or Books. But I don't think listing it under "Forthcoming" work is germane, since it's not technically forthcoming. The key thing, I think, is whether you list it under Work in Progress or Books, you should list it as under contract. If you'd like to say (under contract, revisions in progress), that could be helpful information.

What do readers think?

Do publication venues matter for many jobs?

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

I have heard that the venue of one's publications doesn't matter for many jobs. Is this true? I guess I have in mind TT (or otherwise permanent) positions that aren't R1 but which still have a research expectation. I am curious about this for both hiring and promotion reasons. Does publishing in, say, generalist journals outside of the top 20 or so look bad to a hiring committee? Could the venue of one's publications every be an issue for tenure or some other form of promotion? Is it better for junior members of the profession to publish anywhere rather than nowhere? Thoughts on any or all of these questions, especially from current faculty involved in these decisions, would be helpful.

Good questions - it would be great to hear from search committee members!

If you've hired before (or are hiring now), what kind of department/institution are you at, and how much (if at all) do publication venues matter to you (or committees you've served on) in hiring?

Job-market discussion thread (2024-25 season)

Now that it's September, I figured now is probably a good time as any to open up this season's job-market discussion board. After all, readers who will be heading out on the market may already have questions you'd like to discuss (about application materials, the application process, etc.). So, please feel free to bookmark and visit this thread throughout the job season to commiserate with others, or just to see what others are talking about!

As many readers of the Cocoon may recall, each job season the Cocoon hosts two different job-market threads:

1. A job-market discussion thread (the present thread): to commiserate about the market, discuss particular job ads, the market in general, questions about application materials, interviewing, alt-ac opportunities, and so on.
2. A job-market reporting thread: to post news about interviews, on-campus visits, offers, rejection notices, etc.

This post will serve as the discussion thread, and as in the past I will open the reporting thread at a later date, around or after most job applications become due.

Because someone always asks, "Why two threads?", there are a couple of reasons. First, some people may want to discuss the market but not stress over daily news regarding which jobs they still do or don't have a chance for. Conversely, others may not want to discuss the market but just want news about the jobs they've applied for. Second, these threads can get very long already, so I think the best way for people to get the information they want in a well-ordered format is simply to have two threads.

A few final notes:

• This thread (the post you are reading right now!) will be the home of this year's job-market discussion thread. So, if you want to discuss this year's job-market, just comment below.
• Please reserve job-market news (i.e. interviews, on-campus visits, hires, etc.) for the job-market reporting thread, which I will open sometime in September.
• A 'permalink' to this thread will be on the upper right of blog's right sidebar for the rest of the job season. -->
• Because of Typepad's functionality limitations (which only permits 100 comments before starting a new comment page), readers may elect to bookmark each new page of comments as each new page emerges. I recognize that it can be frustrating to scroll through page after page to get to new comments, and I think this is probably the best solution given Typepad's functionality limitations.

Finally, as always, readers are asked to please bear in mind the Cocoon's supportive mission. I try not to moderate with too heavy of a hand, as I don't like to squelch reasonable discussion and debate. I also realize that the job-market can be an emotional roller-coaster, and that passions can run deep on job-market issues. But the Cocoon has always been intended to be an unique oasis of sorts: as a refuge for early-career philosophers to support each other and discuss issues related to their careers and the profession in productive, supportive way. So, I will moderate carefully to ensure that these threads remain a welcome environment for everyone--and, of course, if anyone has any concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.

All that being said, discuss away!

Can a political scientist specializing in political theory obtain a job in political philosophy?

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

Could someone with a PhD in political theory from a European political science department be competitive for positions in philosophy departments? Consider a candidate who has a few publications in top-10 specialist journals in moral/political philosophy but hasn't published in other areas of philosophy.

Interesting question, and I have no idea beyond the fact that some hiring departments may specify in their job ads that successful candidates should have a PhD in Philosophy.

Do any readers have any helpful insights?

Relocating to the US with family?

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

I would love to hear about the experiences of philosophers from outside the US who moved to the US with a family.

Those who relocated with a family, did your family move to the US with you? Do they also work in the US, or have you found that you can be the "sole breadwinner" in a TT job? If your spouse does work, how have they adjusted to the US employment "benefits"? (The poor parental leave and vacation allowance in the US sounds like a worry for spouses in non-academic positions - especially if they're used to more generous allowances in their home country). And how does your spouse manage continuous employment alongside Employment Authorization Documents that need to be renewed every year?

Excellent questions, and I suspect there may be many readers with experience in these matters.

Does anyone have any helpful tips to share?

Avoiding early morning classes (and asking on the job market)

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

For those of you with jobs - how easy is it to get out of teaching classes early in the morning (8-9am)? I am a PhD student who has had to teach at 8am and I didn't enjoy it (I'm a night owl and think it's just genetic). I would genuinely want to know more about the flexibility of the teaching schedule before accepting a job somewhere - would asking questions like that be frowned upon or hurt my candidacy? Does this vary a lot from school to school?

I suspect this is highly situation-specific. In my department, it's pretty easy to avoid early-morning classes due to the university's scheduling rules and guidelines. But I've been in other departments where many faculty were regularly expected to teach first thing in morning. But maybe my information is out of date, so it'd be good to hear from others. As for the job-market, I'm not sure what to advise, but I guess I'm inclined to say that it would be safer to wait to ask questions like these until after an offer is made, as I suppose it could backfire on a candidate to ask earlier. Then again, candidates are "interviewing departments" no less than the converse, so if this is important to a candidate (or a deal-breaker), then by all means ask.

But these are just a few of my quick reactions. What are yours?

What role do dissertations play in hiring?

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

How important is the dissertation for jobs? Do people on hiring committees even read them or should I focus my writing sample and getting published?

I highly doubt that many people on hiring committees have the time to read entire dissertations. I expect they'll take your writing sample as indicative of the kind of work you likely did in it, as well as recommendation letters. But, of course, to get good recommendation letters, you may need to write a good dissertation! Also, my sense is that for most jobs (though not all), publications are super important, as most of your competitors will have some.

What do other readers think? It would be great to hear from some search committee members!

How do open-rank searches go?

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

There have been discussions on both TT search and senior search but I do not see much about the "open rank" search. I am curious about how an "open rank" search goes. For example, when a position is advertised as "open rank", does the hiring department really mean it, or is there still some preference for a TT position? What is the context for this kind of search? Does the committee review materials separately (TT vs. Tenured) or altogether? Thank you!

Great questions. Do any readers with inside experience have any helpful insights to share?

Tips for international relocations with a partner?

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

Does anybody have advice on potential international relocations with a partner? I'm planning to apply for a phd program in North America and after that get back to my country (China). The problem is that my partner has a good job now and she prefers not to move. So I'd like to hear some advice on how realistic it is to get a temporal living in another country like the US, or advice on the predictable troubles on the horizon that we should really not get ourselves into.

Great question! Do any readers with experience have any helpful tips or other advice?

Quantitative results from search committees for last year's job searches?

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

Could we maybe have a thread in which search committee members anonymously describe the quantitative results of their job searches from last year? I'm wondering how many people applied and how many were interviewed, etc. Of course, tenure-line searches are most interesting, but I'm also curious about non-TT searches like those for VAPs and Assistant Teaching Professors.

Interesting question. Are any search committee members able and willing to weigh in? It would be great to hear what kind of college or university you're at, what kind of position you hired for, how many people applied, etc.