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Joy Connolly, ACLS

(Updated November 2021)

Like death and taxes, the academic job market looms, an inevitable and for many, especially in the post-Covid era, an ominous prospect. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize its agonies. This libellus or little book works on the premise that there is comfort simply in getting a grip on the process. First message: it’s never too early to think about your future! Get in the habit of thinking ahead, and thinking flexibly, during your first year in the PhD program. For job-hunters finishing up their dissertations or with the PhD in hand, know that academic application deadlines begin in August and September and end with the late-breaking or “second-pass” openings in April or May, so start your logistical preparation for the market at least twelve months before you anticipate graduating. Reserve plenty of time in the summer before your last year in graduate school to polish your academic file. Given the scarcity of full time academic jobs and the many strong contributions you are in a position to make in work outside the academy, you should also consider jobs beyond the classroom. These are best prepared for from the start of the PhD, and best applied for starting three to four months before you finish the degree.

Here are the steps.

(Copyright: Joy Connolly, CC BY-SA 4.0)