Prepare the job application
Cover letter
The cover letter that accompanies an application serves to align the education, experience, and skills of an applicant with the needs of the institution as outlined in the position announcement. The letter is a very important introduction to a potential employer, indicating your interest in the position, and how your research and teaching experience fit the needs of the institution. It also serves as a writing sample. Successful letters offer the search committee a sense of your voice, your intellectual capacity, your enthusiasm, and your interest in what you do. It also indicates whether you are job ready to start teaching immediately, continue a research agenda already underway, and have some sense of what it means to be a fully functioning faculty member in your field at the institution to which you are applying. Tailor each letter to the specific institution you are addressing. Proof the letter carefully and have others read it as well. The better the letter you write, the better your chance of being invited for an interview.
Statement of teaching philosophy
The task of writing a statement of your teaching philosophy is daunting, even for accomplished faculty, but particularly for new faculty members. But it is a more common part of the job application package, however, and therefore requires extra effort. If you find it difficult to articulate what your beliefs are, think about a great teacher you have had and what made them so effective and inspirational. Focus on concrete questions by breaking down the task into subparts such as, “What do you believe about learning, and how does that play out in practice in your classroom?” or “How does student identity and background make a difference in how you teach?” Another strategy is to focus on what you do not like about the teaching of an individual that did not work for you, and think about ways you would approach a topic instead. Be sure you understand the expectations of the institution to which you are applying before writing your statement. What is their mission? Use the institution website to determine the teaching philosophies of the faculty on the campus, class size, and the demographics of students you will be teaching. Each of these will be insights about what sorts of teaching will best meet the learning needs of the students you will see in classrooms. Good statements anchor general principles with concrete examples. Illustrate what you mean with an explanation of how your philosophy plays out in your teaching. Ground your philosophy in your particular discipline. Be sure the statement is well written by editing carefully and asking others to proofread. Finally, remember that teaching is about students, and therefore place the illustration of your teaching in the context of students who are learning.
Statement of research interests
The purpose of a statement of research interests is to demonstrate that you have begun to think coherently about research beyond your dissertation. It should outline the large picture of where you see your research agenda going, describe the research you are currently or recently engaged in, and discuss how your research contributes to the field. This statement serves as both a review of your achievements and a proposal for upcoming research. Address any areas of specialty you plan to pursue, your potential to apply for and get grant monies, and your compatibility with the department or school to which you are applying. Provide a context for your research interests both within your career and within your field of study. Show how your work is different, important and innovative. After outlining a general plan, list several specific goals in the next 3-5 years, as well as proposing ways to fund the projects you plan to work on. Outline any specific needs such as equipment and graduate assistants to support your research. Be concise, edit carefully, and ask a colleague to proofread. Show your passion for the work, acknowledge connections between your work and that of other scholars in the field, and demonstrate you have begun to think of yourself as an independent researcher. Look at sample research statements to get a sense of the range of possibilities, but construct a statement true to who you are as a researcher.
Letters of reference
Reference letters should be confidential, from faculty members who know your work and can speak positively about your scholarly and teaching abilities. Be sure to talk with your recommenders well in advance of your earliest deadlines, so they have time to write the most persuasive letter possible. Talk with them about which areas of the profession to address in their letters: scholarly research and writing, teaching, or service, etc. Include letters from faculty members familiar with your work, and perhaps from some relevant employers who have supervised your work. It is especially important to include a letter from your dissertation advisor if you are at the beginning of your career. Typically you need a minimum of three letters. Do not include letters of recommendation from family friends or associates who are not in a professional position to evaluate your work critically. Letters with specific information relating to a particular position and your excellence to fill it are best. When asking your referees to write a letter for you, provide them with any necessary materials such as a current copy of your CV, a sample letter of application, a dissertation abstract, a writing sample, syllabi from course you have taught, student evaluations if you have them, and a listing of the position to which you plan to apply. Be sure to ask them for feedback on your application materials as well.
Seek advice
It is advisable for new faculty members to seek advice from other faculty members in the field of study before preparing components of their application. While no one person has all the answers, by talking with a range of newer, mid career and veteran faculty a framework of what is appropriate for job applicants will emerge. Once you have the basic idea of what is expected, craft application components that illustrate your particular commitments, passions and strengths. It is always a good strategy to be yourself to be certain that you will be satisfied at an institution once you arrive there. It is the match of a individual to a position that is most important when seeking a faculty position.
Effective Application Process
The Academic Job Search
Career Advising & Planning Services, University of Chicago
This site outlines each step of the job search process, and offers tips for preparing each of the possible application components you may be required to provide.
PFF Academic Job Search Resources
Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD), University of California San Francisco
This site is a compilation of many resources, including advice for success in academic careers, links to books, handouts and talks on the academic job search, key websites for job postings and articles, samples from the application package in the life sciences / nursing / social sciences, a download for formatting your CV, and podcasts of events designed for successfull completion of the application.
Letter of Interest
Job Search in Academe: Strategic Rhetorics for Faculty Job Candidates
Formo, D.M. & Reed, C. (1999). Stylus
This book contains advice on writing the letter of interest, and effective ways to respond to interview questions.
Teaching Philosophy
How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Montell, G. (March, 2003). The Chronicle of Higher Education
This article offers concrete and specific practical tips for preparing the statement of teaching philosophy, including what NOT to do.
Research Statement
Writing an Effective Research Statement
Career Services, University of Pennsylvania
This powerpoint outlines how to prepare a research statement in the areas of science and engineering, but the tips are applicable to other fields as well. There is a sample research statement for review.
Crafting the Research Statement
Pawelczyk, J., Department of Kinesiology, Penn State
This powerpoint outlines why search committees request research statements, types of statements, a recipe for a research statement, and tips on what not to do when preparing one.
Letters of Recommendation
PhD’s – Letters of Recommendation
Career Center, University of California Berkeley
This site outlines numerous details about obtaining letters of recommendation from faculty, including who to ask, what should not be in the letter, setting up a letter file, and what to do if you suspect there may be a problem with one of the letters.
Guidelines for Writing Letters of Recommendation
University of Michigan
It may be helpful to see letters of recommendation from the other side, the perspective of how a faculty member goes about writing one.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Landing an Academic Job: The Process and the Pitfalls
Kantzig, J.A. (1995). Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This article emphasizes the importance of a nearly perfect application process to land a faculty position, and outlines specific ways to avoid the most common mistakes applicants make.
