Making the Short List: Advice on How to Get an Academic Interview Keith H. Coble, Professor Mississippi State University AAEA-GSS Session July 29, 2008

Suggestions that will increase the chance you will get an interview Nothing is a sure bet Take my advice and then ask others There will be exceptions to my rules

So you want a job? Assume your dream job is announced with a closing date of December 1, 2008 –When do you start the job application process?

You are in the process of writing your resume every day Grades matter Sub-discipline matters Affiliations matter –Work with known advisors –Go to a respected program

You are in the process of writing your resume every day Research skills –Find an advisor who will teach you to research –Book chapters, conference proceedings –Submitted journal articles –Conference Papers –Working papers –Dissertation –Journal articles

You are in the process of writing your resume every day Teaching skills –Teach a class, if not that –TA a class, if not that –Guest lecture –Get student evaluations if possible –Get your potential references to observe you teaching –Write a teaching philosophy –Go to teaching training

You are in the process of writing your resume every day If your goal is Extension –Work with Extension faculty –Author extension presentations/publications –Get your potential references to observe your extension presentations

Reading the announcement Really read it Sometimes it means exactly what it says and –Sometimes it does not Make a call to the search chair –Ask a couple of good questions about the position Investigate the department

Read the mind of the Search Committee Hiring new faculty is usually taken very seriously The committee will want to hit a ‘homerun’ –A national award winning teacher –Future AAEA fellow researcher –Extension speaker who draws raves from audiences –A great departmental citizen who will serve on all the time-consuming committees –Wants to co-author papers with everyone in the department –Works for peanuts

The Application Package Cover Letter CV/ Résumé TranscriptsReferences –List of names –Reference letters Other supporting material –Publications –Teaching philosophy

The Cover Letter The chance to sell yourself! Get some good examples Adjust each cover letter Sell yourself –Bring out your strengths –Explain how you fit into job description –Dispel stereotypes Be humbly ambitious –Fire in the belly –Never arrogant

The Cover Letter (cont.) Organize content logical Convey that you have studied the department Highlight education/experience –Separate teaching/ research/ extension Conclusion, thank you, and follow-up –Include , phone number Check spelling and grammar of everything Get feedback from faculty/ references

The CV/ Résumé Be truthful Include everything that is relevant List ALL relevant skills & experiences –Languages, software, work experience Account for all time List professional affiliations Include names of references in CV

The References Choose references carefully –Ask for permission –If they don’t know much, they can’t say much Feed them information to use References rarely say bad things – Often it what they don’t say –Will they write a good letter? –Can they write a good letter? Keep references informed

Questions?