Product Description
“All graduate students in the social sciences and humanities should be given a copy of Sandra Barnes’s On the Market on the day that they start graduate school. This book not only tells one how to navigate the job market, but is an excellent guide to planning an academic career.”
–Kenneth J. Meier, Texas A&M University
“A wonderful array of wide-ranging suggestions and strategies. The presentation of timelines, outlines for paper presentations and publications, CVs, and teaching portfolios are invaluable…. not only highly useful for graduate students, but also an excellent addition to departmental professional resource libraries.”
–Davita Silfen Glasberg, University of Connecticut
Sandra Barnes presents both big-picture strategic thinking and nuts-and-bolts suggestions to help junior scholars obtain satisfying academic employment in today’s highly competitive market.
Features of On the Market include:
* easy-to-read checklists for navigating the search process
* clues to “reading between the lines” of job postings
* practical advice on preparing the “paperwork”: CVs, teaching portfolios, conference papers, journal articles, etc.
* no-nonsense tips–the “dos and don’ts”–for a variety of interview settings
* frank discussion of both the professional and the personal aspects of any job search
* attention to the concerns of nontraditional and underrepresented groups
* guidance for untenured scholars who want to switch jobs
Written in a straightforward and pragmatic manner, this rich resource will help scholars identify their ideal job–and then land it.
On the Market: Strategies for a Successful Academic Job Search
The book was very helpful to my job search. The book gave great advice on the application process and the on-campus interview process. I had a telephone interview and the book didn’t have a lot of advice on that. The book also could have given better advice to those who have sent (or are sending) their applications out and are still waiting, but who attend academic conferences. But I still recommend the book. There was some really good advice on the search and post-search academic process.
Rating: 4 / 5
Associate sociology professor Sandra L. Barnes presents On the Market: Strategies for a Successful Academic Job Search, a no-nonsense guide to putting one’s best foot forward when pursuing an academic career. Chapters walk the reader through getting the most out of one’s graduate school experience, the application process, the importance of a teaching portfolio for candidates, the interview process, other employment options such as joint appointments, the importance of maintaining one’s quality of life despite the rigorous demands of one’s new career, and much more. “Beware of ’schools bearing gifts.’ While you should expect an employment package reflective of both the current salary and perks in your industry and your unique skills, talent, and experience, by skeptical of offers that greatly exceed your expectations. Make sure there aren’t ulterior motives. Does the department seem genuinely interested in you or simply interested in filling the position with [for example] a female candidate?” A “must-have” for anyone aspiring to an academic position.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a great book, with easy-to-follow examples, time tables, and practical advice. Though I am a graduate student and using it to plan my PhD program and subsequent job search, it has plenty of helpful information for people at all stages. I especially love the hints on how to read a job posting, as well as the sample CV’s for both research and teaching universities. Also really helpful are the timelines from grad school on that suggest when to gather, edit, and maintain certain materials such as a teaching portfolio. Would be a great book for graduate departments to have handy for students.
Rating: 5 / 5