[Repost] Job Market Advice I: The Summer and Fall Before Going on the Job Market

It’s that time of the year again, when graduate students who are about to enter their final year in economics and related disciplines are getting ready to go on the job market.

Going on the job market is a harrowing experience for most people, however, so I thought I should help job-market candidates by sharing my advice.

This post is the first in a series of three. Today, I’d like to discuss what you should be doing the summer and fall before you go on the job market. The next installment will be posted tomorrow and will cover ASSA interviews.

Before Interviewing at ASSA

Your number one priority at this time should be finishing and polishing your job-market paper (JMP). This isn’t so much because search committees will read your JMP closely when trying to select candidates to interview but because once the academic year starts, you will realize that being on the job market is a job in and of itself. The more complete your JMP by the time the academic year starts, the less you’ll have to worry about it during the year, and the more time you’ll have to devote to other things. Perhaps more importantly, the more complete your JMP by the time the academic year starts, the more time you have to fix the potential mistakes it contains and to incorporate the comments you receive on it. The best JMPs usually combine a theoretical model with an empirical section that tests the implications of that model. Even if you are working on an empirical question resting on a well-known theoretical framework, it never hurts to have a (perhaps simplified) version of that model in your paper. Including both theory and empirics in your JMP shows your breadth. You should also spend part of your summer securing good letters of recommendation from faculty who know you and your work. The way to do this is by asking faculty “Would you be willing to write me a good letter of recommendation when I go on the job market?” Do not omit the word “good” from your request! When someone hems and haws about it, it means they are not comfortable with writing a good letter of recommendation. Ask someone else. Your recommenders should include the chair of your dissertation committee. If you’ve had a falling out with your advisor and they are not one of your recommenders, you have no choice but to address this in your cover letter. When you do address it, you need to be very careful. For most institutions, but especially for liberal arts colleges, one or more of your references will need to discuss your teaching skills. Your job-market packet should contain at a minimum (i) your cover letter, (ii) a copy of your curriculum vitae (CV), and (iii) a copy of your JMP. It never hurts to include up to two additional samples of your work, especially if you have publications. Some people think that you should not include additional works because of diminishing returns. I think that’s just silly: even if there is a drop in quality between your JMP and your other papers, the benefit from showing that you have a pipeline exceeds that cost. Your cover letter should be about one and a half single-spaced pages. In it, you should explain which job you are applying to, where you saw the advertisement for it, and why you are applying. Then, use section headers to (i) explain what your research agenda is about and how you fit the position, (ii) discuss your teaching experience, and (iii) discuss anything else that is relevant to the position, such as grantsmanship or service. When applying to liberal arts colleges, (ii) should come before (i). If you have family in the area, you should mention it as a reason for applying, as this can make a difference at the margin, especially for universities located in less-than-desirable places. Some universities will also ask for a copy of your teaching evaluations, others for a statement of your teaching philosophy, and others still for a statement of your research philosophy. If you don’t know how to write those, ask your advisor. Or you can read this for inspiration. Make a spreadsheet of all the jobs you plan on applying for so as to track deadlines, requests for letters of recommendation, what each job requires in terms of documents, etc. Don’t limit yourself just to ASSA. If you are interested in agricultural and applied economics department, there are interviews held at the AAEA meetings in August. If you are interested in working in Canada, the CEEE is held in December in Toronto. You should apply for every job which you would be willing to take over unemployment, even those “Any Field” positions and those for which you are a bit of a stretch. The first time I went on the job market, I applied for 72 jobs. I limited myself only to academic jobs, though. If you would be willing to work abroad, apply for those jobs, too. The job market is tough. This is especially true for folks who did not attend a top program in their field. Make sure you give your recommenders at least two weeks to write each letter. Ideally, you should give them one month. Unfortunately, I myself have not always followed that advice. Contrary to popular belief among job-market candidates, search committees do not read JMPs all that closely at this stage of the game. They mostly want to see that you have a JMP that looks it could be presented in a seminar. When you apply for a job at a given institution, ask your recommenders and whoever you are on good terms with on the faculty whether they know anyone at that institution. If they do, ask them to pick up the phone and call their friend to talk you up. Though a phone call from your advisor will not get you a job, it can get you a foot in the door, and that’s really what matters at this point. You will face rejection. You will get rejected several times. This is especially likely at places where you or your recommenders do not know anyone, and for jobs for which you are not an obvious fit. Get used to the idea, and don’t take those rejections personally. Once the calls start coming in to schedule ASSA interviews, be nice to everyone you are in contact with. Whether in your emails or in phone conversations, err on the side of being too nice. Administrative assistants are often asked for their opinion as to whether you were nice. Don’t underestimate their power in the departments you want to work for.