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The Academic Job Search Handbook

The Academic Job Search Handbook
Authors: Julia Miller Vick, Jennifer S. Furlong
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Category: Book

List Price: $18.95
Buy New: $12.89
You Save: $6.06 (32%)



Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 reviews
Sales Rank: 30055

Media: Paperback
Edition: 4th
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9

ISBN: 0812220161
Dewey Decimal Number: 650.1408837812
EAN: 9780812220162

Publication Date: June 30, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description

For more than 15 years, The Academic Job Search Handbook has assisted job seekers in all academic disciplines in their search for faculty positions. The guide includes information on aspects of the search that are common to all levels, with invaluable tips for those seeking their first or second faculty position. This new edition provides updated advice and addresses hot topics in the competitive job market of today, including the challenges faced by dual-career couples, job search issues for pregnant candidates, and advice on how to deal with gaps in a CV. The chapter on alternatives to academic jobs has been expanded, and sample resumes from individuals seeking nonfaculty positions are included.

The book begins with an overview of the hiring process and a timetable for applying for academic positions. It then gives detailed information on application materials, interviewing, negotiating job offers, and starting the new job. Guidance throughout is aimed at all candidates, with frequent reference to the specifics of job searches in scientific and technical fields as well as those in the humanities and social sciences. Advice on seeking postdoctoral opportunities is also included.

Perhaps the most significant contribution is the inclusion of sample vitas. The Academic Job Search Handbook describes the organization and content of the vita and includes samples from a variety of fields. In addition to CVs and research statements, new in this edition are a sample interview itinerary, a teaching portfolio, and a sample offer letter. The job search correspondence section has also been updated, and there is current information on Internet search methods and useful websites.




Customer Reviews:   Read 11 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Essential guide to the academic job search   August 30, 2008
 20 out of 20 found this review helpful

The Academic Job Search Handbook is the essential guide for anyone pursuing an academic career. Now in its 4th edition, this book is recognized amongst graduate career professionals not only as a classic in our field, but also as an up-to-date guide book to preparing for and applying to faculty positions. Through straightforward advice coupled with sensitivity toward individual and field-specific differences, Julie Vick and Jennifer Furlong provide extensive coverage of the academic job search fundamentals, including many examples of successful CVs, cover letters, and other application materials. The recently expanded chapters on a variety of special circumstances (e.g. those who are pregnant or new parents on the job market, dual career couples, or older candidates) provide real-life success stories that encourage all applicants to capitalize on their own personal strengths while offering specific strategies to help ameliorate potential concerns of search committees.

As a career counselor for graduate students and PhDs, I experience, through my clients, the enormous anxiety inherent in such a competitive job market. The Academic Job Search Handbook provides an indispensable touchstone to help turn unproductive angst into thoughtful, confident action, through concrete and specific advice. I recommend it to all those aspiring to and navigating an academic career.





4 out of 5 stars Nice, generic handbook   June 19, 2007
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I bought this book at the late stages of my job hunting process, days before my first, phone interview. Therefore, I did not read the first half of the book which has to do with planning the job search and searching (assisted with sample vitas, cover letters, etc. which cover half of this book's pages). My focus was in the interviewing, and later on in the negotiating phases. In that respect, I think that this book is what its title implies: a handbook giving generic guidelines to most of the situtations one might face while interviewing ( covering off-site, conference, phone, on-campus interviews), including a list of possible questions that might be asked. It gives you advise on how to prepare for each type of interview, what to expect, what to wear etc. in a brief manner, something that was very useful for my case, since I had only a few days to prepare for my first, phone interview. I also found some useful points in the "negotiating the job" section. Another aspect I liked about this book was that it covered specific situations such as dual-carrer couples, foreign nationals seeking US employment, etc. The last part of this book covers the "after you take the job" phase, which I plan to read.

Overall, this is a nice handbook, which outlines the basics, but doesn't get into much detail. I had to buy another book and combine information of both to better prepare for my job interviews. Half of the book is covered by sample materials, which I found useless, but given its low price, I would recommend it to anyone seeking for an academic job, as a start-up, quick reference guide, or a complementary book to another, more detailed one.



5 out of 5 stars A must for all upcoming academics   January 31, 2007
I bought and read this book during the last year of my PhD and it gave valuable hints and insight to the academic job search process. I highly recommend it to all the ABD PhDs out there.


3 out of 5 stars Very generic   January 9, 2007
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book is a useful introduction to the academic job search process. There are some nuggets of gold in it, but mostly, it has generic information that you could probably get from any professor. Things like, write journal papers, attend conferences, read web sites for job postings. The list of potential interview questions is good. Some of the sample cover letters etc. are OK.


3 out of 5 stars Good book but sample material not good enough   November 2, 2006
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I really enjoyed reading this book and it helped me a lot in my job search. The only thing I was disappointed with was the quality of the many sample CVs, Teaching and Research Statements. You simply need to do significantly better to get a good job.




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