Should I go on the job market in the fall of 2016?
You should if:
How late can I withdraw from the job market?
You can easily change your mind about going on the market before the
first CV packet gets sent out at the end of September. While it is
possible to withdraw after this date, you should keep in mind that it
may take a while to have your name removed from the department mailing
(since copies are made in large batches.) The costs of withdrawing
increases as the season progresses, since as your name gets
circulated, it becomes increasingly likely that employers will
recognize your name the following year and want to know why you are
back on the market.
How many times may I go on the job market?
The department will offer placement services for you two times. This
can come in handy, for example, if you accept a post-doc the first
time you're on the market and need to go back on the market the next
year to look for a more permanent position.
How do I get my references sent to a school with an early deadline?
First off, be sure your letter-writers are aware of the early deadline
and will be able to complete your letters in time. As for the sending
of these letters, you have two options:
How do I send additional references after the main mailing in November?
So long as you're still under your quota of 125 sets of letters, then you
can submit additional labels (or email addresses) to Kelly in the
same way as you did for your main batch, and she'll get them sent out
as soon as possible.
Can I change my job-market paper or abstract after sending out my packets?
While it would not be ideal to make major changes midway through the
job market (e.g., changing the substance of your conclusions), the CV
you include in your application packets may certainly differ from what
was sent out in the departmental CV packet mailing. It is also
possible to edit your job market materials as you are sending out your
application packets, so don't worry if the packet you sent to one
school is slightly different from the packet you sent to another
school.
What should my [CV, cover letters, research statement, teaching statement, teaching evaluations] look like?
You should begin by looking at the samples provided here. Also, here are a few suggestions:
If the job listing requests a transcript,
should I send an official or unofficial transcript? And should I have
it sent to them directly or include it in my application
packet?
As a general rule, if an employer wants an official transcript, they
will state this specifically in their job listing—but if you want
this question answered with certainty for a particular institution,
then you will need to contact them directly. Also, unless they
specifically request otherwise, it is best to include the transcript
in your packet, as this will minimize the probability of it getting
lost.
Not all institutions ask for my [job market
paper, research statement, teaching statement, teaching evaluations,
transcript]. Should I send it anyway?
Unsolicited materials are probably less likely to get looked at, but
including them is also unlikely to do any harm. To take an example,
if 95 percent of the places you apply request a job market paper, then
sending it to everyone would probably be fine. On the other hand,
sending your teaching statement everywhere would probably be a
mistake. Perhaps you could send it to all teaching colleges, but
sending a teaching statement to a research institute, government
agency, or private firm (and perhaps even Ph.D. granting institutions
that haven't specifically requested it) could send the wrong
signal.
How should I use the AEA signaling mechanism?
It's probably not the best idea to signal your interest to a top 40
academic institution, as they are likely to assume that anyone who
applies is extremely interested. A better strategy is to use this
mechanism to signal interest to institutions that are attainable, but
where it might not otherwise be obvious that you are interested.
What are on-site interviews?
Typically, a few institutions visit Maryland in October or November to
conduct on-site interviews. Typically this includes the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FRB),
although last year, the IMF opted to conduct interviews at IMF
headquarters instead. The exact timing of these interviews can vary
dramatically from year to year. In 2007, the FRB visited campus on
November 20, while preliminary IMF interviews took place during
October 10-20, and again during November 6-17.
How can I prepare for the mock interview?
You should prepare for the half-hour interview exactly as you would
prepare for an interview at the AEA meetings: you should be prepared
to describe your dissertation research to a faculty member who is not
necessarily a specialist in your area. (We attempt to avoid using a
student's committee members for the Mock Interviews.) Aim for this
summary to take about 10 to 15 minutes. You should also be prepared
to describe your future research interests and (if you are aiming for
a job that involves teaching) your teaching interests. Interviewers
may also ask you about your previous work experience. You should also
look over the interview preparation
materials and give some thought to how you would answer each of
the sample questions.
If I will be out of town for part of December, can I still do a mock interview?
If you let us know in advance that you'll be out of town, then we will
do our best to schedule a mock interview that accommodates your
schedule. That said, if you do travel in the month of December, you
should remain accessible by phone and email, as it would be a shame
to miss out on an interview because you could not be contacted.
Do I have to have my mock interview taped?
Certainly not. Just let us know when you arrive for the interview and
we will turn the camera off.
Will there be time to work on my job market seminar after AEA?
In some cases, students have quite a bit of time between AEA and their
first fly-out. But in other cases, institutions will call you on
Sunday and invite you for a fly-out right away. Given this, it is
best to have your full-length job market presentation (in addition to
your half-hour interview) completely prepared prior to your arrival at
AEA.