The Academic Job Search Process
When to Look
Tenure Track Positions
Unlike corporate positions or even administrative positions within academe, there is a fairly standard calendar followed for most tenure track job searches. This is due to the academic calendar followed by most American institutions. The academic year begins in the fall, usually in late August, and most permanent positions will begin at this time. Institutions that operate on quarters will start about a month later, in late September. The hiring process begins much earlier, and most vacancies are announced during the fall semester one year prior to the beginning of the appointment. Most institutions engage in national searches for tenure track positions. Job postings often begin to appear in August and swell during the autumn months. Search committees may begin to review applications as early as October or November. The internal review process is often timed to enable conference interviews at major meetings of national societies that occur during the winter months. Applicants may be contacted prior to a national meeting and asked to participate in a conference interview. Telephone and on-site interviews usually follow in the spring, although some even occur during the fall term. Following the interviews, institutions will generally extend offers in mid spring, and the search is usually complete by the end of the spring term.
Part-time and Visiting Positions
Often, institutions are searching for a candidate to teach one or two courses on short notice. The search time for these positions is often compressed, and hiring for part-time and/or temporary positions may take place only a few weeks (or days) before the position is set to begin. These positions are often never formally announced, and are often filled quietly, without a search. Candidates may be informally interviewed by telephone or at local or national conferences. Often, candidates may be considered for part-time teaching positions because they previously contacted the department through an unsolicited letter of interest, indicating their availability to teach. Short-term, "visiting" positions of 1-3 years usually are posted, however, and these positions may follow the same search and hiring practices as a tenure track position.