Searching for Jobs - A typical candidate will apply to 100-200 positions, the resources below will help you find those open positions. When choosing which positions to apply for, you should make sure that you fit the requirements (such as citizenship), and that you have a reasonable probability of being accepted (but don't underestimate your value, either). An advisor can be a very valuable resource when choosing your potential jobs.

JOE (Job Openings for Economics) - Monthly job posted on the 1st (starts in Aug.)
Higher Ed Jobs
- Randomly posted jobs throughout the season
- Mostly teaching-oriented/ adjunct positions
- You can register for regular updates on new positions
Public Service Careers.org - Mostly political science/public administration dept.
Institution of interest's website

Application Packet

Cover Letter/ Letter of Intent - Customize to each school by specifying what makes you an outstanding candidate for the position.
C.V./ Resume
References
Teaching Packet (especially if you're applying to teaching schools)
- Teaching Evaluation (by students)
- Teaching Evaluation (by professors who preferably have observed your teaching)
- Teaching Philosophy
Research Packet
- Job Market Paper
- Research Statement

Website

The internet offers a very personal way to advertise yourself to potential employers. Many job-seekers already create their own webpages to promote themselves.

All good webpages comprise a professional-looking photo, contact information, and a CV. Feel free to add any information that you think will benefit you (links to the websites of classes you've taught, etc.)

Remember, though, the more information you have, the more difficult it will be to present it without a cluttered look. If you don't have the time or the ability to create a multi-page, cohesive, professional-looking web-empire, just stick to the necessities with a standard color-scheme. Also, if you want your website to have special features, make sure it is Firefox and Internet Explorer compatible.

Samples - below are some links to good examples of websites. You may want to look at Yale's or Univ. of Minnesota's list of graduate students. You can click on students' names to see their site. After looking at a few, you should get an idea of what is good and bad.

References

Talk to your references as early as possible.
Send them the material (or link to your website) so that they can help you brag about yourself.
Kindly inform them about deadlines.
If possible, letters should be sent out BEFORE thanksgiving. If not, don't panic and hope for the best.

The ASSA Meeting

Schedule the interviews.
Ask for the "Disclosure Code"
Ask for names of the interviewers
Check them out scholarly.
Prepare a summary table for each interview. Include department information, specific fields, work of faculty that is similar to yours, research centers or programs operating within the department, fields of your interviewers, programs offered, and disclosure codes.
Prepare a 2-minute, 5-minute, and 10-minute talk about your job market paper.
Prepare for common questions
- Why did you apply for this job?
- What are your strengths?
- Why should we hire you?
- What is your research plan for the next five years?
- How will your work fit with the work of other faculty in the department?
- Which courses would you like to teach? Which books will you use?
- What is your teaching philosophy?
- Where else did you apply?
List the questions to ask them. Be mindful of information available on their website. If you ask a question easily answerable by checking their website, it suggests that you have not taken time to learn about the prospective employer--a very bad signal. Some suggestions:
- What is the teaching load?
- What opportunities are there for internal or external research grants?
- What seminars does the department hold?
- What opportunities are there for coauthoring?
- What are your expectations for a first-year faculty member?
If time permits, take specific notes to mention in the after-meeting thank you notes.
Write thank you notes

Campus/Office Visits - Fly-outs usually consist of an informal dinner the first night, followed by a day of meeting with faculty and giving your job market talk. The talk generally lasts an hour and a half. If you are interviewing at a teaching school, you may be asked to teach a class or to teach to a group of faculty. The second night usually concludes with a more formal dinner. Remember that you are being interviewed from the time you are picked up from the airport or the hotel to the time you leave.

Presentation of Job Market Paper.
Presentation of Teaching (mostly requested by teaching schools).
Be yourself and be honest to yourself.
Be professional and friendly.
Keep the receipts and make a copy before mailing them out for reimbursement.
Enjoy your stay!

Offers and Negotiation

Be informed with all hidden deductions such as income tax, union contribution, cost of living, etc. before making any negotiation.
Some schools may have a non-negotiable salary scheme.
Negotiate on other benefits such as computer and software expense, office, etc. instead.
Don't be too aggressive or too lenient when it comes to the negotiation. The buyer might walk away or you might leave some money on the table.
Once you accept the offer, you are trading an opportunity to get a better one.
Check with your advisor what you should do and you should notify other schools that you're interested in to let them know about your offer and its deadline.
Reputation and repeated game.
- More important in research schools
- Less important in consulting firms
- No idea how reputation matters in the government job

Other References

There are many resources online for help in the job market. Seriously, try doing a search! Here are a few.