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The Academic Job Search: Wisdom from Steven Chaffee

Steve Chaffee had a long and illustrious career as a communication scholar and mentor. This is a handout he gave to doctoral students at Stanford University.

Chaffee

Academic Job Search

I. What a hiring faculty is looking for

a. Teaching help in specific courses

  • Specialized courses: e.g. kids, polcom, health, methods
  • Hard-to-fill slots: e.g. intro, adv/PR, skills, beast

b. Completed Ph.D. (never look back)

c. Good prospects for tenure (likely to stay)

  • convention papers & publications already
  • research program ahead
  • energy, enthusiasm
  • writing skill, facility

d. Lecturing skill:

  • smooth and understandable
  • organized and interesting
  • compatible with audience (faculty 6r students)

e. Research:

  • new and different, theoretically
  • methodologically sound
  • related to department's concerns & mission
  • add to dept's knowledge base
  • possible collaboration with other faculty

f. Nice person: "The Stanford Suspicion"

  • good colleague, friend
  • lunch, dept meetings, being around to help
  • everybody votes

II. What you need to present

a. Interest in teaching

  • courses you want to teach
  • courses you're willing to teach too

b. Teaching: ability

  • Experience as TA, recs, student evals, awards
  • Guest lecture/colloquium during interview
  • Range: teach undergrads, Ph.D.s, M.A.s, whatever

c. Research: Your program and evidence of momentum

  • Guest lecture on your current or recent study
  • Dissertation & recs
  • Prior coursework, area exams, committee members (recs)
  • Papers & publications, work in progress
  • Statement of plans for coming studies

III. The Communication field

  • little unemployment
  • a small town
  • know who they are, what they do & care about