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So, I have six applications to fill out, which means six cover letters to write, which means six departments’ websites to become familiar with. I have to write out my teaching statement and research statement, and X College wants me to write a whole new document addressing how my teaching fits in with the liberal arts tradition. Oh, and don’t I also have to get some more work done on my dissertation?

Yes, this is what the academic job search can be like. From personal experience (confirmed by interviews with others), a broad consensus emerges: these academic job applications take way more time than you’d think! CV’s need updating, references need to be rounded up, teaching and research statements need to be written, and – maybe the most time consuming of all – cover letters need to be written for each institution.

My advice, then, is to start early. I know it is tempting to put some of this stuff off. You have other stuff to do, like writing papers that have concrete due dates. It’s also tempting to think that writing your teaching statement and tidying up your CV can wait until later, maybe right before you start applying for jobs. Well, perhaps, but applying for jobs (let alone doing so while trying to get a dissertation completed) is a really labor and time-intensive undertaking that is constantly underestimated. Do what you can now, before your life gets even busier. Here are some things you can start working on even a year before you go on the job market.

Get an idea of what kinds of jobs you want and start looking at current openings

Do you want to be a teaching professor, a research professor, or something nicely in the middle? Do you want to be at a liberal arts institution, a comprehensive university or something else? Different kinds of jobs will have different expectations of job candidates, and you would be wise to start looking at openings for your preferred job types at least one year from when you go on the market. Why? Because if most jobs want, say, evidence of teaching effectiveness, then you want to be on the lookout to get it (course evaluations, informal midterm feedback, etc). If they want to see evidence that you have grant writing experience, you want to know that as soon as possible so you can get it. Waiting until right before you go on the market to look at job openings might catch you unprepared.

Start writing your teaching and research statements

From my time helping graduate students prepare for the job market, I’ve found that these two documents are often the hardest, and that’s why you should start writing it sooner rather than later. (For those who don’t know, teaching and research statements are 1-2 page, usually jargon-free, documents explaining your approach to teaching and research program[s] to others).

First step: reflect carefully on your approach to teaching and how best to explain what your research tends to be about (and maybe, answering ‘why” for both). Next step: try to articulate that in a one to two page document. Next step: revise. After that: revise again. Up until your applications go out: keep revising. The point here is that starting these documents early allows you to revise and change your documents based on new thoughts, experiences, and ideas. These documents are supposed to be thoughtful, and waiting until the last minute to bang them out usually results in something less thoughtful.

Start Asking Potential References

Reference letters are an important part of an academic job application. Because writing references is a favor others do for you, it is usually courteous to give potential references some lead time to (a) think about whether they would serve as a reference, (b) get to know you better, so as to write a more insightful reference, and (c) write the letter. Make sure to to put some good thought into who you might want as references. So, with those things in mind, it is usually best to start asking potential references whether they’d be interested in serving as references when the time comes. This way, they will feel like they had good lead time, can get to know you better (if necessary) before writing references, and have a good amount of time to think about what to write.

Start Polishing Your CV

Really, you should create an actual CV document as soon as you have things to put on it. First, it is easier to update a CV piece by piece (as you gain new accomplishments) than it is to write up a CV after you have many accomplishments (and have to track down all your conference presentation dates, publications, etc.) Second, creating a CV document early in graduate school allows you to see what your list of accomplishments look like, and get a better idea of the best next steps. Last, creating a CV document early (and updating it gradually) takes one more thing to do off of your list when it comes time to hop on the job market.

Trust me; applying for even one academic job is a lot of work, and it is easy to underestimate how much time and energy it will take (especially when you don’t consider the dissertation and other work you are likely doing on top of it). So, do yourself a favor and, when at all possible, start doing the little things now so that you won’t be caught off guard by them later.

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Kevin Currie-Knight is a fourth year PhD student in University of Delaware’s Education Department. He is a graduate assistant at UD’s Center for Assessment of Teaching and Learning, where one of his roles is to assist graduate students and faculty with developing and maintaining academic e-portfolios. He can be reached at kevinck [at] udel .edu or kevincurrieknight [at] gmail .com.

Image: Flickr/OSU Special Collections & Archives: Commons

The post Finding an Academic Job: Start Early appeared first on Kosmos.

Here are a few tips and pointers for writing good cover letters.

Before you do anything, learn about the job and the institution

Cover letters need to be personally tailored to the advertised position and the institution it is tied to. What you put in your cover letter – what you emphasize about yourself, for instance – should directly reflect what the position is, what the institution is about, and how you see yourself fitting with both of these. (Applications for a faculty position at a large research-heavy institution in a city should read differently than ones to a small teaching-focused college in a suburb, etc.)

So before doing anything, ask and answer some of the following questions: what specific responsibilities are being asked for in the advertised position? How do I fit with them? What is the overall mission of the institution and how do they advertise what they do to others? How do I envision that I’d be a good fit with that mission? Why – besides needing a job – am I applying for this position? Only after asking questions like these should you start writing your cover letter.

Don’t sweat the first paragraph

In my experience helping others write cover letters, one thing contributes needlessly to making cover letter writing painful: people overthink Paragraph One. Don’t!

The first paragraph should do two very simple things: (a) announce your intent to apply for the position, and (b) explain very briefly who you are in a way that makes them want to go on to paragraph two…which is where the real action is. (“I am writing in order to apply for the “x” position as advertised at “x”. Currently, I am a fourth year PhD Candidate in x at x, studying under the advisement of x.”)

In my experience, the most effective first paragraphs serve one purpose: to introduce why you are writing, and to get the reader to the second paragraph.

Speak to the Job and Institution

Generally, the second paragraph is where you start talking about what qualifies you for the job, both in terms of experience and attributes/skills. But, per earlier advice, the way you figure out what to say or not say should be determined by the job description and the institution. If you are applying for a teaching job at a teaching-focused college, you should be giving a good amount of detail as to your teaching experience. This is not only what you’ve taught or TA’d, but any experience teaching the kinds of classes – small, large, non-major heavy, etc – described in the job description. This is the same for other areas; highlight the experiences you have that qualify you for what they want. Other stuff can either be briefly mentioned (if important) or can wait until they look at your CV/resume.

The same goes for the skills asked for in the job description. Every job description lists what candidates should be able to do (some necessary, others preferable). Speak directly to as many of these as you can. If the job description advertises that applicants have familiarity with a certain kind of technology, speak more than one language, have knowledge of x policy area, etc, speak directly to how you are qualified in that particular area. Yes, I know that is on your CV/resume, but be redundant; if the cover letter doesn’t attract them, they won’t even get to your CV/resume.

Keep an Eye on Length

Lastly, keep an eye on your cover letter’s length, which should be around a page to a 1.3 pages (at the most) single spaced. Ensure sentences are concise and that you go into appropriate, but not unnecessary, detail. Remember, the cover letter is an advertisement for the rest of your application, so you don’t need to explicate everything that is in your application, but just give them the highlights so that they get to the rest of your application.

I will not lie; cover letters are difficult, and there really is no formula for writing a good cover letter. What I’ve given is certainly not an exhaustive list of dos and don’ts. But if you do things like reflect on the job description and how you fit with it, always write in a way that is personalized toward the job description and institution, and avoid going over a certain length, you will have a better shot at writing the kind of cover letter that will lead people to your other application documents.

Ed Note: Always, always, proofread. Read it out loud, read it to someone else, sleep on it, do whatever you need to do to make sure that there are no grammatical errors or overly awkward phrasing. Focus on making the cover letter as readable as possible.

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Kevin Currie-Knight is a fourth year PhD student in University of Delaware’s Education department. He is a graduate assistant at UD’s Center for Assessment of Teaching and Learning, where one of his roles is to assist graduate students and faculty with developing and maintaining academic e-portfolios. He can be reached at kevinck [at] udel . edu or kevincurrieknight [at] gmail . com.

Image: Flickr/The D34n

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At the same time, technology is changing the delivery of higher education. As of last year, 30% of students took at least one on-line course, a number which has doubled over the past eight years. An estimated 3 million students are enrolled in on-line only education, the vast majority at for-profit institutions.

As a consequence of these and other disruptive forces, the nature of faculty employment is changing. Currently, there are 1.7 million postsecondary faculty, a number that has been steadily increasing and by some estimates is projected to grow 17% over the next 10 years. However, part-time and non-tenure-track positions are growing more rapidly than tenured and tenure-track. Today less than 30% of current positions are tenured or tenure-track. Thirty years ago it was closer to half. Finally, the number of professors over 65 has more than doubled over the past decade.

Higher Education right now is a story of increasing enrollment, a decline in state funding, increasing tuition and student debt, technological change, rapid changes in the nature of faculty employment, and a great deal of uncertainty about how these factors will interact to shape the future of the industry.

What can you do to increase your chances of getting an academic placement in a rapidly changing industry? How could you further advance your academic career? At IHS we believe that being better prepared is part of the answer, and we shape our academic programs to give you the edge that could help you land your academic dream job.

If you’re interested in honing your research and teaching skills this summer, IHS has some great opportunities. Among them is The Liberty & the Art of Teaching Workshop taking place June 28-30 at Towson University in Towson, MD. The Art of Teaching Workshop welcomes teachers, both new and experienced, to discuss and experiment with best practices for the university classroom. We provide full funding, including meals, accommodations, and program costs. Participants are responsible for travel, though limited scholarships are available to cover travel expenses. For additional details on faculty presenters, topics, schedule, stories from past participants, and to apply to attend visit www.TheIHS.org. Application deadline: April 15th.

The post The Teaching Advantage and the Future of Higher Education appeared first on Kosmos.

Liberty & the Art of Teaching Workshop

• The Liberty & the Art of Teaching Workshop  taking place June 28-30 at Towson University in Towson, MD welcomes teachers, both new and experienced, to discuss and experiment with best practices for the university classroom. This year’s workshop will feature talks from Dirk Mateer, Mike Munger, James Stacey Taylor, and Howie Baetjer. IHS provides full funding, including meals, accommodations, and program costs. Participants are responsible for travel (limited scholarships are available to cover travel expenses). For additional details on faculty presenters, topics, schedule, and feedback from past participants click the button. Application deadline April 15.
  

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Kosmos Online IHS Academic Webcasts

• Kosmos IHS Academic Webcasts occur throughout the year. Attend online lectures from IHS faculty and staff on everything from the latest classical liberal research to career advice for academics at all career stages. We have upcoming webcasts on time management, establishing an online presence, what to do with a completed dissertation, and Taxation and the 16th Amendment. 

Register

Symposium on Scholarship & a Free Society

• The Symposia on Scholarship & A Free Society bring graduate students together with leading classical liberal scholars from a range of disciplines for a weekend of discussion and research presentations. All applicants are invited to submit an optional proposal for a paper presentation. Application deadline April 1.

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Dr. Bruce Yandle is Dean Emeritus of Clemson University’s College of Business & Behavioral Science, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Economics Emeritus, Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Mercatus Center, and Senior Fellow with the Property and Environment Research Center.

The post Bootleggers and Baptists After 30 Years with Bruce Yandle appeared first on Kosmos.

Abraham Lincoln Celebrates his Birthday 

February 12 is President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. To commemorate we have put together a collection of libertarian history readings on Lincoln as a president and the American Civil War. Included in this collection are essays and interviews that were published here on Kosmos as well as other suggested reading from our History Program Officer Phillip Magness. In these writings you will find scholarship offering a classical liberal look at the Civil War, emancipation, slavery, the economics of the war, Abraham Lincoln as a president, and more.

New Revelations as the Emancipation Proclamation Turns 150

Dr. Phil Magness’ “Colonization After Emancipation: Lincoln and the Movement for Black Resettlement”

The Secession Winter at 150: What Really Caused the Civil War?

The Civil War at 150: Abolitionism

Lincoln’s 1864 Run Re-imagined as a Modern Political Campaign

For a good primer on the Civil War, make sure to read the Freeman issue from April 2011 commemorating the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the war. Freeman April 2011: Civil War at 150

For more writing on Lincoln’s presidency and liberty, also make sure to check out Phil Magness’ site
where he has posted some articles he has written about his research on Lincoln and colonization.

The post A Libertarian Look at Lincoln and the Civil War appeared first on Kosmos.

The post The Limits of Libertarian Paternalism appeared first on Kosmos.

Here’s what I mean. When asked “What do you do to relieve stress in your life?” many interviewees rat off a few things they do – golf, travel, exercise – and stop there. But most interviewers are not asking the question because they want a list of your hobbies; they are asking because they want to get a more holistic picture of who you are. Okay, so you like to travel; why do you like to travel? Do you like to travel because you are fascinated by cultural or geographical differences? Are there particular kinds of areas you are most attracted to exploring (historically rich places, places that have a particular kind of physical beauty, places where you’ve lived in the past)? Your answer doesn’t have to be profound, but following your “what” with a “why” helps your interviewer get a real sense of who you are, which is most likely what they are looking for with questions like this.

Another indirect “tell me more about yourself” question might be asking you to describe some service activities you’ve done (in the community or academy). Again, describe one or two of these activities… but don’t stop there! Another important and often ignored piece is why you do those activities – what your participation in these activities says about you. Have you done work for Habitat for Humanity or another organization? Have you been involved in your university’s Graduate Student Senate or other group? What motivated you to do these activities? You might even add a very quick and subtle reference to what trait(s) your involvement in these things exemplifies (“My involvement with the Graduate Student Senate has really allowed me to use my communication skills in a way that benefits the graduate student community.”)

Here’s a final example, taken from personal experience. On a recent phone interview for a position in an Education department I was asked what I considered to be the one thing I’d most like to change about public education as it exists today. My answer was along the lines of addressing the culture of standardized testing. There’s nothing wrong with assessment, but it risks standardizing the learning process itself. I was completely unprepared for this question. It just didn’t seem like a question about me (the kind I prepared for), but thinking back on it, the question was an invitation to share about myself. My ideal answer would have given them not only an idea of my stance on the question, but insight into what I regard as important in education, teaching, and learning to more thoroughly represent my core beliefs about my discipline.

So when you are asked these indirect questions, the best thing to do is to assume the question is a subtle way of saying “Tell us more about yourself,” because it most likely is. Give an answer that is both reflective of who you are and with who you want your interviewer to see you as. When asked about things like what you do to decompress, about your service or otherwise, answer in a way that not only gives them the “what” of the answer, but follows with what that “what” says about you. This way, seemingly strange interview questions won’t seem so strange and you can give an interview that provides your interviewer with as clear a picture of who you are as a complete person suited for the job.

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Kevin Currie-Knight is a fourth year PhD student in University of Delaware’s Education department. He works for UD’s Center for Assessment of Teaching and Learning, where one of his roles is to assist graduate students and faculty with developing and maintaining academic e-portfolios. Recently, he has been blogging mostly about technology for us at Kosmos. He can be reached at kevinck@udel.edu or kevincurrieknight@gmail.com.

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More by Kevin Currie-Knight 

Advantages of an E-Reader for Your Academic Research

How to Create a Free Personal Google Website

2 Things to Consider For an E-Portfolio

Want to Be a Better Teacher? Showcase Your Weaknesses

The post The Question within the Question: What Interviewers Are Really Asking appeared first on Kosmos.

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On September 22, 1862 Abraham Lincoln issued what has since become known as the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Though less famous than its successor of January 1, 1863, this document publicly announced the president’s plan to declare “all persons held as slaves” in the states and portions of states still in rebellion “forever free” 100 days thereafter. In addition to this famous antislavery provision came two less-known stipulations – an offer “pecuniary aid” to any state that would voluntarily abolish the institution of slavery in its borders, and a corresponding pledge “to colonize persons of African descent, with their consent, upon this continent, or elsewhere.”

This old “Whig formula” of compensated emancipation and colonization was a hallmark of moderate antislavery thought in the antebellum decades, finding champions in men such as Henry Clay and, later, Abraham Lincoln himself. After attaching it to the preliminary Proclamation in September the president affirmed it once again in his annual message to Congress on December 1, 1862. Many historians have accordingly found it curious that both propositions are nowhere to be found in the text of the final Emancipation Proclamation. By January 1, 1863 the “Whig formula” simply seems to have vanished.

Where did colonization and compensated emancipation disappear to during this month-long interlude, and what then are we to make of Lincoln’s apparent decision to drop them from his final proclamation? After 150 years this question still begs historians for an explanation, with many suggesting that Lincoln took the opportunity of January 1^st to move away from these moderate and highly conditional positions in favor of a more radical emancipationist stance. Others interpret it as the beginning of a gradual evolutionary move in the same direction. In both cases though, the evidence is almost entirely speculative if not outright wishful thinking.

Though Lincoln indisputably opposed slavery – the Emancipation Proclamation was indeed a move intended to ultimately extinguish the institution – his attachment to the “Whig formula” adds unsettling qualifiers to the Great Emancipator’s legacy, not the least because its provisions strike the modern reader as perplexingly retrograde. Reading its abandonment into the silence of the final Emancipation Proclamation accordingly seems to offer us an escape clause to the complexity of this earlier dual proposition in Lincoln’s thought.

As we reflect upon the 150^th anniversary of the final Proclamation though, a closer evidentiary examination cautions against writing history from conjectural interpretations around “missing” words. In reality, we may conclusively say that Lincoln continued to pursue his colonization policy unabated well after the Proclamation, and quite probably still believed in it at the end of his life. He similarly held out compensated emancipation as late as February 1865, indicating that the “Whig formula” did not really disappear after all.

New clues to its disposition vis-à-vis the final Proclamation may be found in a closer examination of the events around New Year’s Day 1863, as my colleague Sebastian Page recently illustrated. Rather than dropping the provisions from the final Proclamation, Lincoln simply parsed them out for continuation – even simultaneously adding his signature to a separate colonization contract that same winter morning 150 years ago.

The context of the colonization in particular may be seen through the 24 hour period preceding the Proclamation. The president had previously distributed a draft of the document to his cabinet, which met on the morning of December 31 to offer revisions and prepare the final copy. Several officers provided stylistic suggestions, though curiously none pertained to the missing “Whig formula” from the September 22 proclamation. Not even Postmaster General Montgomery Blair – the most vocal colonizationist on the cabinet – seemed to notice its absence much less object, as one might expect if the omission was intended to signal a change in the administration’s policy. As with others on the cabinet he likely knew that this was explicitly not the case, and indeed that the president would be finishing negotiations on a colonization project later that very same evening.

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