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How to Get an Academic Job

Here’s everything you need to know about finding a tenure-track position.

The end of the graduate-school gauntlet is in sight. You’ve completed your coursework, passed your comprehensive exams, gotten your dissertation proposal approved, and already written several chapters. But now comes one more hurdle, which might feel more daunting than all the others: the academic job market.

If you’re not sure where to begin or are feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. We have written this guide to help you navigate these choppy waters, and we hope you will return to it as a resource throughout your search this year and in searches to come. Going on the academic job market requires a team of people who will support you, personally and professionally, and we hope to be part of yours.

But this Chronicle guide is not just for graduate students and Ph.D.s searching for that precious first tenure-track job. It’s also for graduate advisers and for any faculty member who is looking for a new academic position and needs a refresher on job-market expectations and etiquette.

Chapters

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The Job Search: Before You Apply
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The Job Search: CVs, Cover Letters, and Other Application Documents
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The Job Search: How to Manage Your Applications
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The Job Search: The Interview Stage
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The Job Search: Negotiating an Offer and Starting Work

About the Authors

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Jennifer S. Furlong is director of the office of career planning and professional development at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Most recently, she served as co-president of the Career Services Association of CUNY and as mid-Atlantic regional director of the Graduate Career Consortium.

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Stacy M. Hartman is an independent researcher, facilitator, and consultant. Formerly the director of the PublicsLab at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, she is co-editor of Graduate Education for a Thriving Humanities Ecosystem, published in November 2023 by the Modern Language Association. More information about her work can be found at stacyhartman.com.