In today’s Chronicle of Higher Education, Career Talk columnists Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong discuss the latest edition of The Academic Job Search Handbook. In a Q&A session with The Chronicle, Vick and Furlong share their thoughts on recent developments in the academic employment market that inspired them to write the new edition, such as the impact of the Internet and the challenges facing dual career families. Here’s an excerpt:
The Academic Job Search Handbook was first published in 1992. How has the hiring process in academe changed since then? What’s different about today’s market?
Julie and Jenny: Probably the most significant change is the
emergence of the Internet. It has altered the way candidates
communicate with search committees, and drastically increased the
amount of information about a given institution that they can use in
preparing for interviews.Conversely, the Internet has given search committees the opportunity
to meet candidates online before meeting them in person — either
through use of a search engine like Google or by looking at a link to a
professional Web site provided by the candidate. Search-committee
members are forming first impressions based on Web content that may not
be in the candidate’s control. That’s why we continued to include some
sample Web pages in the new edition, and it’s why we would encourage
candidates to pay close attention to their Web personae.
The complete interview is available at Chronicle.com.
