This blog post kicks off our new series, Scholar at Large, written by an academic exploring both the traditional tenure track, and the not-so-traditional alternative academic job market.

Ah, fall! ‘Tis the season to be scrolling the MLA Job Information List, pumpkin spice latte in hand. Like the beginning of a new school year, the autumn academic job market is a moment to be full of vision, focus, and possibility for our futures. Our fresh No. 2 pencils are sharpened; our class folders are crisp and labeled; our C.V.’s are updated with that conference presentation and peer-reviewed publication. For the increasing number of people with PhDs in hand vying for a steadily decreasing number of jobs, we savor a moment of hope before panic and disillusionment enter the scene.

Approaching the “exit sign of alt-ac”

The term “alt-ac” (for “alternative academic,” used to describe professional opportunities for scholars beyond conventional faculty positions) seems antithetical to such a moment. It seems downright anathema to the seriousness of purpose and confidence that the academic job market demands.

In this market, “alt-ac” is often perceived as the “exit sign” for those who can’t hack it, for those who seem to have no other options. (Aside from perpetuating a myth of meritocracy, this idea of “alt-ac” ends up providing a way to ignore broader issues driving the adjuncting crisis – “they could always do alt-ac if they don’t like adjuncting.”)

For a variety of reasons—ranging from placement pressures on graduate programs to a growing investment in the idea of the “public humanities” for mainstream academia—there’s an increasing visibility of PhDs who are living intellectually and professionally fulfilling careers outside of the traditional tenure-track job. “Alt-ac” is beginning to enter our vocabulary in a new way. Many of us simply want to know more; we want to know what may lie beyond the mythologies surrounding “alt-ac” without having our curiosity indicate that we’re ready to leave traditional academia behind.

Unfortunately, the academic job search process doesn’t prepare us well for for exploring these diverse opportunities, thanks to the “beggars can’t be choosers” mentality that the dearth of academic jobs yields. A common refrain among hopeful (yet exasperated) PhDs on the market is, “I’ll do the academic job market, then if nothing comes up, I’ll apply for alt-ac jobs over the summer.” This approach can stifle our success. Waiting to address other job options until the last minute means poor communication and planning on how our work enters the broader world. On top of that, non-academic employers aren’t exactly waiting with open arms for PhDs approaching their field as “second best.”

Thinking outside the box of academia

It turns out, though, that our academic work actually does prepare us for this process, which will look familiar to anyone who’s undertaken research as a scholar.

There are three key elements of exploring and engaging with the “alt-ac” market:

1. Gather information about people, positions, and places (i.e. research!)
2. Take stock of what we do (and what we want), and frame our work for the relevant audience
3. Connect our work to existing conversations and concerns in the respective field

So, during these next few weeks, while I’m preparing and sending off my job applications for postdocs and tenure-track positions, I’ll also be taking these three initial steps to define what “alt-ac” might mean for me.

Browse some job ads for employment or organizations that I’m interested in

Just looking at how non-academic employers talk about the skills and knowledge they look for in a candidate will help me understand what alt-ac work might mean. I can look at the “careers” tab on the website of an organization I’m curious about, or get on the newsletter blast for a popular publishing venue I might be interested in working for. Many job sites (like higheredjobs.com and idealist.org) will let me create curated email job blasts so that I can start to understand what alt-ac really looks like. Doing this also gives me some insight into how different kinds of professional communities are cultivating the same skills and ideas that I’m invested in as an academic.

Spruce up my LinkedIn profile

There’s no question that LinkedIn is the primary digital network for professional connection, and it’s important that I have a profile that helps me make the most of that network. There are a handful of things I can do to my profile that will go a long way in presenting me as someone people will be interested in talking to. Spending some time on my LinkedIn profile also gets me to think about how to present the things that I’ve done in a more robust way than what my CV shows.

Set up an informational interview

Informational interviews may seem daunting or awkward, but they are really just about having a conversation with someone about what they do. Consider this: when a prospective graduate student gets in touch with you because they want to know more about what graduate school or your field is like, do you get affronted or annoyed? It’s much more likely that you’ll have a friendly chat over coffee, then offer to connect that prospective student with people you know who share their interests.

The same goes for informational interviews in the non-academic world. They help me learn how to talk about my skills, experiences, and interests with people who aren’t in academia, in a low-stakes setting. They’re also the best way for me to find out about what a job actually entails. So, in the next month, I’ll set a goal of arranging one informational interview with someone who has a job I’m interested in learning more about. I can reach out to someone through LinkedIn, or through my personal networks.

These may seem like three small steps away from academia, but I see them as part of a bigger picture of how I develop my career. Exploring how my work and my experiences fit into the world beyond academia will help me feel more confident, comfortable, and relaxed in my academic job search.

Have you taken steps to explore the alt-ac market while on the academic job market? Share your insights with me on Twitter (@mollyappel).

Interfolio’s Dossier enables scholars to collect, curate, polish and send out their materials at all stages throughout their academic professional path. Learn more about Dossier here.

Author bio: Dr. Molly Appel is a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at Penn State University. Her research explores how literature works a space of teaching and learning for human rights and social justice in the Americas. You can find her on Twitter @mollyappel.

This post continues our series, The Smart Scholar.

Each discipline has advantages, challenges, and nuances that we must navigate during our career. More specifically, as a professor in the field of education, I believe there are some challenges and opportunities unique to my discipline.  This can be especially true for scholars when looking for an academic position. In this post, I will highlight two particular nuances I have experienced and how you can benefit from them to land your next academic position.

Having an interdisciplinary research agenda

Education is a unique discipline because while it has its own canon, values, and traditions, it also borrows from the fields of psychology, business, sociology (just to name a few). Therefore, I believe for some scholars with an interdisciplinary research agenda, they may find inherent challenges when meeting with search committees. For instance, if your research agenda spans K-12 and higher education, some positions that are strictly K-12 focused may frown upon your higher education research interests and vice versa. While some feel that not fitting perfectly into a sub-discipline is a challenge, I see it as an opportunity to have options. You can be flexible in terms of your departmental fit for an academic position.

So, how do you determine the best fit for you if your work is interdisciplinary research?

• Use your cover letter and your initial interview to show the search committee how you are a fit for the position
• More importantly, you should be ready to answer questions about your research and practitioner background
• Know how your diversity makes you an ideal candidate for the position

Limited experience in the field

Throughout my career I have found it interesting that a faculty member could have limited field experience as a K-12 educator or higher education staff/administrator. Faculty opportunities are increasingly requiring practitioner experience, but there are times when a professor may have very little practical experience. In this case, they are subject matter experts through their research. But, if you have little practical experience, how can you be certain your research is applicable to the settings you investigate?

Given this challenge, in a recent Education Week article, I argued that faculty in schools of education should receive an incentive for them to leave the perceived “Ivory Tower” and go back into the field. This will allow faculty to bring real-world experiences into their university teaching in a way that better prepares future educators for the reality of their jobs. Likewise, if you feel during your graduate studies or early career that you have limited practitioner experience, I would suggest partnering with a local school (if you are focused on K-12 issues). For those who are focused on higher education, it would be helpful to work in conjunction with staff/administrators at your university to gain practical experiences as an administrator.

What challenges, nuances, or advantages do you see in your field? I look forward to continuing the conversation on Twitter (@ramongoings).

Interfolio’s Dossier enables scholars to collect, curate, polish and send out their materials at all stages throughout their academic professional path. Learn more about Dossier here.

Author Bio: Dr. Ramon B. Goings is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Loyola University Maryland. His research examines gifted/high-achieving Black male academic success PreK-PhD, diversifying the teacher and school leader workforce, and the student experience and contributions of historically Black colleges and universities to the higher education landscape. As a writing coach and editor, Dr. Goings enjoys supporting the scholarly development of doctoral students and professors in higher education. For more information about Dr. Goings, please visit his website www.ramongoings.com and follow him on Twitter (@ramongoings).

This post continues our new series, The Smart Scholar, which explores the attributes and qualities that make a successful academic applicant on the job market.

In my last blog post I provided tips on how to stay organized on the job market. Now that you have created your system to keep track of the positions you apply for, I want to focus on the challenges you may encounter when on the job market. Below I provide three challenges to consider and potential solutions as you prepare for your job hunt.

Determining the best institutional type

Before considering applying for positions it is important for you to consider the type of institution where you would like to work. For instance:

• Do you want to work at a research intensive university where research productivity is important for faculty?
• As an administrator do you want to work for a smaller liberal arts institution where you are able to have a lot of interactions with students?
• Do you see yourself at a comprehensive state university that serves a large population of commuter and adult students?

As graduate students and novice professionals we are often taught about the importance of elite intensive research universities or those with a recognizable brand. However, these types of institutions are not the best fit for everyone. So before applying, contemplating the aforementioned questions can help you target your job search.

If you are interested in a university and are not sure of their designation, you can review the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education website to learn more about a university’s classification.

Succeeding in a competitive job market

One of the biggest challenges facing job candidates is the highly competitive job market. For faculty, the number of tenure-track positions is shrinking while the number of individuals vying for those positions has dramatically increased. Moreover, due to the limited number of administrator positions typically available, the candidate pool can be saturated. Although this is a challenge, I see this as an opportunity for you on the market. An important question to then consider is, “How do I differentiate myself from the competition?”

For those of you who are considering faculty opportunities you can differentiate yourself from the competition by:

• Having a diverse research skill set where you could support doctoral students using a wide variety of methodologies in your field along with being able to teach various research methods courses.
• During your doctoral experience, ensure that you purposefully develop a research agenda that is unique.

Why? Because on the job market you want to be able to demonstrate your scholarship is innovative and provides a new perspective the current department does not have—which positions you to become an authority in your discipline.

On the staff and administrative side you can differentiate yourself by being someone who can not only run initiatives but can develop initiatives that bring money to the university. Given the increased pressure to fundraise for administrators, having the ability to develop revenue generating programs and/or an ability to fundraise can set you apart from the competition.

Considering, “What is my next job after this?”

I know some of you may be wondering why I am asking about my next job, when you have not yet secured this job. However, I believe for faculty, staff, and administration candidates this question is critical. My approach to applying for a job is to consider how my new employment opportunity would position me for my next job.

For example, if your goal is to serve in an administrative capacity that is responsible for overseeing several different departments and supervising staff, but you have little supervisory experience, it may be beneficial for you to look for jobs that allow you to fill this gap. Additionally, gaining this experience ensures you become a viable candidate for your next position because you took the opportunity to gain relevant experience before you had to.

What other challenges do you believe are facing job candidates? Are there any challenges that you believe are unique to your discipline? Feel free to share with me on Twitter (@ramongoings) to continue the conversation!

Interfolio’s Dossier enables scholars to collect, curate, polish and send out their materials at all stages throughout their academic professional path. Learn more about Dossier here.

Author Bio: Dr. Ramon B. Goings is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Loyola University Maryland. His research examines gifted/high-achieving Black male academic success PreK-PhD, diversifying the teacher and school leader workforce, and the student experience and contributions of historically Black colleges and universities to the higher education landscape. As a writing coach and editor, Dr. Goings enjoys supporting the scholarly development of doctoral students and professors in higher education. For more information about Dr. Goings, please visit his website www.ramongoings.com and follow him on Twitter (@ramongoings).

Our new series, The Smart Scholar, explores the attributes and qualities that make a successful academic applicant.

Since competition on the academic job market shows no sign of letting up, there has been increased conversation about the skill sets and tools needed to secure a job. For those seeking faculty positions, there is the sage advice of ensuring that you have:

• Published in respected refereed venues
• Crafted a strong cover letter and CV that showcases your abilities
• Established meaning relationship with colleagues in your discipline

While these skills are important, there are other less defined skills and knowledge that are critical to success in landing your perfect job.

Below are three under-appreciated skills that scholars seeking academic positions should cultivate.

Ability to communicate and collaborate across disciplines

As scholars we are trained to be discipline experts. Although possessing this depth is useful to ensure our research extends the knowledge in our respective fields, it is imperative that in today’s market, scholars have the ability to communicate and collaborate across disciplines. There are continuous instances of universities wanting to increase faculty’s ability to generate revenue through large-scale grants and contracts. Given this aim, scholars who can connect their research to other disciplines and communicate with faculty across various fields hold an advantage. Funders are increasingly looking for grant teams to be interdisciplinary in nature. Your ability to communicate this skill set to search committees may be the intangible skill that separates you from the pack.

Developing interpersonal communication skills

While your credentials, ability to publish, and flawless application documents may get you an interview, it will be your interpersonal communication skills that will give you an advantage over other applicants. Throughout interviews you are being assessed by a committee that has lingering in the back of their mind, “Could I work with this candidate for the next 30 years?” As a result, you want to be personable and develop rapport with search committee members and others who you meet across the university. While “likeability” is important to the employer, it should also be important to you. You should also gauge whether you could see yourself working with the interviewers as colleagues for the next 30 years.

Treat everyone with respect—you never know who your future boss will be

Academia is a small world. Given that scholars can move frequently for positions, it could be likely that at least one colleague at the institution you are applying to will know at least one colleague from your current institution. Thus, you want a reputation as someone who is dependable, respectful, and trustworthy. Part of this is ensuring that you treat everyone who you interact with, from a university president to a facilities worker, with respect. You never know who may eventually make a decision or have the ear of the decision maker that can impact your future job opportunities.

Interfolio’s Dossier enables scholars to collect, curate, polish and send out their materials at all stages throughout their academic professional path. Learn more about Dossier here.

Author Bio: Dr. Ramon B. Goings is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Loyola University Maryland. His research examines gifted/high-achieving Black male academic success PreK-PhD, diversifying the teacher and school leader workforce, and the student experience and contributions of historically Black colleges and universities to the higher education landscape. For more information about Dr. Goings, please visit his website www.ramongoings.com and follow him on twitter (@ramongoings).