When you’re on the academic job market, looking ahead to a professional review or applying for grants, it’s a great time to break your lingering undergrad habit of completing applications 15 minutes before midnight on deadline day.
Instead, you should get feedback on your materials to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward. Whether it’s from your dissertation advisor, the jobs coordinator in your department, a professor you’re friendly with, or a peer who’s been there and knows what it’s about, your letters of recommendation, teaching statements, and project statements can be improved with a second set of eyes. Here are some tips to help you request—and get the most out of—feedback on your academic work.
1. Pick the Right Person
The “right person” is going to vary depending on the job, placement, or funding opportunity that you’re aiming for, as well as your specific concerns about your application. If you’re fretting about your grasp of the subject matter at hand, ask someone who’s got it down—and be sure to let them know that’s why you’re asking.
If you’re most worried about the quality of your writing, ask somebody with strong writing skills. Even better, someone who you already know is great at commenting on other people’s writing and academic work. If you’re lucky enough to have a connection with someone who has experience with the department or program you’re applying for, ask them to use their institutional knowledge to assess whether your materials strike the right tone.
2. Leave Plenty of Time
The person who’s willing to comment on your academic work is doing you a favor, so you should make the experience as seamless as possible for them. That means finishing drafts of your documents with plenty of time to spare so that the commentator can fit their review into their own schedule. Ask your commentator how much time they need and set yourself a new deadline accordingly—and be sure to budget on the other end for your own turnaround time. You don’t want to give your commentator three weeks with a document, only to have them send it back on the eve of the deadline with revision suggestions that will require heavy lifting and no time to work through it all on your end.
3. Provide Context for Your Academic Work
At the bare minimum, your commentator needs to know what kind of promotion or funding opportunity you’re applying for. When you’re ready to share your academic work for their review, include the link to the desired role or opportunity. This will help provide a bit of framing so they can better understand your approach.
Include answers to questions like:
- What do you think your chances of getting this job or grant might be, and why do you think you might be a good fit?
- What are your concerns about the draft materials you have produced?
- Are there any problem areas you want the person to address?
The more explicit you can be about the kind of feedback you’re seeking, the better. By making it clear that you’re asking for a particular kind of feedback, you can make the experience easier for everyone.
4. Be Respectful About the Feedback
It’s only human to bristle when criticized, but try to remember that they are doing you a favor and you shouldn’t feel defensive. Send an extremely polite reply email or handwritten note thanking them for their efforts. Definitely check in about any notes you would like further clarification on, but only if you truly don’t understand the feedback—make sure you aren’t just being reactive. If you know it will take you a while to process the feedback and make revisions, build that recovery space into your timeline.
With some preparation and the right mindset, getting feedback on the materials you’re using to present yourself when applying for jobs, fellowships, grants, or future study can help you sharpen your portfolio—while strengthening your relationships along the way. And if somebody asks you for feedback in the future, say yes! Keep that karma flowing.
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.
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