tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post5068558108788391051..comments2024-03-15T01:11:32.832-07:00Comments on Bardiac: Searching and SeekingBardiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-10023309872527657682008-11-19T13:56:00.000-08:002008-11-19T13:56:00.000-08:00I think the reason someone would mention his/her c...I think the reason someone would mention his/her children or home life would be to test the waters to see if the place where they are interviewing is family-friendly. For some people that is a deal breaker. Of course, in the academic world, just getting a job is such a big deal that it's not as if you can be choosy about such things...Fie upon this quiet life!https://www.blogger.com/profile/12047096700049201873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-18691670681653780472008-11-17T20:28:00.000-08:002008-11-17T20:28:00.000-08:00I don't know much about the hiring practices in ac...I don't know much about the hiring practices in academia, but seriously, someone -- more than one -- wrote in the CV or cover about being a parent? Seriously? What planet are these people from? Why on earth would I care? I recently interviewed someone for a management position and was surprised that he mentioned he wanted a job near where he lived rather than commute 70 miles because of his 10 yr old daughter and 8 yr old son. We quickly moved on to other topics, but I can't believe that he didn't say something more like 'I don't want to continue the drive with the high price of gas' or 'I want to be closer to home' without the specifics of his homelife. Why do people think that this is important? I don't care about their hobbies or their home; I care about whether they can do the job. Period.Anne Camillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12419931136194330529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-69111014459896493852008-11-16T12:34:00.000-08:002008-11-16T12:34:00.000-08:00Makes sense. I'm so weirdly interdisciplinary, th...Makes sense. I'm so weirdly interdisciplinary, that some things I apply for might be stretches in some regards (or perceived as stretches) but if I think I can make my case I'll try. <BR/><BR/>fwiw, if someone from an ivy tries to claim expertise in my area of specialization, they are really really stretching. My area doesn't exist at any of the ivies. Unless they got their experience and scholarly background elsewhere, they are either lying or they don't know what they don't know.k8https://www.blogger.com/profile/07547334819703279971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-71654725961638874422008-11-16T06:40:00.000-08:002008-11-16T06:40:00.000-08:00Exactly. It seems like there's a level of common ...Exactly. It seems like there's a level of common sense that some people totally lack. I guess it goes back to that whole cliche about common sense not being all that common....Midwife with a Knifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04309579302399381913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-75143577751396631542008-11-16T06:01:00.000-08:002008-11-16T06:01:00.000-08:00I agree -- and recall the pain of reading the desp...I agree -- and recall the pain of reading the desperate letters. At BNCC we hire pretty late in the cycle -- I think our last full-time search had a close date of early March with interviews starting in late March/early April. By then we'd get a couple hundred or so applications, at least half of which didn't meet the basic qualifications -- or, we couldn't see that from their CV.<BR/><BR/>I look to the letter for clarification and extension on the CV... so, if their CV lists "courses taught" -- but not how often or how long they've been teaching in general, I expect that in the CV. Also, diversity experience often can't be communicated in the CV, so I'm looking at the letter for that as well. I do think it is pretty weird to waste space with your Adviser's bio-- who cares?<BR/><BR/>As a 100% teaching school, I'm much less interested in the dissertation topic than whether or not it is finished. A list of publications, especially stuff that looks like the same basic paper over and over again looks pretty fishy to me as well -- what I'm interested in is how you've prepared yourself for OUR job.<BR/><BR/>Finally -- when they get an interview, the kiss of death is somehow talking down to us. If you talk down to your interview committee, how will you treat our students?Inside the Philosophy Factoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12255753259090709877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-52789262041819196712008-11-15T23:37:00.000-08:002008-11-15T23:37:00.000-08:00Okay, I applied for a couple of "Hail Mary" jobs, ...Okay, I applied for a couple of "Hail Mary" jobs, and I feel a little foolish now. Two, in particular, were jobs in Theater departments, but my degree is in literature -- dramatic literature, specializing in Shakespeare, but I did my broader course work in world drama. The ads said that having someone with a literary background would be a plus, but not necessary. I do have acting experience (9 plays), and my undergrad degree is in music performance, during which I performed constantly, so I know my way around a stage. But I'm not sure, now, if I should have applied and wasted my printer cartridge. Working in a Theater department would be a fantastic interdisciplinary opportunity for me, and I would really love being a part of theater again. But I'm wondering what search committees might think...Fie upon this quiet life!https://www.blogger.com/profile/12047096700049201873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-84143480992179111742008-11-15T15:47:00.000-08:002008-11-15T15:47:00.000-08:00I found that a really helpful post - thanks!Especi...I found that a really helpful post - thanks!<BR/><BR/>Especially the line:<BR/><BR/><I>I care that the work you do sounds interesting and that you explain it so that I can understand it, because if you can explain it to me, then you will probably be the sort of teacher who can explain things to our students.</I><BR/><BR/>I had never made that connection between being able to explain things in a cover letter, and being able to teach, but now you mention it it's obvious that this is something people might look for. Nice!StyleyGeekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10287051608503966129noreply@blogger.com