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The Academic Placement Process

The academic placement process in political science is fairly centralized and has a general structure, with variations. Here, I lay out the general outline of the calendar you need to keep in mind when planning your future job search. Keep in mind that you will need to mesh two different calendars–the completion of your degree, and the search for a job. The two overlap in ways that can make it seem difficult to achieve both at once. Just to add to your troubles, you may also be applying for post-doctoral fellowships at the same time. The calendar for the job search begins in the summer, when most schools determine what slots they need to fill, negotiate the job description, and start posting ads. Small schools usually go first to grab you before some bigger and more prestigious place snaps you up. By spring, most openings are for temporary and non-tenure track positions.

1. Start Here

Although I recommend you prepare yourself for this moment from the day you enter the program, we can say the “real” start date for the actual job search is in the summer before you finish the dissertation. By August, you should start the process.

start gathering the information for your placement file, and give this information to the Graduate Secretary; see information on putting together the file
contact the people who will be writing letters of reference for you, and ask them to add their letter to this file
let the Graduate Secretary and Placement Director know your plans

2. Get Friendly with the APSA

The American Political Science Association provides two main resources for you:

The Annual Meeting Placement Service (beginning of September)-At the Annual Meeting, the APSA facilitates meetings between employers and job seekers. You need to sign up online during the summer, and post your curriculum vitae (c.v.). At the Annual Meeting, those who have looked at your c.v. and are interested will contact you to set up a meeting. This is a “first cut” interview and you still have to go through the rest of the process afterwards. The schools that rely most heavily on this service typically are small, with limited budgets to bring people in for interviews.
The eJobs Website--Just about all jobs in political science are posted on the eJobs website. You must be a member of APSA to gain access to this--so join up now! Check the listings every week.
Other sources of job listings are: www.AcademicCareers.com; the Chronicle of Higher Education; and professional associations for cognate disciplines if you are pursuing an interdisciplinary degree.
- Tips for searching APSA eJobs: Under Title, you want to limit to Assistant Professor--but also check Open and Multiple Ranks. When employers are searching across ranks, they use this category. These opportunities will not necessarily show up under Assistant Professor.
- Be sure to check out the "Other" category under Field. Sometimes institutions will list a position there when they are truly open to field (but not open to rank).
- The eJobs service also lists Post Doctoral Fellowships and Non Academic positions too, so even if you are not searching for a permanent academic position you may want to check this out periodically.

3. Identify Targets and Get Moving

Determine which job openings appeal to you, given your interests, expertise, and preferences. Do not set your expectations too low–apply to the very best schools.

Follow up with the Graduate Secretary to make sure all your reference letters have arrived, and contact any faculty member who has not sent his or her letter in.
Give the Placement Director your list of target institutions at least two weeks before the due dates; these will be passed along to the Graduate Secretary on the 1st and 15th of the month so try to get those lists to the Placement Director as soon as possible; the Graduate Secretary makes copies of your file, binds them in a professonal folder, puts them in an envelope, and sends them out.
Meanwhile, you should send in an initial letter of interest (well before the deadline) describing why you are the perfect candidate for the job; include your c.v. and indicate that the full file will be sent shortly by the Department.
Contact faculty to let them know which schools you have applied to, in case they know someone there and would put in a good word for you.
If the target department is interested in you, they should contact you for any further information they need; they will whittle down the applicants to a long short list and then to a final list of those they intend to interview; four to six weeks after the closing date, if you have not heard from the places to which you have applied, you should contact the departments to follow up.

4. The Invitation and Interview

Interview invitations start going out as early as end of September/ beginning of October, and most are completed by the end of February. As we get into March, most job postings are for temporary jobs and not tenure-track positions, although a few good ones do emerge at this time.

When you receive an invitation to interview, you will be expected to visit the campus of the institution for one to two days
You will need to develop an excellent job talk and, depending on institution, a more general talk or teaching lecture
You will meet most people in the department, and often someone from the administration
See future Placement Series session on The Interview for more details on this crucial step

5. Post-Interview

After the interview, send a thank you note to the Department Chair. The school will interview more than one candidate, and eventually make an offer to one (or more, if they can get the dean to agree). They will usually give you a time period within which to make your decision on whether to accept. During this time, if you get another interview you should contact them to let them know. If you get another job offer, this will give you leverage in bargaining with the department. Discuss your offer(s) with faculty members for advice. When you make your final decision, it is final–if you accept, then you have committed to go to that school the next year.


Home \| Contact GVPT
	The Academic Placement Process Home > Graduate Program > Graduate Student Placement > The Academic Placement Process The academic placement process in political science is fairly centralized and has a general structure, with variations. Here, I lay out the general outline of the calendar you need to keep in mind when planning your future job search. Keep in mind that you will need to mesh two different calendars–the completion of your degree, and the search for a job. The two overlap in ways that can make it seem difficult to achieve both at once. Just to add to your troubles, you may also be applying for post-doctoral fellowships at the same time. The calendar for the job search begins in the summer, when most schools determine what slots they need to fill, negotiate the job description, and start posting ads. Small schools usually go first to grab you before some bigger and more prestigious place snaps you up. By spring, most openings are for temporary and non-tenure track positions. 1. Start Here Although I recommend you prepare yourself for this moment from the day you enter the program, we can say the “real” start date for the actual job search is in the summer before you finish the dissertation. By August, you should start the process. start gathering the information for your placement file, and give this information to the Graduate Secretary; see information on putting together the file contact the people who will be writing letters of reference for you, and ask them to add their letter to this file let the Graduate Secretary and Placement Director know your plans 2. Get Friendly with the APSA The American Political Science Association provides two main resources for you: The Annual Meeting Placement Service (beginning of September)-At the Annual Meeting, the APSA facilitates meetings between employers and job seekers. You need to sign up online during the summer, and post your curriculum vitae (c.v.). At the Annual Meeting, those who have looked at your c.v. and are interested will contact you to set up a meeting. This is a “first cut” interview and you still have to go through the rest of the process afterwards. The schools that rely most heavily on this service typically are small, with limited budgets to bring people in for interviews. The eJobs Website--Just about all jobs in political science are posted on the eJobs website. You must be a member of APSA to gain access to this--so join up now! Check the listings every week. Other sources of job listings are: www.AcademicCareers.com; the Chronicle of Higher Education; and professional associations for cognate disciplines if you are pursuing an interdisciplinary degree. Tips for searching APSA eJobs: Under Title, you want to limit to Assistant Professor--but also check Open and Multiple Ranks. When employers are searching across ranks, they use this category. These opportunities will not necessarily show up under Assistant Professor. Be sure to check out the "Other" category under Field. Sometimes institutions will list a position there when they are truly open to field (but not open to rank). The eJobs service also lists Post Doctoral Fellowships and Non Academic positions too, so even if you are not searching for a permanent academic position you may want to check this out periodically. 3. Identify Targets and Get Moving Determine which job openings appeal to you, given your interests, expertise, and preferences. Do not set your expectations too low–apply to the very best schools. Follow up with the Graduate Secretary to make sure all your reference letters have arrived, and contact any faculty member who has not sent his or her letter in. Give the Placement Director your list of target institutions at least two weeks before the due dates; these will be passed along to the Graduate Secretary on the 1st and 15th of the month so try to get those lists to the Placement Director as soon as possible; the Graduate Secretary makes copies of your file, binds them in a professonal folder, puts them in an envelope, and sends them out. Meanwhile, you should send in an initial letter of interest (well before the deadline) describing why you are the perfect candidate for the job; include your c.v. and indicate that the full file will be sent shortly by the Department. Contact faculty to let them know which schools you have applied to, in case they know someone there and would put in a good word for you. If the target department is interested in you, they should contact you for any further information they need; they will whittle down the applicants to a long short list and then to a final list of those they intend to interview; four to six weeks after the closing date, if you have not heard from the places to which you have applied, you should contact the departments to follow up. 4. The Invitation and Interview Interview invitations start going out as early as end of September/ beginning of October, and most are completed by the end of February. As we get into March, most job postings are for temporary jobs and not tenure-track positions, although a few good ones do emerge at this time. When you receive an invitation to interview, you will be expected to visit the campus of the institution for one to two days You will need to develop an excellent job talk and, depending on institution, a more general talk or teaching lecture You will meet most people in the department, and often someone from the administration See future Placement Series session on The Interview for more details on this crucial step 5. Post-Interview After the interview, send a thank you note to the Department Chair. The school will interview more than one candidate, and eventually make an offer to one (or more, if they can get the dean to agree). They will usually give you a time period within which to make your decision on whether to accept. During this time, if you get another interview you should contact them to let them know. If you get another job offer, this will give you leverage in bargaining with the department. Discuss your offer(s) with faculty members for advice. When you make your final decision, it is final–if you accept, then you have committed to go to that school the next year.

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