By Megan Bohn, Ph.D., NIAID Predoctoral, Postdoctoral, and Visiting Fellows Program Coordinator
The classic academic job search timeline adapted from the NIH OITE Academic Job Search Timeline.
Spring is almost here, and with it comes new beginnings and planning for the year ahead. It is during this season that many faculty search committees are taking form at academic institutions across the country. Readying to launch national searches for the next batch of new assistant professors, these committees are drafting new faculty position announcements to be posted on job boards later this summer and early fall.
Though there are always exceptions, the most significant wave of academic faculty position announcements will appear in July, peak in the early fall, and mostly subside by the end of November. This process of seeking, interviewing, and hiring candidates is all for positions that, for the most part, do not actually start until August of the following year. This lengthy faculty application cycle requires the most successful candidates—those who land their ideal jobs in one cycle—to be strategic about their job searches, selectively targeting applications for the most compatible positions. Before drafting even the first word of a job application package, it is vital for a candidate know which institutions match their credentials and also align with their research aspirations and professional values.
A well-designed application strategy is much easier said than done. Determining which institutions are the best match for an individual is a source of common confusion, even more so if the fellow is less familiar with the U.S. higher education system. The most effective strategies begin years before the actual job application cycle by simply reading job postings, becoming familiar with common requirements of these positions, and making the simple, regular habit of talking to people. Seeking knowledge from career counselors, peers, and those already in aspired-to faculty positions not only expands perspective, it also expands one’s network without that feeling of “networking” that so many junior scientists find daunting.
A great starting point in talking to people is to make an appointment with the career counselors at NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) or with staff at NIAID’s training office, the Office of Research Training and Development (ORTD). Experienced with trainees seeking all types of careers, these professional staff members provide an opportunity to chat about goals, guide self-assessments of strengths, values, and interests, and talk about matching types of faculty positions. OITE provides a year-round program of workshops and seminars on the academic job search, covering topics such as applications, interviews, and negotiating job offers, many of which are posted on the NIH OITE YouTube Channel. They further provide online resources, such as a detailed timeline of the academic job search from application to offer. NIAID ORTD is planning a four-part faculty job application skill blitz series throughout May that uses the UCSF Academic Career Readiness Assessment Tool as the basis for guiding participants through the entire process of identifying and understanding different types of higher education institutions in the United States and writing the appropriate faculty job application for each.
The most important part of any major transition is to seek support and guidance. Don’t try to do it alone! For more information about NIH and NIIAD resources, email your NIAID predoc/postdoc coordinator, Dr. Megan Bohn, at Megan.Bohn@nih.gov