Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Fourth Time is The Charm

The 2010-2011 Job Market is upon us! A hearty welcome back to some, warm greetings to others, and condolences to all. Let us hope that this year's version is better than the last.

We are continuing to experiment with a new option in addition to the wiki, so please check it out here.

This site, now in its fourth year, was originally modeled after the successful sociology job search "blog" (the 2008-2009 iteration of which can be found here). Other disciplines have started following suit, and can themselves serve as both positive and negative exempla for us in Classics, Archaeology, and Ancient History. Links on the side of this page point to various articles and sites relevant to the academic job-hunting process and experience. If you run across others, please suggest them in the comments and we will add them. Threads below will provide a full season's worth of comments around various themes. Previous years' comments are all archived. And of course there is the ever-present and all-knowing Classics Wiki

In order to access the wiki you must be a member, so an account has been established which everybody can use, anonymously. The log-in email is:

classicswiki@gmail.com

The password is the first phrase commented upon by Austin in his Little Red Oxford commentary on the sixth book. Enter this two word phrase as oneword. If you would prefer to open a WikiDot account of your own, and would like access to the Classics Wiki hosted there, the password to gain access is the same.

We experienced a very frustrating rash of wiki vandalism two years ago, which is why we have had to resort to a less-than-open site for our wiki. Apologies for making you go through this step, but it has proven to be worth the hassle.

Etiquette

In order to encourage as many voices as possible this site will be completely driven by the comments sections. It will only be as useful (and civilized) as you all make it. We would suggest that you sign up for a Blogger ID so that you can edit your comments (and later delete them if need arises) and so that people will be able to respond to your anonymous online persona rather than a series of "anonymous" posts. Just a thought.

Do not list names on this site. As hires are announced in the spring and summer the wiki will be filled in by those made offers, and who are willing to post such information on the wiki. Any comments which reveal names, directly or indirectly by posting TMI will be deleted post-haste.

Most importantly, please, please, please maintain a supportive and helpful environment! Applicants and Search Committees are all in this together, even though it often does not feel that way. This process is brutal enough without exacerbating it by impugning the methods and motives of others. Remember, we are all present and future colleagues. Let's live up to our recent reputation (scroll down about a third of the way) as model academic citizens!

This space was created as a way for information sharing, not as a platform for launching unsubstantiated and slanderous rumors. Humor is good. Good-natured kvetching is good. Helping each other out with tips is great, and getting well-informed and well-intentioned advice from those who have gone through this wringer is truly awesome. We can all learn a great deal from each other, applicants and non-applicants alike, but only if we strive to maintain a thoughtful and graceful conversation. We should continue to discuss difficult and challenging topics, but let us try to do so in a way that shows respect for our audience and a humble regard for our own place within it!

In bocca al lupo, Quirites!

Job Announcements for 2010-2011

Please use this thread to announce new positions, whether they are in advance of the normal APA deadlines, seen on non-APA sites, or even if it is your own department that is advertising. Please do not use this space for discussion, comments, etc. unrelated to this narrow topic matter. All such comments will be moved to a more appropriate thread in order to keep this thread clean and useful.

Please follow the pattern established below, with the institution advertising as the commenter's identity, followed by a full description in the body of the text.

Dear Search Committee, Are you there? It's me, Margaret.

Because one can never be too careful

Please use this thread for straight-up questions and answers regarding the assembly of dossiers, mailing practices, letters of application, interviews, job-talks, etc. Basically anything involving the process, from A to Z.

A sometimes useful, and oftentimes entertaining, site to check out is the Chronicle of Higher Education's Discussion Forum. Two particularly relevant examples are here:

The Job Seeking Experience

The Interview Process

The threads are often not apposite, but they can be a treasure-trove of laughs and morale boosts. And don't forget to check the archives on this site for the past few years.

Klassik Kvetch Klatsch

Yes, this is the thread where everyone comes to bitch, moan, and let off some steam.