Careers

Students get the inside scoop from real-life survivors of the academic job search

Advertisers have long understood the power of word-of-mouth endorsements. At Harvard, the Office of Career Services puts that power to work by offering regular opportunities for graduate students to hear from their peers about strategies for overcoming the many challenges of the job search. Hearing about the experiences of peers, OCS counselors say, is often far more energizing (and reassuring) than other career-prep scenarios.

Among the most popular OCS events is “Real-Life Stories from the Academic Job Market,” the most recent iteration of which was held this past January. PhD students planning a career in academia had the chance to hear from three colleagues in different disciplines, whose experiences added up to a hopeful narrative about the importance of persistence and confidence in the face of long odds.

The lesson is, of course, that students should draw on every possible source of inspiration and support as they confront an academic job market that is perhaps more daunting than at any other time in memory. They should explore not only the many resources of their departments and disciplines, and the professional development services offered by the Graduate School and the Office of Career Services; they should also make use of the resource closest at hand — their own classmates. As Laura Malisheski, OCS’s assistant director of PhD advising, put it, “Your friends now will be among your closest colleagues during your career. Treat those relationships with respect, because these are the people who will one day be reviewing your grants and papers.”

One of the panelists in OCS’s “Real-Life Stories” event was Chaitanya Lakkimsetti, whose PhD in sociology is from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and who spent the year as a Harvard College Fellow in the Committee on Degrees in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. Her interests lie in the areas of sexualities and social movements; culture, identity and citizenship; and globalization and transnational social movements.

Lakkimsetti advised PhD students to get involved in job-market workshops and conferences and to build community around your job search, so it “feels like people are watching out for you.” Know when not to take things personally, she said, and when to let things go. Try to enjoy the excitement of the job search, to use it as a tool for learning about yourself, and to stay open to all the possibilities that present themselves.

Maia McAleavey, who received her PhD in English from Harvard and is now an assistant professor of English at Boston College, advised students to start early by getting a handle on what credentials are needed in your particular discipline (publications, conferences, etc.) before you start a search, and by consciously beginning to act like a colleague — not a student — around faculty.

McAleavey, who specializes in the Victorian novel (she is completing a book on the surprising prevalence of bigamy in novels of the era), also advised students to “create a scaffold of support beyond your advisor” — for reasons of mental health as well as professional utility. She said she applied for all the jobs (postdocs and fellowships as well) available in her field across the country, some in places she didn’t want to live, and had four interviews, two campus visits, and one job offer. She learned that rejection goes hand in hand with success. Interviewers want to like you, she said, and everybody wants it to work out, but schools are most likely looking for something very specific that you probably won’t know about.

Liam Revell, whose Harvard PhD is in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, is now an assistant professor of biology at UMass Boston. He encouraged students on the job hunt to actively engage in their professional online communities, to make themselves visible and helpful to others. In addition to his professional website, he was a regular contributor to a listserv aimed at scientists with shared research interests, establishing himself as a productive, thoughtful member of the community.

Revell, whose work focuses on the development and application of new phylogenetic methods for evolutionary biology, also hinted at the importance of structuring a CV in ways that meet each discipline’s particular norms or expectations. Although most science CVs list publications at the end, Revell said he followed some unconventional guidance from his advisor and put his publications at the top. This may not be the right choice for everyone, but students can learn a lot from looking at a variety of CVs from people in their fields, and by consulting with Malisheski and the other OCS GSAS counselors to craft the most targeted CV they can.

Revell ended with a bit cautionary humor. When you’re on a campus visit, keep in mind that everyone you meet can influence the hiring decision. “Beware of the graduate student lunch,” he said. “Never let your guard down!”