Assembling your Application Materials

Photo by Carol Ormand, courtesy of Carol Ormand.

For most academic positions, you'll need

The resources below are designed to help you prepare these.

You may also find these tips, from alumni of the NAGT/NSF sponsored workshops for Early Career Faculty in the Geosciences, valuable.

Resources

The basics of science c.v.'s: In this article, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Rick Reis discusses the purpose, content, and organization of a c.v. He includes two versions of a c.v. for the same person, applying for jobs at a research university and for an institution that emphasizes teaching.
The c.v. doctor: In this article, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Mary Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick critique five sample c.v.'s, submitted to them for that purpose. Specifically, they show how to highlight your key qualifications.
The Academic Job Search Handbook, by Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick, describes how to assemble a vita and shows many examples from a variety of disciplines.
Preparing application materials: (Microsoft Word 23kB Oct18 05) This is an excerpt from the academic job search resource guide, by the Career Advising and Planning Services at the University of Chicago. It includes information on preparing a c.v. and cover letters, and also on getting letters of reference.
The curriculum vitae and letter of application: (Acrobat (PDF) 196kB Oct18 05) This handout, also from the Career Advising and Planning Services at the University of Chicago, examines the c.v. and cover letter in detail, and shows a few examples of each from a variety of disciplines.

Here's an online worksheet for developing your teaching statement, based on activities from the Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences Workshops. Or, if you prefer, you can download a paper copy. (Microsoft Word 39kB Oct29 05)
How to write a statement of teaching philosophy: In this article, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Gabriela Montell details how to identify your teaching philosophy, as well as how to write a strong, personalized statement about it.
Writing a teaching philosophy statement, an article on Rick Reis' "Tomorrow's Professor" Mailing List, walks you through the process of writing a statement of teaching philosophy by examining your teaching objectives, your methods of achieving those objectives, and how you assess your effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions about the statement of teaching philosophy: This page is a wealth of resources -- besides answering FAQs, it includes links to samples of teaching philosophies and to pages about how to write a statement of teaching philosophy.
The Academic Job Search Handbook, by Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick, has examples of statements of teaching philosophy.

How to Write an Effective Research Statement, (PowerPoint 197kB Jul6 06) from the Career Services office at the University of Pennsylvania, is a powerpoint presentation summarizing the purpose of a research statement and describing how to make both the content and the format effective.
Developing a Research Statement (PowerPoint 69kB Aug21 06) is a presentation by Armand Tanguay, Jr., at the University of Southern California, summarizing the key elements of a research statement.
The Academic Job Search Handbook, by Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick, has several examples of descriptions of research interests.

Getting great letters of recommendation: Rick Reis describes what you can do to get the strongest letters of recommendation possible, in this article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Preparing application materials: (Microsoft Word 23kB Oct18 05) This is an excerpt from the academic job search resource guide, by the Career Advising and Planning Services at the University of Chicago. It includes information on preparing a c.v. and cover letters, and also on getting letters of reference.
The academic pyramid club: In this article, published by the Chronicle of Higher Education, James Lang describes several simple things you can do to make it easier for your references to write you strong letters of reference.

The basics of cover letter writing: In this article, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Rick Reis shows an example of a tailor-written cover letter and analyzes what the author does right.
How to write appealing cover letters: In this column from the Chronicle of Higher Education, Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick describe what should be in your cover letter, and give three example letters, each with strengths and weaknesses.
Preparing application materials: (Microsoft Word 23kB Oct18 05) This is an excerpt from the academic job search resource guide, by the Career Advising and Planning Services at the University of Chicago. It includes information on preparing a c.v. and cover letters, and also on getting letters of reference.
The curriculum vitae and letter of application: (Acrobat (PDF) 196kB Oct18 05) This handout, also from the Career Advising and Planning Services at the University of Chicago, examines the c.v. and cover letter in detail, and shows a few examples of each from a variety of disciplines.
Writing an academic job application letter: This webpage, by Heidi Bostic, in the humanities department of Michigan Technological University, includes tips on customizing your application letter, as well as two sample cover letters for applications to two different kinds of institutions.

In addition to looking in the ads, talk to many colleagues. They may know of a position that is open or that will open soon. Look early and often to see what the trend in your field is.
I am currently in a job that I never expected to get. I applied only because one of the faculty encouraged me to, even though it was my dream job. I have heard a number of people say they weren't going to apply for a job because they wouldn't get interviewed. My advice- apply for any jobs that look like they would fit you- you never know!
Don't apply for a job that you aren't interested in taking (and if you're part of a dual career couple, in a place where you both don't have real opportunities).
For the job search, don't give up. You only need one offer to make it worthwhile. Ask friends/colleagues/people you know who have gotten jobs and ask them to send you copies of their letter of application, teaching and research statements, etc. so you get some ideas for your own application.
Talk to as many people as possible from different universities. I found that the advice I got from faculty where I was [studying was] different from what other schools were looking for. First, look for advice from folks at universities similar to where you will be applying. Second, do a lot of research on the university ahead of time and find out what they are really looking for, not what their announcement says they are looking for. They are not always the same.