AFSNews Careers Column June 1995

Careers

Resourceful job seekers have an amazing amount of materials available to them: information on all kinds of careers, planning a job search, preparing for and surviving an interview, identifying potential employers, making the transition from school to work or from one career to another, networking, and many other topics. Books on resumes abound, from the generic to the career- specific. But for some reason, few resources are tailored to the needs of people looking for work in higher education.

One such volume, The Academic Job Search Handbook by Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992), is a valuable addition to the job-search literature. Heiberger and Vick discuss career paths in higher education as well as the hiring process. They present a timetable for applying for academic positions. They address the importance of networking and of making presentations at professional meetings. They write about application materials, including cover letters, dissertation abstracts, and other documents such as teaching philosophy and a statement of research interests. They describe various types of interview settings, and they explain the tenure process.

Perhaps the most significant contribution Heiberger and Vick make is their inclusion of sample vitas. The curriculum vitae (c.v.) is the standard academic resume. Unfortunately, most of us have had little or no guidance in preparing this important document. At best, we have modeled our own vitas on those of our friends or our professors. The Academic Job Search Handbook describes the organization and content of the vita and includes samples from a variety of fields, including the humanities and social sciences.

Heiberger and Vick have compiled a resource that will be invaluable to all but the most experienced academic job seekers. I heartily recommend it.

If you have suggestions for future columns, please contact me at Career Services, Lucina Hall, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306 (tel: 765/285-2430; fax: 765/285-3757; e-mail: 00jpgoodwin@bsuvc.bsu.edu).

Joseph P. Goodwin Ball State University