Transcript of ACLA Graduate Student Professionalization Roundtable
(ACLA Annual Conference 2005, Penn State University)

This transcript was taken from the professionalization round table at the 2005 annual conference at Penn State, entitled Job Seeking (and Keeping) at Different Types of Institutions: A Workshop Co-Sponsored by the Graduate Caucus and the ADPCL." The round table was moderated by Corinne Scheiner (Colorado College). The panelists were Gail Finney (University of California, Davis), Karen Smith (Clarion University) and Corinne Scheiner. The panelist chosen were representative of three different kinds of universities (research universities, regional state college or university, and liberal arts college) and offered suggestions as to how graduate students could prepare for the job market.

RESEARCH UNIVERITIES: Gail Finney (University of California, Davis)

According to Gail Finney, there are three stages for preparing for the job market: preparing the cover letter and dossier of materials, the MLA interview, and on-campus interviews. Her advice concerning where to apply for positions: apply to everything! Give campuses the opportunity to surprise you with what they have to offer. Dr Finney's general advice: "preparation, preparation, preparation" as the key to success.

-Cover letter: Advertise that you are a Comparative Literature student with specialties in particular fields of discipline. Emphasize your range (languages, areas of expertise). Condense your dissertation into a single paragraph in the cover letter. List your research interests beyond the dissertation. Include courses you have taught and would like to teach. Discuss the strengths of the program to which you are applying. The length of the cover letter should be 1-2 pages, single spaced, at most. Prepare a teaching philosophy statement that discusses your pedagogical interests and goals; talk about why you are teaching, would like to be a teacher at that particular university, and what that university will allow you to do as a teacher. Dr Finney also recommends, when in doubt, send it out! Give the program enough materials so that they would have to ask for more. If you are planning to apply for a jobs different departments (French and English, for example), then prepare materials in both languages. Also, try to have an evaluation letter from a professor who has watched you teach a language course.

-MLA interview: Prepare! Learn and research everything you can about the department or program, the university itself, its location and its faculty. Study the courses that are offered at that university and try to find a way show how you would fill in a gap in the department's or program's philosophy or teaching. Be prepared to discuss why you are interested in this job in every aspect. As far as your research is concerned, by prepared to present your dissertation in a variety of formats: one sentence, one minute, five minutes. Be prepared to discuss how this work feeds into future research. As far as appearance is concerned, look professional in an academic sense.

-Campus interview: According to Dr Finney, if you are fortunate enough to have one, the campus interview is non-stop and intense. You will meet faculty and students constantly. You will need to be ready to present a lecture and teach a class. In this part of the process, you should feel that the program or department is pretty interested in you; they will be trying to sell themselves to you. You should, in turn, try to sell yourself to them. Remember, you are an applicant, not a supplicant: the department of program is looking for a future colleague, and you need to make a transition from graduate student to professor in this part of the application process.

REGIONAL STATE UNIVERSITIES or COLLEGES: Karen Smith (Clarion College)

Dr. Smith discussed the process of applying for a job in a regional state university or college. The teaching load for these jobs will be a higher than for research or liberal arts colleges, but that is due to the fact that teaching is the focus of these positions. What are the advantages of these institutions? There is less stress to publish, students generally have a more open attitude, and faculty are generally unionized.

-Dossier: There should be evidence of research interests in the cover letter, but it should emphasize teaching and pedagogy. The CV should show teaching capabilities, as well as professional and community service. Dossiers should contain teaching materials, evaluations, and syllabi. For letters of recommendation, ask reviewers to highlight potential as a teacher. Get class evaluations by professors and advisors and include these in dossier requests, as well.

-Interview stage: Comparatists should have an advantage. Many of these positions advertise for generalists or world literature survey courses. Be ready, for on-campus interviews, to teach a class. Be prepared to discuss classroom policies. Also, be prepared to relate to students who are first-time or first-generation students, or adult students; to diverse cultural or regional groups. During the on-campus interview, be aware of the region or area in more depth; show interest in the region and its particular needs. Be aware of the particular mission of the university and its relation to the community.

LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE: Corinne Scheiner (Colorado College)

Dr. Scheiner suggests that, when looking at liberal arts colleges, be prepared to demonstrate everything. Be prepared to discuss what is being done or has been done beyond the dissertation. These positions are looking for fit and collegiality, so be personable and engaging. During the interview process, be stimulating and conversational.

For a liberal arts college position, you must be both a teacher and a scholar. Most liberal arts colleges are teaching colleges, and fewer are research college, so be prepared to discuss teaching and pedagogy. For on-campus interviews, ask about teaching load. Again, be prepared to teach a class, and find out whether or not it is an actual class or not. If required to give a lecture or presentation, present on your best topic, one that demonstrates your strength as a teacher. Reflect often on teaching in general and what you have done well, and what you can do well in the future. As far as a getting a job, remember to always be personable and approachable.

Questions for the panelists:

-Q: What about web site or visual materials?
-A: Print out all online materials; do not depend on being able to access a web site or online materials. The same goes for visual materials. Have hand outs prepared. All of these items should be in your permanent dossier, ready for distribution.

-Q: How many observations should I have?
-A: Try to have more than one kind of observation (teaching literature, language, writing or composition, etc.) and keep it on record.

Additional Resources:

University of Illinois - Urbana / Champaign Graduate College Career Service Office: Numerous resources for going on the academic job market