Departmental Placement

[princepaul]

So how are everyone's departments faring in this tough market? I've heard that many - like half - of the job market candidates at places like Wisconsin and Michigan are not getting any bites?

[hopeful]

I am in a top-20 department and only 1 of the ~9 people on the market has received a job offer to date. There have been a few interviews, but things have been pretty bleak.

[notonthemarketyet]

I'm not on the market yet, but good friend of mine is in a top-10 department and he has only made 3 short lists, and has had no interviews. And he has pubs.

there are lots of job openings and people are getting hired (according to the wiki) so who is getting hired?

[Placement]

I'm in a top 10 ranked department. From what I know thus far, I would be shocked if more than half of our candidates got jobs. I think it will be more like a one-in-three placement rate for us. I would guess the situation is somewhat similar at other highly ranked departments.

[anonomass]

I'm in a top 10 department, 4 of us (that I know of) are on the job market this year, so far 2 of us have had 1 interview each (both interviews this week) and a few other nibbles, but no offers. The other two have had a couple of nibbles (short lists/long lists) but no interviews. Everyone is now pretty much hoping for postdocs or a VAP at best.

The 2 who had interviews are a current postdoc (who also graduated from our program and stuck around a few more years as a postdoc) and an ABD student with 3 pubs and a couple of R & Rs- and that person had an interview at a SLAC. The postdoc has an interview at an R1, but it's not for a sociology department.

So my guess as to where the jobs are going is: rockstars and postdocs.

[junto]

I heard from the chair of one search committee at public school probably in the 50-80 range that they were only looking at applications from people with at least five publications, one of which had to be in a big name journal. I don't know who they eventually interviewed (not me!).

[anons]

Feb 4, 2010 14:43:05 GMT -5 @junto said:

I heard from the chair of one search committee at public school probably in the 50-80 range that they were only looking at applications from people with at least five publications, one of which had to be in a big name journal. I don't know who they eventually interviewed (not me!).

How many applicants out there really have that many publications? Or is it mostly post docs and asst profs?

[any]

In a top 10 program here with 8 people on the market. Only 2 people have had interviews at R1s. No offers . Bad year.

[perrrault]

Top 30, 10 people on the market, 3 had interviews, 0 have jobs.

[reporting]

In a top 20 dept, there are about 5 people on the job market. As far as I know I'm the only person who has gotten any in-person interviews. It's too early to say whether I'll have an offer.
Last year we had about 10 people on the market and only 3 got offers at 4-year schools, and 2 of those had been in grad school for a very long time.

[badyear]

I'm in a top 30 program and I think there are probably 6 or 7 on the market. Only two have had on campus interviews. Two others had some nibbles (phone interviews). So far none of us have received any offers. Here's to postdocs, hopefully!

[Not so bad]

On a more positive note, I'm from a top 5 department and have had pretty good luck. I do have a few pubs (but not in top journals) and have research and teaching experience. After applying to 70+ places, I've had 3 campus interviews, made one other short list, and have received offers from the places I interviewed. A few other people from my department are placing well too, so I don't think it's impossible to get a job (maybe not at your top choice, but a job) in this economy if you apply to enough places and have a well-rounded CV.

[not that bad here either]

There are 10 people on the market in my top 5 department. 2 of these people have done quite well as has been discussed in other places on this board. Of the remaining 8-- 1 has taken a job at a liberal arts college and 5 others have had at least one on-campus interview for a tenure-track position but their fates are still uncertain. These people have a range of research interests and publication records and only one is currently in a postdoc.

[top5]

Feb 4, 2010 20:30:29 GMT -5 @not that bad here either said:

There are 10 people on the market in my top 5 department. 2 of these people have done quite well as has been discussed in other places on this board. Of the remaining 8-- 1 has taken a job at a liberal arts college and 5 others have had at least one on-campus interview for a tenure-track position but their fates are still uncertain. These people have a range of research interests and publication records and only one is currently in a postdoc.

Don't make it easy for people to figure out where you're at or anything!

[ifonly]

Ahhhh, if only we all could be in a top 5 department...