You recently participated in a virtual session focused on helping Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals navigate the academic job market. What recommendations do you have for job-seeking PhD students?
You want to be organized. You will apply to multiple institutions, and you want to keep track of where you apply, when you applied, what documents you submitted, as well as what response you received from each school.
When you reach the negotiation phase after an offer is made, you can utilize social media as well as your own network to see what others received in their hiring packages. Think beyond benefits and pay and consider equipment and assistance to get your research up and running.
I want to also emphasize that moving to a new job is expensive. You really want to plan financially for moving and possible gaps in pay.
How can institutions see excellence in prospective employees that go beyond what is on their résumé?
Search committee members need to go beyond themselves and stop trying to find someone who is their “mini-me.” Members also need to have an upfront conversation about the biases they have. You want to look for excellence but dive deeper. What privileges may have contributed to that excellence? Someone may look excellent because they had certain advantages. Another candidate may be just as talented but did not have the same privilege.
You received a grant to fund a project that will investigate career services in graduate library and information science programs. How can career services help these students?
The grant was won through a competition via the Association for Library and Information Science Education. I will be researching how library and information science graduate programs are preparing students for the job market. I will survey students to see what they need in terms of career services and preparation as well as what currently is being offered through these graduate programs.
Research shows that even at the graduate level, students may possess limited knowledge of the profession they plan to enter. For those without professional role models, career development and preparation services are particularly vital.
How can institutions improve the job application/hiring process for BIPOC scholars?
Transparency. Institutions owe it to candidates to inform them of where the committee is in the search process. A quick note updating candidates on the timeline is helpful to ease candidate anxieties around the process. As I mentioned, an honest conversation about biases among search committee members is necessary. Search committee members should also be aware of the current climate for job seekers. They can gain insights from personal stories shared on social media. There’s no shortage of cautionary tales that will help institutions do a better job with their own hiring processes. From these personal stories institutions can learn how their peers landed a candidate, or why they lost one.
How can institutions prepare their students for the academic job market?
Institutions can offer unique ways to increase visibility for their PhD students. For example, UB has the Visiting Future Faculty Program, which brings together doctoral students from all over the country to present their research.
These events and practices need funding, and students need financial help as well. PhD students, particularly students from underrepresented backgrounds, may not have the capital to pay for travel and other expenses. If you want your program to have students placed at the best institutions, then your program needs to provide opportunities and resources for students to be seen.
You recently participated in a virtual session focused on helping Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals navigate the academic job market. What recommendations do you have for job-seeking PhD students?
You want to be organized. You will apply to multiple institutions, and you want to keep track of where you apply, when you applied, what documents you submitted, as well as what response you received from each school.
When you reach the negotiation phase after an offer is made, you can utilize social media as well as your own network to see what others received in their hiring packages. Think beyond benefits and pay and consider equipment and assistance to get your research up and running.
I want to also emphasize that moving to a new job is expensive. You really want to plan financially for moving and possible gaps in pay.
How can institutions see excellence in prospective employees that go beyond what is on their resume?
Search committee members need to go beyond themselves and stop trying to find someone who is their “mini-me.” Members also need to have an upfront conversation about the biases they have. You want to look for excellence but dive deeper. What privileges may have contributed to that excellence? Someone may look excellent because they had certain advantages. Another candidate may be just as talented but did not have the same privilege.
How can institutions improve the job application/hiring process for BIPOC scholars?
Transparency. Institutions owe it to candidates to inform them of where the committee is in the search process. A quick note updating candidates on the timeline is helpful to ease candidate anxieties around the process. As I mentioned, an honest conversation about biases among search committee members is necessary. Search committee members should also be aware of the current climate for job seekers. They can gain insights from personal stories shared on social media. There’s no shortage of cautionary tales that will help institutions do a better job with their own hiring processes. From these personal stories institutions can learn how their peers landed a candidate, or why they lost one.
You received a grant to fund a project that will investigate career services in graduate library and information science programs. How can career services help these students?
The grant was won through a competition via the Association for Library and Information Science Education. I will be researching how library and information science graduate programs are preparing students for the job market. I will survey students to see what they need in terms of career services and preparation as well as what currently is being offered through these graduate programs.
Research shows that even at the graduate level, students may possess limited knowledge of the profession they plan to enter. For those without professional role models, career development and preparation services are particularly vital.
How can institutions prepare their students for the academic job market?
Institutions can offer unique ways to increase visibility for their PhD students. For example, UB has the Visiting Future Faculty Program, which brings together doctoral students from all over the country to present their research.
These events and practices need funding, and students need financial help as well. PhD students, particularly students from underrepresented backgrounds, may not have the capital to pay for travel and other expenses. If you want your program to have students placed at the best institutions, then your program needs to provide opportunities and resources for students to be seen.
