Folks in the know regarding federal jobs, gave the wrk4us listserv this awesome behind-the-scenes for federal hiring (from emails on February 22 and 23, 2010).
If you are applying for a job that is hiring at GS-9, GS-11, or GS-12, HR people will sort the applications (sometimes an expert panel will do the sorting; don't count on it).
The HR people will give the hiring organization the top 3 candidates for each GS-level. This means if you want a fighting chance at the job, you need to be in the top 3 for the level you're applying for (this is where the advice to shoot low makes sense). I would also assume this is when we should follow the advice that we need to make our research and qualifications understandable to the general public.
If you play it safe and apply for a GS-9, qualify as a GS-9, and receive an offer, you will be a GS-9 employee. No backtracking, i.e. "actually since I'm clearly awesome enough for a GS-9 position, how about you hire me at GS-11, where I would obviously still be awesome." Doesn't work, so don't ask. Something to consider when applying for a job that has multiple classifications. See earlier post about GS-9 vs GS-11 positions.
Also, wrk4us listserv folks have been asking about cover letters for federal job applications.
Yippee for us, there are no cover letters. So no agonizing over pitching ourselves in 1 page or less.
Bad for us is that our skill sets are easily checked off off a list of predetermined choices.
One wrk4us respondent (from February 23, 2010) said that her job application had a questionnaire section. I assume this poster got her job several years ago, but I would guess that the application set-up is still mostly unchanged.
In her application, she had to select from multiple choice answers, but that each MC question had an essay section in which to elaborate. This poster said that some questions she was both A and B, or A and C, or whatever. She chose the best MC question and then used the essay section for that question to discuss experience, expertise, training, whatever. In her email to the listserv she said that there would be questions like "Choose the statement that best describes your experience in XYZ," with answer choices like "I perform XYZ independently" and "I require supervision from a superior while doing XYZ."
The poster said that a lot of the questions about her experience were hard to answer because she was applying on her TA/RA and dissertation research experience. So technically she didn't work completely independently (since she had a faculty member to report to for her RA work) but her dissertation research wasn't exactly done under supervision. I think she recommended going with "worked under supervision" as the MC answer, and then emphasizing in the essay the independent nature of dissertation research and RA work. I suppose your answers on these kinds of questions will also depend on the classification for which you are applying. This poster also reminded us that our resumes should accurately reflect what ever our answer is on the MC and in the essay portions.
In my very very very limited experience with this kind of hiring stuff, I think I had to upload my resume before answering these questions. I didn't apply for a federal job--it was a research/policy gig--but the institute was tied very closely to the federal government. I guess you can always upload your resume, do the job questions, bail on the application if you realize your resume does not support your essay explanations (like if your resume pitches you more as an independent researcher instead of a team player) and then do the application all over once you revise your resume. I don't recommend that, simply on the principle that doing the same application twice wastes time, but sometimes you don't know what you're going to get into.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
more on GS levels
Back at it after a week of dissertation/publication nonsense and a weekend off. I've finally had a chance to work through my wrk4us digests and am overwhelmed by all the good info I've had sitting in my inbox.
I have several posts in the works; this one piggybacks on an earlier post and gives more info than a wikipedia link. [I can't believe I gave you a wiki link. I would fail me for incompetence and laziness except I know all you On the Hunt readers regularly use wikipedia].
Here's some more details on GS levels.
GS-9 jobs in the past have tended to be "team member" jobs. GS-12 tend to be the "team leaders." To take this out of corporatespeak and put it into academicese: GS-12=faculty. GS-9=RA/TA. GS-7=undergrad intern/work study kid. [Apparently there are no GS-10 jobs]
Here's how positions for geographers are classified.
"GS-9 geographers are engaged either in taxonomic and descriptive work of fairly substantial scope and complexity, or in analytic and interpretive work of relative limited score and complexity.
Research work at this level is typically performed under close supervision and involved responsibility for segments of the research process which are integrated into the overall project. This is distinguished from work involving the full scope of the research process as described at the GS-11 level.
Geographers doing taxonomic and descriptive work have independent responsibility for small projects or significant segments of larger projects. Their assignments have value as independent units of work, although they are often part of larger projects. This should be distinguished from assignments at the GS-7 level which do not typically represent complete projects or work units."
Job requirements for every federal job classification is managed and documented by the Office of Presidential Management. I found the geography info under the "0100 Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group". You can use this info here to help determine which level to apply for and to also see what kinds of skills each position requires. Nice.
I have several posts in the works; this one piggybacks on an earlier post and gives more info than a wikipedia link. [I can't believe I gave you a wiki link. I would fail me for incompetence and laziness except I know all you On the Hunt readers regularly use wikipedia].
Here's some more details on GS levels.
GS-9 jobs in the past have tended to be "team member" jobs. GS-12 tend to be the "team leaders." To take this out of corporatespeak and put it into academicese: GS-12=faculty. GS-9=RA/TA. GS-7=undergrad intern/work study kid. [Apparently there are no GS-10 jobs]
Here's how positions for geographers are classified.
"GS-9 geographers are engaged either in taxonomic and descriptive work of fairly substantial scope and complexity, or in analytic and interpretive work of relative limited score and complexity.
Research work at this level is typically performed under close supervision and involved responsibility for segments of the research process which are integrated into the overall project. This is distinguished from work involving the full scope of the research process as described at the GS-11 level.
Geographers doing taxonomic and descriptive work have independent responsibility for small projects or significant segments of larger projects. Their assignments have value as independent units of work, although they are often part of larger projects. This should be distinguished from assignments at the GS-7 level which do not typically represent complete projects or work units."
Job requirements for every federal job classification is managed and documented by the Office of Presidential Management. I found the geography info under the "0100 Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group". You can use this info here to help determine which level to apply for and to also see what kinds of skills each position requires. Nice.
International Hires
This post is for folks who are interested in working across national lines.
The upshoot, as far as I can tell from wrk4us listservs (February 23, 2010), is that it's nearly impossible. Most jobs want you to have work eligibility in hand, but most governments won't issue a work visa unless you already have a job. In other words, unless your jobs sponsors your work visa (most don't), you're SOL.
A poster located in a university in Canada suggested applying for the NAFTA visa if it is a US/Canada situation (i.e. U.S.ian who wants to work in Canada or vice versa). I can't imagine Mexican nationals will have the same luck as a Canadian getting into the US on a NAFTA visa, but perhaps I'm being overly pessimistic about U.S. policies towards Mexico and its citizens. Probably not.
For Canadians/USians, even if you don't go the NAFTA route, If you have extended family in Canada, you can apply for Family Class Relative. I think similar categories exist for the US and elsewhere. Under the Canadian protocol, your extended family has to agree to support you for ten years--i.e. you lose your job, you don't get unemployment benefits, etc. In Canada, domestic partners (het and gay) can sponsor each other without having to be married. If you aren't married (for whatever reason), you have to demonstrate that it is a real relationship. This extended family visa can take up to a year.
I believe I have read of U.S.ians "adopting" their Canadian partners so that the Canadian can legally be in the US. My google search isn't showing anything on adult adoptions, so I suspect I'm missing some critical details on this. Like, is this for real?
What happens if you aren't Canadian, US-ian, or Mexican, or don't want to work in NAFTA world? I think the work visa will be an issue where ever you go. If you can get a letter of employment from your prospective employer, you maybe be able to convince the host government to let you in. Otherwise, I guess you should look into marrying a local?
The upshoot, as far as I can tell from wrk4us listservs (February 23, 2010), is that it's nearly impossible. Most jobs want you to have work eligibility in hand, but most governments won't issue a work visa unless you already have a job. In other words, unless your jobs sponsors your work visa (most don't), you're SOL.
A poster located in a university in Canada suggested applying for the NAFTA visa if it is a US/Canada situation (i.e. U.S.ian who wants to work in Canada or vice versa). I can't imagine Mexican nationals will have the same luck as a Canadian getting into the US on a NAFTA visa, but perhaps I'm being overly pessimistic about U.S. policies towards Mexico and its citizens. Probably not.
For Canadians/USians, even if you don't go the NAFTA route, If you have extended family in Canada, you can apply for Family Class Relative. I think similar categories exist for the US and elsewhere. Under the Canadian protocol, your extended family has to agree to support you for ten years--i.e. you lose your job, you don't get unemployment benefits, etc. In Canada, domestic partners (het and gay) can sponsor each other without having to be married. If you aren't married (for whatever reason), you have to demonstrate that it is a real relationship. This extended family visa can take up to a year.
I believe I have read of U.S.ians "adopting" their Canadian partners so that the Canadian can legally be in the US. My google search isn't showing anything on adult adoptions, so I suspect I'm missing some critical details on this. Like, is this for real?
What happens if you aren't Canadian, US-ian, or Mexican, or don't want to work in NAFTA world? I think the work visa will be an issue where ever you go. If you can get a letter of employment from your prospective employer, you maybe be able to convince the host government to let you in. Otherwise, I guess you should look into marrying a local?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Cold Hard Numbers: Post-Secondary Education in the US
I've had a love affair with the Census Bureau for a while now. Despite all the bad horrible things about it (what happens if I'm beyond binary gender categories? why doesn't it count gay families? what box do multi-racial, multi-ethnic people check?) I still love it. Numbers are almost as convincing as maps.
While the Census will always be #1, I just discovered the wonders of the Bureau of Labor Statistics this weekend. I am the ultimate nerd.
Because I'm still learning how to navigate the BLS databases, I kept stumbling onto random pages. Like this one.
Go ahead. Scroll through the list of post-secondary teaching categories. Find your profession. See how many jobs are out there and where they are.
Say I'm thinking of getting an areas studies faculty job.
Lucky for me there were, as of May 2008, 7,570 Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers (postsecondary) employed in the US. Their mean income (i.e. average income) was $70,560.
I want to know a little more. So I'll click on area, ethnic, cultural studies teachers. Now I'm getting some serious break downs.
The lowest 10% of Area Studies faculty (i.e. me) made $33,420 and less. The rockstars and other top 10% made $120,720 or more.
Vast majority of my colleagues (i.e. 6,430) work in colleges, universities, and professional schools. But the junior college faculty raked in more at $77,730.
Area studies folks were most concentrated in New York (1,170), but California pays its faculty the best (at a cool average $97,240). Illinois's area studies faculty make up 0.001% of the state's total population. That makes me feel important.
Apparently if you throw a rock in Ann Arbor you might just hit an area studies faculty member (the highest concentration in any city in the nation at 0.069% of total metropolitan population). But the best money is in the San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division (i.e. bay area) at $139,950/year. Dang.
Don't get sucked into the BLS blackhole. These numbers do not predict the future, they just report what it looked like in May 2008. I simply found this all incredibly interesting, though potentially depressing.
Want to see what the non-academic world looks like? Practicing anthropologists, historians, and sociologists are enumerated in the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations category. Don't forget, per the government job post, that anthropologists might work jobs classified as historian, geographer, or research.
Watch out for the numbers rabbithole. You can spend hours (or an entire weekend) looking at statistics and numbers. But at the end of the day, they don't really capture all the complexity of real life, right? (Written like a true anthropologist.) Still, I thought it was more interesting, potentially helpful, info that I should (i.e. wanted to) share.
While the Census will always be #1, I just discovered the wonders of the Bureau of Labor Statistics this weekend. I am the ultimate nerd.
Because I'm still learning how to navigate the BLS databases, I kept stumbling onto random pages. Like this one.
Go ahead. Scroll through the list of post-secondary teaching categories. Find your profession. See how many jobs are out there and where they are.
Say I'm thinking of getting an areas studies faculty job.
Lucky for me there were, as of May 2008, 7,570 Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers (postsecondary) employed in the US. Their mean income (i.e. average income) was $70,560.
I want to know a little more. So I'll click on area, ethnic, cultural studies teachers. Now I'm getting some serious break downs.
The lowest 10% of Area Studies faculty (i.e. me) made $33,420 and less. The rockstars and other top 10% made $120,720 or more.
Vast majority of my colleagues (i.e. 6,430) work in colleges, universities, and professional schools. But the junior college faculty raked in more at $77,730.
Area studies folks were most concentrated in New York (1,170), but California pays its faculty the best (at a cool average $97,240). Illinois's area studies faculty make up 0.001% of the state's total population. That makes me feel important.
Apparently if you throw a rock in Ann Arbor you might just hit an area studies faculty member (the highest concentration in any city in the nation at 0.069% of total metropolitan population). But the best money is in the San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division (i.e. bay area) at $139,950/year. Dang.
Don't get sucked into the BLS blackhole. These numbers do not predict the future, they just report what it looked like in May 2008. I simply found this all incredibly interesting, though potentially depressing.
Want to see what the non-academic world looks like? Practicing anthropologists, historians, and sociologists are enumerated in the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations category. Don't forget, per the government job post, that anthropologists might work jobs classified as historian, geographer, or research.
Watch out for the numbers rabbithole. You can spend hours (or an entire weekend) looking at statistics and numbers. But at the end of the day, they don't really capture all the complexity of real life, right? (Written like a true anthropologist.) Still, I thought it was more interesting, potentially helpful, info that I should (i.e. wanted to) share.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Entrepreneurialism
Lest y'all think that I believe that we have to work for the man or starve, I want to share some tidbits of a very interesting article I recently read.
In the January 18, 2010 New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell writes about iconic US entrepreneurs (Ted Turner, Sam Walton, etc.) and the practice of entrepreneurism, more generally. He focuses most of the article on John Paulson, a crafty hedge-fund manager who made gazillions off the 2008-09 housing bubble collapse. I don't really care about Paulson and his bijillions, but Gladwell's discussion about striking out on one's own interested me. Basically, Gladwell concludes that good entrepreneurs are cautious, do their homework, remained dedicated to the project, and are kinda sly. Sounds like skills I honed in grad school, no?
So, should we graduate and start our own businesses?
Well. Maybe.
Here's a very compelling reason to start my own publishing house, open a coffeeshop, or sell my homemade cards: “the one undisputed finding in all the research on entrepreneurship [is]: people who work for themselves are far happier than the rest of us” (Gladwell 2010: 29).
I can sign up for that. The few people I know who own their own business certainly seem happy. Although freelancing and 3rd party contracting isn't quite the same as working for one's self, I can say from my editing and tutoring adventures that it is nice being your own (sorta) boss.
But can I really make it?
Gladwell's article was so timely for me because he provides a cheatsheet of do's and don'ts for the budding business owner. He is pulling from economist Scott Shane's book: “The Illusions of Entrepreneurship” [leadfoot adds book to reading list]. “Yes, [Shane] says, many entrepreneurs take plenty of risks—but those are generally the failed entrepreneurs, not the success stories. The failure violates all kinds of established principles of new-business formation. New-business success is clearly correlated with the size of initial capitalization. But failed entrepreneurs tend to be wildly undercapitalized. The data show that organizing as a corporation is best. But failed entrepreneurs tend to organize as sole proprietorships. Writing a business plan is a must; failed entrepreneurs rarely take that step. Taking over an existing business is always the best bet; failed entrepreneurs prefer to start from scratch. Ninety per cent of the fastest-growing companies in the country sell to other businesses [!!!!!!!!]; failed entrepreneurs usually try selling to consumers, and, rather than serving customers that other business have missed, they chase the same people as their competitors do. The list goes on: they underemphasize marketing; they don't understand the importance of financial controls; they try to compete on price. Shane concedes that some of these risks are unavoidable: would-be entrepreneurs take them because they have no choice. But a good many of these risks reflect a lack of preparation or foresight.” (2010: 28).
Whew. Lot to digest.
The take home message I got from Gladwell was that if I want to be Leadfoot, Inc, my grad school skills will come in handy, but that, it'd really help if I were independently wealthy. Or finally found my sugar daddy. Or both.
But this isn't to say that entrepreneurship is open only to those who don't need to bother. Rather, I guess the take home message is be cautious and careful and do your homework before you open up your dream dance studio.
Here's my completely-based-in-unreality suggestions:
Do your homework. Like for real. My favorite (read: only) coffeeshop at my fieldsite was owned by a couple who had never been there before they moved to open their business. To their credit, they had done some homework—looking at the census to see what the area's median income was, how close my fieldsite was to other metropolises, how many other coffeeshops exist in the area. What they hadn't found in their pre-move research was that the community is extremely close-knit and generally wary of outsiders. Especially outsiders with tattoos and a taste for continental punk music. They were also bamboozled by their commercial landlord's glossy website. Yeah, the coffeeshop looks great on screen. It even looks great in person. It is, however, surrounded by a number of condemned or nearly-condemned buildings and the entire neighborhood is read as sketchy by the consumers the coffeeshop was targeting. I was really really sad when they closed 20 months after they started it.
Make friends with people who do what you want to do. [I don't think of this as the same as networking or informational interviews, per the Bible, but it's close.] It seems like my artist friends who make art fulltime get by because they hang with other artfolks. Not only do the other artfolk mentor the recent arrivals (charge this much over cost because galleries take 40% of the sale, etc), but artfolk introduce each other to interested buyers and vouch for each other's art: “oh yes, her collages are really cutting edge. Trust me, I'm an artist. You should buy three.”
Keep your day job (even if it's grad school) and freelance or 3rd party contract. Yes, yes, these activities reproduce the neoliberal project. All I got to say is that one person is not going to bring about the socialist revolution we all want. Thanks to No Child Left Behind legislation, while doing fieldwork, I tutored a sixth grader for $20/hour. No taxes. I was considered a “third party” contractor and was supposed to report my own income. Uh, right. I also leaned heavily on friends and had them sell my editing skills to their friends. I liked these jobs because I basically set my own hours and I was doing stuff I enjoy (I'd take teaching a 6th grader how to read over whiny undergrads any day) at rates far above what Meijer's photolab was offering me.
Get the pieces set up way before you start. This blog? Totally self serving. “Oh yes, yes JobInterviewer, I can communicate with the public. Please see my blog”. Want to be a freelance translator? Do like the undergrads and start developing your portfolio now. Want to start your own consulting company? Intern or work somewhere where contacts made at the internship will benefit you later.
Like I said, these suggestions are based on nothing but conjecture. But the Gladwell piece should kick you off into the right direction if you are considering going it on your own.
In the January 18, 2010 New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell writes about iconic US entrepreneurs (Ted Turner, Sam Walton, etc.) and the practice of entrepreneurism, more generally. He focuses most of the article on John Paulson, a crafty hedge-fund manager who made gazillions off the 2008-09 housing bubble collapse. I don't really care about Paulson and his bijillions, but Gladwell's discussion about striking out on one's own interested me. Basically, Gladwell concludes that good entrepreneurs are cautious, do their homework, remained dedicated to the project, and are kinda sly. Sounds like skills I honed in grad school, no?
So, should we graduate and start our own businesses?
Well. Maybe.
Here's a very compelling reason to start my own publishing house, open a coffeeshop, or sell my homemade cards: “the one undisputed finding in all the research on entrepreneurship [is]: people who work for themselves are far happier than the rest of us” (Gladwell 2010: 29).
I can sign up for that. The few people I know who own their own business certainly seem happy. Although freelancing and 3rd party contracting isn't quite the same as working for one's self, I can say from my editing and tutoring adventures that it is nice being your own (sorta) boss.
But can I really make it?
Gladwell's article was so timely for me because he provides a cheatsheet of do's and don'ts for the budding business owner. He is pulling from economist Scott Shane's book: “The Illusions of Entrepreneurship” [leadfoot adds book to reading list]. “Yes, [Shane] says, many entrepreneurs take plenty of risks—but those are generally the failed entrepreneurs, not the success stories. The failure violates all kinds of established principles of new-business formation. New-business success is clearly correlated with the size of initial capitalization. But failed entrepreneurs tend to be wildly undercapitalized. The data show that organizing as a corporation is best. But failed entrepreneurs tend to organize as sole proprietorships. Writing a business plan is a must; failed entrepreneurs rarely take that step. Taking over an existing business is always the best bet; failed entrepreneurs prefer to start from scratch. Ninety per cent of the fastest-growing companies in the country sell to other businesses [!!!!!!!!]; failed entrepreneurs usually try selling to consumers, and, rather than serving customers that other business have missed, they chase the same people as their competitors do. The list goes on: they underemphasize marketing; they don't understand the importance of financial controls; they try to compete on price. Shane concedes that some of these risks are unavoidable: would-be entrepreneurs take them because they have no choice. But a good many of these risks reflect a lack of preparation or foresight.” (2010: 28).
Whew. Lot to digest.
The take home message I got from Gladwell was that if I want to be Leadfoot, Inc, my grad school skills will come in handy, but that, it'd really help if I were independently wealthy. Or finally found my sugar daddy. Or both.
But this isn't to say that entrepreneurship is open only to those who don't need to bother. Rather, I guess the take home message is be cautious and careful and do your homework before you open up your dream dance studio.
Here's my completely-based-in-unreality suggestions:
Do your homework. Like for real. My favorite (read: only) coffeeshop at my fieldsite was owned by a couple who had never been there before they moved to open their business. To their credit, they had done some homework—looking at the census to see what the area's median income was, how close my fieldsite was to other metropolises, how many other coffeeshops exist in the area. What they hadn't found in their pre-move research was that the community is extremely close-knit and generally wary of outsiders. Especially outsiders with tattoos and a taste for continental punk music. They were also bamboozled by their commercial landlord's glossy website. Yeah, the coffeeshop looks great on screen. It even looks great in person. It is, however, surrounded by a number of condemned or nearly-condemned buildings and the entire neighborhood is read as sketchy by the consumers the coffeeshop was targeting. I was really really sad when they closed 20 months after they started it.
Make friends with people who do what you want to do. [I don't think of this as the same as networking or informational interviews, per the Bible, but it's close.] It seems like my artist friends who make art fulltime get by because they hang with other artfolks. Not only do the other artfolk mentor the recent arrivals (charge this much over cost because galleries take 40% of the sale, etc), but artfolk introduce each other to interested buyers and vouch for each other's art: “oh yes, her collages are really cutting edge. Trust me, I'm an artist. You should buy three.”
Keep your day job (even if it's grad school) and freelance or 3rd party contract. Yes, yes, these activities reproduce the neoliberal project. All I got to say is that one person is not going to bring about the socialist revolution we all want. Thanks to No Child Left Behind legislation, while doing fieldwork, I tutored a sixth grader for $20/hour. No taxes. I was considered a “third party” contractor and was supposed to report my own income. Uh, right. I also leaned heavily on friends and had them sell my editing skills to their friends. I liked these jobs because I basically set my own hours and I was doing stuff I enjoy (I'd take teaching a 6th grader how to read over whiny undergrads any day) at rates far above what Meijer's photolab was offering me.
Get the pieces set up way before you start. This blog? Totally self serving. “Oh yes, yes JobInterviewer, I can communicate with the public. Please see my blog”. Want to be a freelance translator? Do like the undergrads and start developing your portfolio now. Want to start your own consulting company? Intern or work somewhere where contacts made at the internship will benefit you later.
Like I said, these suggestions are based on nothing but conjecture. But the Gladwell piece should kick you off into the right direction if you are considering going it on your own.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
searching usajobs.gov + GS levels info
This is completely and utterly based on email convos off the wrk4us listserv (emails from 9Feb10). But I've cut through the blahblah and given us some how-tos so you don't have to read 3 single spaced pages of emails. Here's my winnowed down and tested methods, based on wrk4us posters suggestions.
Big picture pointers. Just because we have or will have soon an english/history/anthro degree, doesn't mean that we have work for Department of Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, etc. The Census Bureau recently needed a historian. Currently the Bureau of Land Management is looking for an anthropologist. Everyone says to keep searches broad.
On the usajobs.gov site we can search for possible jobs several ways. With both suggested methods below you want to sign in and start an account. You can save your searches as “agents”. You can't do a search and then sign in/register and save that search. Sign in first, then search. I learned this the hard way.
Search Agents/RSSs feeds
We can create up to 10 search agents (aka saved searches). They can search by agency, GS level, locale, occupation. Whatever. Agents will find stuff and email you. I also have RSSs feeds going right now just to moniter big stuff. When I'm closer to ready for real job search time, I'll develop search agents with more specific parameters (right now I have an RSS feed on “social” and “social scientist.” My “social” pulls random stuff like electronics mechanic, nurse, and intelligence officer).
If you are still testing the waters, here's how to RSS: follow one of the search suggestions below or just do a "messing-around" search on usajobs.gov. Once you get a search going that seems interesting, go to the righthand side, underneath the "refine this search" box. At the bottom of the righthand banner, you'll see "RSS Feed of this Search". Alternatively, you can click the RSS button which is at the end of the web address in your browser. Click RSS. You'll see all the jobs listed on a striped down website. Add this bookmark and give it a name. I keep my bookmarked RSSs in my menu (favorites) bar--everytime a new job gets posted an alert goes up on the link in the bar. So if 10 jobs get added to my "UsaJobSoc" bookmarked RSS, it looks like this on my menu bar: "UsaJobSoc(10)". Once I click on the link and see the 10 new jobs, the (10) goes away. Awesome, right? Anytime you are on any possible employer website and they have an RSS in the browser bar click it. You can *sometimes* select employment opportunities. However, be careful and monitor both the RSS link and the real website, just in case. For example, Brookings has an RSS feed for their jobs page, but it doesn't actually pull new listings. Ergh.
How to Make a usajobs Search Agent (aka saved search) : Go to usajobs.gov. Upper right: create an account. Fill out just the bio basics. Once you have an account, go to the homepage for usajobs.gov (upper left gets you there). Start searching (see below different techniques). Once you have a search going that you think is fruitful, go to “save this search and email me jobs”. Don't see that? Yeah, it's that teeny-tiny print on the right, underneath the “refine your search” fields. Once you hit that and you're on the “create a job search agent” skip all the blahblah and scroll to the very bottom. Specify how often you want emails (5 fields up from the bottom). Give your agent a title and save.
Searching Methods
1) GS Levels (this link is wikipedia's explanation of GS levels)
Big picture pointers. Just because we have or will have soon an english/history/anthro degree, doesn't mean that we have work for Department of Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, etc. The Census Bureau recently needed a historian. Currently the Bureau of Land Management is looking for an anthropologist. Everyone says to keep searches broad.
On the usajobs.gov site we can search for possible jobs several ways. With both suggested methods below you want to sign in and start an account. You can save your searches as “agents”. You can't do a search and then sign in/register and save that search. Sign in first, then search. I learned this the hard way.
Search Agents/RSSs feeds
We can create up to 10 search agents (aka saved searches). They can search by agency, GS level, locale, occupation. Whatever. Agents will find stuff and email you. I also have RSSs feeds going right now just to moniter big stuff. When I'm closer to ready for real job search time, I'll develop search agents with more specific parameters (right now I have an RSS feed on “social” and “social scientist.” My “social” pulls random stuff like electronics mechanic, nurse, and intelligence officer).
If you are still testing the waters, here's how to RSS: follow one of the search suggestions below or just do a "messing-around" search on usajobs.gov. Once you get a search going that seems interesting, go to the righthand side, underneath the "refine this search" box. At the bottom of the righthand banner, you'll see "RSS Feed of this Search". Alternatively, you can click the RSS button which is at the end of the web address in your browser. Click RSS. You'll see all the jobs listed on a striped down website. Add this bookmark and give it a name. I keep my bookmarked RSSs in my menu (favorites) bar--everytime a new job gets posted an alert goes up on the link in the bar. So if 10 jobs get added to my "UsaJobSoc" bookmarked RSS, it looks like this on my menu bar: "UsaJobSoc(10)". Once I click on the link and see the 10 new jobs, the (10) goes away. Awesome, right? Anytime you are on any possible employer website and they have an RSS in the browser bar click it. You can *sometimes* select employment opportunities. However, be careful and monitor both the RSS link and the real website, just in case. For example, Brookings has an RSS feed for their jobs page, but it doesn't actually pull new listings. Ergh.
How to Make a usajobs Search Agent (aka saved search) : Go to usajobs.gov. Upper right: create an account. Fill out just the bio basics. Once you have an account, go to the homepage for usajobs.gov (upper left gets you there). Start searching (see below different techniques). Once you have a search going that you think is fruitful, go to “save this search and email me jobs”. Don't see that? Yeah, it's that teeny-tiny print on the right, underneath the “refine your search” fields. Once you hit that and you're on the “create a job search agent” skip all the blahblah and scroll to the very bottom. Specify how often you want emails (5 fields up from the bottom). Give your agent a title and save.
Searching Methods
1) GS Levels (this link is wikipedia's explanation of GS levels)
[[see this post for more info. Now I feel less salty about posting wikipedia as a real source...]]
Posters in the know suggest to start our job search by narrowing our search to GS levels 9-11. MAs should start at GS9. PhDs can look at GS11s. PhDs do sometimes start at GS9, especially if you have limited office, research, “real world” experience and have spent your grad years mostly teaching. Starting lower on the scale=better chances. This poster, who is in the know, calls GS9-11 the “soft middle”.
How to: Go to usajobs.gov. Simply hit the blue “search jobs” button on the home page. Refine your results (rightside banner). Select grade. Further narrow your search to locale by specifying city/state in the “refine your search” (top right corner, under the red sign in button).
2) Browse
One poster with a PhD found luck using browse. Again, this brings up a lot of jobs that uses the government terms/classifications. You know, words we're not used to. For my anthropology skills I went to “social science, psychology, welfare”. For my editorial experience I went to “information, arts and public affairs”.
How to: Go to usajobs.gov. Simply hit the blue “search jobs” button on the home page. At the top, right underneath the refine your search field there is “browse jobs”. Hit “browse jobs”. Bottom of “browse jobs” page you can search by occupation. This is where the “social science, psychology, welfare,” etc. selections are. Select whatever strikes your fancy. What is cool about these search returns is that on the right banner is that you can see all the specific occupations (economist, foreign affairs specialist, anthropologist). You can further narrow your search to locale, grade, etc.
Using either method, people in the know say we should initially look through all jobs. They suggest that we focus on the "Duties" section. I mean, don't bother with the stuff that isn't you (electronic mechanic, no), but stuff that is vague--look at it. After we look at all the jobs, we can from this point on, specify in our search, just the "new" postings.
Have any other suggestions for searches? Let me know and I'll put it up!
Posters in the know suggest to start our job search by narrowing our search to GS levels 9-11. MAs should start at GS9. PhDs can look at GS11s. PhDs do sometimes start at GS9, especially if you have limited office, research, “real world” experience and have spent your grad years mostly teaching. Starting lower on the scale=better chances. This poster, who is in the know, calls GS9-11 the “soft middle”.
How to: Go to usajobs.gov. Simply hit the blue “search jobs” button on the home page. Refine your results (rightside banner). Select grade. Further narrow your search to locale by specifying city/state in the “refine your search” (top right corner, under the red sign in button).
2) Browse
One poster with a PhD found luck using browse. Again, this brings up a lot of jobs that uses the government terms/classifications. You know, words we're not used to. For my anthropology skills I went to “social science, psychology, welfare”. For my editorial experience I went to “information, arts and public affairs”.
How to: Go to usajobs.gov. Simply hit the blue “search jobs” button on the home page. At the top, right underneath the refine your search field there is “browse jobs”. Hit “browse jobs”. Bottom of “browse jobs” page you can search by occupation. This is where the “social science, psychology, welfare,” etc. selections are. Select whatever strikes your fancy. What is cool about these search returns is that on the right banner is that you can see all the specific occupations (economist, foreign affairs specialist, anthropologist). You can further narrow your search to locale, grade, etc.
Using either method, people in the know say we should initially look through all jobs. They suggest that we focus on the "Duties" section. I mean, don't bother with the stuff that isn't you (electronic mechanic, no), but stuff that is vague--look at it. After we look at all the jobs, we can from this point on, specify in our search, just the "new" postings.
Have any other suggestions for searches? Let me know and I'll put it up!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Selective Information: Who Knows. Who Doesn't.
Uh, so I should have mentioned this in my very first post. And probably in my profile. And as a disclaimer to every entry. My advisor does not know about this little blog or my big plans to break out.
I mean, like he probably knows, since academia is so gossip-y and my college town so small. Also there was that little incident with my department head (and Advisor's bff) when I tried to convince DeptHead to give me an RAship. [I told him that I wasn't interested in teaching and so he should give my TAship to someone and give me practice at writing grants with the RAship. This was true. Also setting my own schedule and working from anywhere but campus were some corollary benefits I did happen to notice...] Oh, and that weekend when I came to the decision to find an alt-academic job and told several faculty friends. Oh yeah, and that lunchdate with one of my committee members when I told her that I was heavily considering the alt-acad world.
Okay, so clearly I can't keep my mouth shut. Still. Officially, I'm going on the "job market" next year. See in the bubble academic world I live in now, academic is the assumed adjective to "job market". Sneaky, right?
I haven't told Advisor for lots of reasons. Primarily, I just don't want to deal with the guilt trip every time I see him. I know he will continue supporting me to the end of the degree and beyond. He's super cool like that. But I also know that this decision will be disappointing and I just don't want to make him disappointed. Also, I can see having a few, "are you sure about this" convos. I doubt they'll happen often, cuz like I said. He's cool. But still, I think it will make our relationship all weird. Not interested.
The Career Services (CS) folks also recommend not telling Advisor and other important school people. Cuz like, until I get my awesome dream job, I'm still dependent on my University for funding, bureaucratic support, intellectual support, etc. Yeah, grad school is rough enough. I learned long ago to make friends with the secretaries and building service workers. They make things run smoothly. Same concept for finishing my degree smoothly.
Who I have told: many of my grad school friends (leadfoot waves since gradschoolfriends=entire on the hunt readership), my bff (leadfoot send e-hug since bff is suffering thru grad school many states away), my parents (leadfoot waves again), and my honey (leadfoot show honey blog since honey is an infrequent internet-er).
The important people to talk about here for this post (not that my bff and honey and folks aren't important but they love me unconditionally) is grad school friends. I've been telling them because I've been super excited by this decision to go the alt-acad route. It falls under big life changes. Anthropologists are all about life transitions. Also I've been talking up this game because I've been excited about the job postings that abound out there. Lastly I've been talking about this decision because I'm hoping to normalize and destigmatize the idea that alt-academic jobs are for those who can't make it. Also I think in talking about it, it makes this move to outside the classroom much less scary and unknown.
Folks, 500+ people graduated with PhDs in sociocultural anthropology last year. That's an ton of people. How many college/university jobs are there currently available in anthropology, much less within your specialization? Even if teaching is your dream job forever and ever, having a plan B might be a good idea, no?
And for those of us who don't like teaching (blasphemy I know!) it's good to know who else is out there. That's why I talk about doing the alt-academic route. I'm still planning on using my research skills. I'm still planning on using my critical thinking skills. I still want to make a difference in the world. I just don't want to do it from a classroom in an underfunded university or in a over funded private college located in bfe.
So I'm happy and excited to talk about my alt-academic plans. Just don't tell my advisor. Yeah?
I mean, like he probably knows, since academia is so gossip-y and my college town so small. Also there was that little incident with my department head (and Advisor's bff) when I tried to convince DeptHead to give me an RAship. [I told him that I wasn't interested in teaching and so he should give my TAship to someone and give me practice at writing grants with the RAship. This was true. Also setting my own schedule and working from anywhere but campus were some corollary benefits I did happen to notice...] Oh, and that weekend when I came to the decision to find an alt-academic job and told several faculty friends. Oh yeah, and that lunchdate with one of my committee members when I told her that I was heavily considering the alt-acad world.
Okay, so clearly I can't keep my mouth shut. Still. Officially, I'm going on the "job market" next year. See in the bubble academic world I live in now, academic is the assumed adjective to "job market". Sneaky, right?
I haven't told Advisor for lots of reasons. Primarily, I just don't want to deal with the guilt trip every time I see him. I know he will continue supporting me to the end of the degree and beyond. He's super cool like that. But I also know that this decision will be disappointing and I just don't want to make him disappointed. Also, I can see having a few, "are you sure about this" convos. I doubt they'll happen often, cuz like I said. He's cool. But still, I think it will make our relationship all weird. Not interested.
The Career Services (CS) folks also recommend not telling Advisor and other important school people. Cuz like, until I get my awesome dream job, I'm still dependent on my University for funding, bureaucratic support, intellectual support, etc. Yeah, grad school is rough enough. I learned long ago to make friends with the secretaries and building service workers. They make things run smoothly. Same concept for finishing my degree smoothly.
Who I have told: many of my grad school friends (leadfoot waves since gradschoolfriends=entire on the hunt readership), my bff (leadfoot send e-hug since bff is suffering thru grad school many states away), my parents (leadfoot waves again), and my honey (leadfoot show honey blog since honey is an infrequent internet-er).
The important people to talk about here for this post (not that my bff and honey and folks aren't important but they love me unconditionally) is grad school friends. I've been telling them because I've been super excited by this decision to go the alt-acad route. It falls under big life changes. Anthropologists are all about life transitions. Also I've been talking up this game because I've been excited about the job postings that abound out there. Lastly I've been talking about this decision because I'm hoping to normalize and destigmatize the idea that alt-academic jobs are for those who can't make it. Also I think in talking about it, it makes this move to outside the classroom much less scary and unknown.
Folks, 500+ people graduated with PhDs in sociocultural anthropology last year. That's an ton of people. How many college/university jobs are there currently available in anthropology, much less within your specialization? Even if teaching is your dream job forever and ever, having a plan B might be a good idea, no?
And for those of us who don't like teaching (blasphemy I know!) it's good to know who else is out there. That's why I talk about doing the alt-academic route. I'm still planning on using my research skills. I'm still planning on using my critical thinking skills. I still want to make a difference in the world. I just don't want to do it from a classroom in an underfunded university or in a over funded private college located in bfe.
So I'm happy and excited to talk about my alt-academic plans. Just don't tell my advisor. Yeah?
Current Job Fantasy: PMF
I am convinced that the presidential management fellowship program is my ticket to awesome careerdom. I think the PMF (for those in the know) is going to get me the perfect job, in the perfect locale, and with the perfect benefits package and compensation.
Clearly I don't know much about this program. But I'm learning. See a more recent post here. Alternatively, you can click the PMF tag at the end of this post and see all posts tagged with PMF.
That's okay, because I'm going to continue doing my research and adding more info here.
Per their website, "the purpose of the Program is to attract to the Federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs."
Translation: this program is only open to soon-to-be PhDs and we are going to put you in high level internships.
My awesome Career Services (CS) people told me that the PMF is the flagship program to place PhDs into the federal government. If you jump all the PMF application hoops (more below) then you serve a two year internship with a department/cabinet. After your two year stint (which includes learning office culture, classroom training, on-the-job training, etc) you will likely be "converted" (another PMF lingobit I learned) to a FT gig. A recent PMFer from my school apparently did his internship with Social Security. Three years later he's in charge of a gazillion dollar budget (okay, I think it was more like a $3billion budget. Whateva, a hell of a lot of money) and oversees offices in 6 or 9 states. Three years. That's crazy!
It's a long shot, since everyone else thinks it's their dream job too.
Recent Stats:
"The Program has seen an increase in the number of applicants. The number of applicants has ranged from approximately 3,000 to more than 5,000, and the number of finalists has varied from 535 to 784. For the past three years, approximately 60% obtained appointments as Fellows. 2009 we received more than 8,700 applications" (Q14)
Still I'm totally game to try it.
Here's how the PMF worked last year (or so I know so far).
(Dates for last year, likely to be the same this year)
10/1/09-application opens via usajobs.gov
10/15/09—application closes.
10/31/09—deadline for nomination support letters
First step: Basically you have to be nominated to take the PMF test. Most nominees are advanced to the test, I think. The nomination is, from I think what the CS people said, basically a form your depthead signs and maybe the Grad College dean. You don't even need to get your advisor involved (yes!!).
So I guess the Oct app is the nomination stuff and basic contact intake. (??)
CS folks at my University will hold a prep session with PMF hopefuls (via teleconferencing!!) in September. At this we can talk with recent PMFs from the U and ask questions about the test and the process. I am told that ~17 folks from my school have made it in the last several years. Several lawyers, one or two folks from Library Sci, maybe a crop scientist? A social worker, maybe edu people?
At some point, we take the test which I'm told is like the LSAT. I'm not sure what kind of prep we can do for the test--this will
become clear from the PMF teleconference I suppose, although I plan to get more info before spring semester ends.
If you are a lucky one to get accepted (based on test scores???) there is an interview process/job fair. I suspect there is much more between test and job fair, but not sure what. The job fair is where agencies and PMFers mutually shop each other to find a good fit.
Once you get your agency it's a 2yr fasttracked internship to green pastures and changing the man from the inside out.
Clearly I don't know much about this program. But I'm learning. See a more recent post here. Alternatively, you can click the PMF tag at the end of this post and see all posts tagged with PMF.
That's okay, because I'm going to continue doing my research and adding more info here.
Per their website, "the purpose of the Program is to attract to the Federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs."
Translation: this program is only open to soon-to-be PhDs and we are going to put you in high level internships.
My awesome Career Services (CS) people told me that the PMF is the flagship program to place PhDs into the federal government. If you jump all the PMF application hoops (more below) then you serve a two year internship with a department/cabinet. After your two year stint (which includes learning office culture, classroom training, on-the-job training, etc) you will likely be "converted" (another PMF lingobit I learned) to a FT gig. A recent PMFer from my school apparently did his internship with Social Security. Three years later he's in charge of a gazillion dollar budget (okay, I think it was more like a $3billion budget. Whateva, a hell of a lot of money) and oversees offices in 6 or 9 states. Three years. That's crazy!
It's a long shot, since everyone else thinks it's their dream job too.
Recent Stats:
"The Program has seen an increase in the number of applicants. The number of applicants has ranged from approximately 3,000 to more than 5,000, and the number of finalists has varied from 535 to 784. For the past three years, approximately 60% obtained appointments as Fellows. 2009 we received more than 8,700 applications" (Q14)
Still I'm totally game to try it.
Here's how the PMF worked last year (or so I know so far).
(Dates for last year, likely to be the same this year)
10/1/09-application opens via usajobs.gov
10/15/09—application closes.
10/31/09—deadline for nomination support letters
First step: Basically you have to be nominated to take the PMF test. Most nominees are advanced to the test, I think. The nomination is, from I think what the CS people said, basically a form your depthead signs and maybe the Grad College dean. You don't even need to get your advisor involved (yes!!).
So I guess the Oct app is the nomination stuff and basic contact intake. (??)
CS folks at my University will hold a prep session with PMF hopefuls (via teleconferencing!!) in September. At this we can talk with recent PMFs from the U and ask questions about the test and the process. I am told that ~17 folks from my school have made it in the last several years. Several lawyers, one or two folks from Library Sci, maybe a crop scientist? A social worker, maybe edu people?
At some point, we take the test which I'm told is like the LSAT. I'm not sure what kind of prep we can do for the test--this will
become clear from the PMF teleconference I suppose, although I plan to get more info before spring semester ends.
If you are a lucky one to get accepted (based on test scores???) there is an interview process/job fair. I suspect there is much more between test and job fair, but not sure what. The job fair is where agencies and PMFers mutually shop each other to find a good fit.
Once you get your agency it's a 2yr fasttracked internship to green pastures and changing the man from the inside out.
Crash Course or How To Start
Before you do anything else, get on this listserv right now: https://lists.duke.edu/sympa/info/wrk4us
"WRK4US is the premier email discussion list on nonacademic careers for people with graduate degrees in Humanities, Education and Social science disciplines."
It's uneven and, at times, totally self-indulgent. Also subscribers are seemingly incapable of deleting the 5 messages that precede their comment. Still, you will find gems in among fluff. You'll see me citing the wrk4us listserv often. Get it in the digest form and you'll be fine.
Read this book: So What Are You Going to Do With That?: A Guide for M.A.'s and Ph.D's Seeking Careers Outside the Academy
Everyone says to read this book. There's a reason for that. I happened to have read it when I was really wavering about being in or out of academia. It came along just when I needed it the most. My best bud in this postacademic journey had already mentally decided to leave academia post-PhD, but was still coming to terms to the emotional decision and identity adjustment. She read the book. We occasionally call it the Bible.
Even if you are actually pretty sure you don't want to do anything else but the classroom. You should read this book, just in case. I got through it in an evening. The parts that don't apply to me yet (like interview suggestions) I skimmed. Just read it, yeah?
If you are just starting out in this game, or are still just testing the waters make a list of places you think you might want to work at or industries you might want to be a part of.
My list looks like this:
What sound like reputable places on NPR?: Brookings Institute. Pew Research Centers.
What kinds of publications did I find useful during fieldwork?: Reports from Urban Institute. Reports from The Department of Housing and Urban Development. Social Security Adminstration. The Census Bureau.
What else am I interested in?: Publishing
I maintain a spreadsheet and everytime I read or hear of a place that sounds like I might be even possibly hireable there, I do a 5 minute google search, get their website and mission statement/description and add them. I also enter where I heard about the organization and what day. Never used a spreadsheet? Now's the time to start working on those skills you're going to need in your new job. Seriously, this year I've taught myself how to do basic math and data maintenance on spreadsheets and its like a whole new world has opened up to me.
My spreadsheet's pages currently look like this:
*resources links to listservs, studies on post-PhD anthropologists, FAQs for leaving academia, etc
*govt internship and fellowship programs with specific departments. my login and pw info for usajobs.gov.
*policy-research this is where I put alot of my--hmmm, sounds like a place that might hire me--links.
*academic presses the general AAUP website, employment pages or homepages for presses I'm interested in. Also intel I gathered at my last professional meeting on hiring and financial situations at said presses.
*nonacademic presses if I get hungry enough, now I know what websites to freelance edit from or where I can find what kinds of positions McGraw-Hill is looking to hire
*commercial potentially sketchy, also potentially cool. I read a newspaper article about Yahoo using anthropologists in testing products. Saved the link and copy and pasted into the spreadsheet the relevant passages.
Where else to get ideas?
usajobs.gov (searches are called agents--how very unappealing)
idealist.org
Thinking of Policy and Research Tanks?
List of policy organizations, links to their homepages, etc. Everything from Brookings, to Dem&Rep Nat'l Cttes, NAACP, MADD, ACLU, etc.
What is a Think Tank? Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys?
Bookmark your dreamjobs' job postings websites. Start RSSs feeds if you can on employment pages. Don't know about RSSs? Another great skill to have in the new job! (most websites will walk you through it, so don't worry if you don't really know about RSSs)
Make friends with your Graduate College's Career Services Center. They are awesome and have all of this stuff up in their heads and at their fingertips. They helped me get my first "real" job (i.e. an hourly gig in academic publishing) and they turned me on to much of this information. Career Services roxs.
"WRK4US is the premier email discussion list on nonacademic careers for people with graduate degrees in Humanities, Education and Social science disciplines."
It's uneven and, at times, totally self-indulgent. Also subscribers are seemingly incapable of deleting the 5 messages that precede their comment. Still, you will find gems in among fluff. You'll see me citing the wrk4us listserv often. Get it in the digest form and you'll be fine.
Read this book: So What Are You Going to Do With That?: A Guide for M.A.'s and Ph.D's Seeking Careers Outside the Academy
Everyone says to read this book. There's a reason for that. I happened to have read it when I was really wavering about being in or out of academia. It came along just when I needed it the most. My best bud in this postacademic journey had already mentally decided to leave academia post-PhD, but was still coming to terms to the emotional decision and identity adjustment. She read the book. We occasionally call it the Bible.
Even if you are actually pretty sure you don't want to do anything else but the classroom. You should read this book, just in case. I got through it in an evening. The parts that don't apply to me yet (like interview suggestions) I skimmed. Just read it, yeah?
If you are just starting out in this game, or are still just testing the waters make a list of places you think you might want to work at or industries you might want to be a part of.
My list looks like this:
What sound like reputable places on NPR?: Brookings Institute. Pew Research Centers.
What kinds of publications did I find useful during fieldwork?: Reports from Urban Institute. Reports from The Department of Housing and Urban Development. Social Security Adminstration. The Census Bureau.
What else am I interested in?: Publishing
I maintain a spreadsheet and everytime I read or hear of a place that sounds like I might be even possibly hireable there, I do a 5 minute google search, get their website and mission statement/description and add them. I also enter where I heard about the organization and what day. Never used a spreadsheet? Now's the time to start working on those skills you're going to need in your new job. Seriously, this year I've taught myself how to do basic math and data maintenance on spreadsheets and its like a whole new world has opened up to me.
My spreadsheet's pages currently look like this:
*resources links to listservs, studies on post-PhD anthropologists, FAQs for leaving academia, etc
*govt internship and fellowship programs with specific departments. my login and pw info for usajobs.gov.
*policy-research this is where I put alot of my--hmmm, sounds like a place that might hire me--links.
*academic presses the general AAUP website, employment pages or homepages for presses I'm interested in. Also intel I gathered at my last professional meeting on hiring and financial situations at said presses.
*nonacademic presses if I get hungry enough, now I know what websites to freelance edit from or where I can find what kinds of positions McGraw-Hill is looking to hire
*commercial potentially sketchy, also potentially cool. I read a newspaper article about Yahoo using anthropologists in testing products. Saved the link and copy and pasted into the spreadsheet the relevant passages.
Where else to get ideas?
usajobs.gov (searches are called agents--how very unappealing)
idealist.org
Thinking of Policy and Research Tanks?
List of policy organizations, links to their homepages, etc. Everything from Brookings, to Dem&Rep Nat'l Cttes, NAACP, MADD, ACLU, etc.
What is a Think Tank? Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys?
Bookmark your dreamjobs' job postings websites. Start RSSs feeds if you can on employment pages. Don't know about RSSs? Another great skill to have in the new job! (most websites will walk you through it, so don't worry if you don't really know about RSSs)
Make friends with your Graduate College's Career Services Center. They are awesome and have all of this stuff up in their heads and at their fingertips. They helped me get my first "real" job (i.e. an hourly gig in academic publishing) and they turned me on to much of this information. Career Services roxs.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Intro, Statement of Purpose, Methodology, Broader Significance
Yes, that is a horrible title isn't it? Well, so it goes. Must start with what one knows in order to get comfortable with what one doesn't know.
I'm a sociocultural anthropologist and I work on issues of race, class, and the city within the United States. I'm about to get my PhD. (Okay, I use "about" loosely here. ETA for the PhD: 8-16 months.) I want a job that uses my research findings and expertise. I do not want my workplace to be a classroom.
The purpose of this blog is to catalog, comment on, and share information that might be useful to other soon-to-be PhDers who are looking for jobs beyond the college or university classroom. My posts will focus on jobs that use the skills I have (qualitative research, grant writing, analysis, teaching experience, publishing and editing experience) and that make a difference in the world. There are lots of websites out there on this topic. Whatever. Incessant facebook posts and emails are annoying and I don't want to lose the few friends I have. Reading a blog whenever you don't feel like doing what you're supposed to be doing: that's a win-win for everyone.
I will always try to credit where I get my intell--this is both the honest way to disseminate knowledge and the best way to find more information on whatever it is that has struck my fancy. If you subscribe to the same listservs as I do and check the same "career opportunities" websites, then much of this will probably be redundant. Another advantage of the blogformat: the "close tab" button.
The motivation to do this blog is to 1) Organize my job search materials in a better way than just a file full of spreadsheets. 2) Cut down on annoying emails to fellow jobseekers. 3) Most importantly, I wish someone had told me all of this stuff three years ago. Even back when I thought that I could maybe do teaching, it would still have been nice to know what else I should be doing. You know, how to make sure a plan B was actually feasible?
I could go on a rant about how academia does not prepare us for the reality of the job market. Over at Chronicle of Higher Ed, those conversations are going on. I have them plenty enough privately (and not so privately). But I'm really tired of the idea that you are not a good intellectual if you do not work in a university or college setting. I hope to prove to myself, through this blog, that I can hold onto my intellectual identity, and my desire to do-good without having to be in a classroom. I'm also really tired of the hand wringing that the academy has been doing lately over its future. Stop talking about the doomsday and start doing something about it.
I'm a sociocultural anthropologist and I work on issues of race, class, and the city within the United States. I'm about to get my PhD. (Okay, I use "about" loosely here. ETA for the PhD: 8-16 months.) I want a job that uses my research findings and expertise. I do not want my workplace to be a classroom.
The purpose of this blog is to catalog, comment on, and share information that might be useful to other soon-to-be PhDers who are looking for jobs beyond the college or university classroom. My posts will focus on jobs that use the skills I have (qualitative research, grant writing, analysis, teaching experience, publishing and editing experience) and that make a difference in the world. There are lots of websites out there on this topic. Whatever. Incessant facebook posts and emails are annoying and I don't want to lose the few friends I have. Reading a blog whenever you don't feel like doing what you're supposed to be doing: that's a win-win for everyone.
I will always try to credit where I get my intell--this is both the honest way to disseminate knowledge and the best way to find more information on whatever it is that has struck my fancy. If you subscribe to the same listservs as I do and check the same "career opportunities" websites, then much of this will probably be redundant. Another advantage of the blogformat: the "close tab" button.
The motivation to do this blog is to 1) Organize my job search materials in a better way than just a file full of spreadsheets. 2) Cut down on annoying emails to fellow jobseekers. 3) Most importantly, I wish someone had told me all of this stuff three years ago. Even back when I thought that I could maybe do teaching, it would still have been nice to know what else I should be doing. You know, how to make sure a plan B was actually feasible?
I could go on a rant about how academia does not prepare us for the reality of the job market. Over at Chronicle of Higher Ed, those conversations are going on. I have them plenty enough privately (and not so privately). But I'm really tired of the idea that you are not a good intellectual if you do not work in a university or college setting. I hope to prove to myself, through this blog, that I can hold onto my intellectual identity, and my desire to do-good without having to be in a classroom. I'm also really tired of the hand wringing that the academy has been doing lately over its future. Stop talking about the doomsday and start doing something about it.
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