Graduate
Placement Committee Events: 2008-09
NOTE: Many of the events below are geared specifically to those planning to look for a university teaching position. If you are considering other kinds of work, you should ALSO be making use of the services of the Office of Professional Development and Community Engagement beginning early in your graduate program. Recruitment in other professions does not follow the calendar used in academic searches; you must take the initiative. Please do plan to attend our May "Career Paths" workshop to hear from UT PhDs who are enjoying careers outside of the college classroom and to learn about campus resources to prepare you for such positions.
September 12, 2008: Job materials workshop
Friday, Sept. 12, 12n-2p, PAR 312
Bring the draft letter of application, CV, dissertation abstract and statement of teaching philosophy you have created over the summer in consultation with your dissertation director. Check the big binder of placement materials in the Grad Office for samples, and read through the workshop handouts online before the meeting. Take a look at the Chronicle Careers online because it also will be discussed at the workshop. The Chronicle is issued weekly with new job listings and articles, and worth browsing on a regular basis. See Amy in CAL 208 for the department's login information.
September 15, 2008: The Modern Language Association Job Information List
The Modern Language Association Job Information List becomes available online. The English Department has a subscription so you can access it free. See Amy Stewart in CAL 208 for the logon information. Be sure to check back for the late fall and early spring postings.
September 26, 2008: Applying for Jobs at Liberal Arts Colleges
Friday, Sept. 26, 2:30-3:45, PAR 312
Elisabeth Piedmont-Marton, Associate Professor of English and Director of the
Writing Center at Southwestern University
Lynn Rudloff, Assistant Professor of English, Rhetoric and Writing and Director
of Freshman Studies at St. Edwards University
It will be chaired by UT-English faculty member Gretchen Murphy, who taught for
six years at the University of Minnesota-Morris, a liberal arts college.
The session will cover issues including what it is like to teach at a liberal
arts college, what liberal arts colleges are looking for in applicants, and the
"dos and don'ts" of applying. This session is appropriate for students
currently on the job market or those who are looking ahead to future job
prospects. Please join us!
September-November, 2008: Dossier creation and proofreading
After you have opened a dossier at the Jester Career Center, Placement Committee members will look over your dossier materials. We will work with you individually on letters of application, CVs, and other documents. Ask your professors to submit letters of recommendation to Amy Stewart in the Grad Office by mid-October as many positions have November 1 deadlines. Students should show final versions of CV, dissertation abstract, letter of application and statement of teaching philosophy to their advisors and/or members of the Placement Committee in time to meet the same deadline.
November and December 2008: Mock Phone Interviews
Last year, several job seekers had phone interviews. Please contact Linda Ferreira-Buckley, Placement Committee Chair, to arrange a mock phone interview.
December 10, 2008: Interview Skills Workshop and Individual Mock Interviews
Wednesday, December 10, 9 AM to 2 PM, Tom Lea Room, Harry Ransom Center
Lunch will be served.
This session will begin with opening remarks about MLA interviews by faculty, including those who have interviewed recently as well as those who have considerable experience interviewing job candidates. They’ll be time for discussion and questions.
Following this, faculty will model two interviews.
In early December you’ll be offered a chance to secure a time for an individual mock interview with three faculty members. Those interviews will take place on December 11 and 12.
January through March, 2008: mock job talks
The Placement Committee will help you set up a practice version of your on-campus interview. Students are responsible for inviting dissertation committee members and graduate student colleagues they want in attendance and for setting a date and time for the mock job talk. Amy Stewart in the Grad Office can book a room for you once you have made these arrangements.
April 2009: Pre-Placement General Information Meeting
Third- and fourth-year students (and beyond): The Placement Committee encourages you to attend this meeting to learn ways that you can enhance your credentials before you go on the job market. Following a brief discussion, we’ll look at your CVs and offer suggestions about the kinds of experiences you should seek out to enhance your professional future.
May 2009: Career Paths panel discussion
Lunch will be served
This workshop will focus on professional opportunities other than postsecondary teaching. Morning and afternoon sessions will feature UT PhDs working in a variety of fields and will acquaint you with resources at UT, especially those offered by the Office of Professional Development and Community Engagement.