tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post43504692430804837..comments2024-02-28T18:29:41.120-08:00Comments on Not of General Interest: The art of the job letterundinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589384016564587214noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-64181475122256325472007-10-26T23:27:00.000-07:002007-10-26T23:27:00.000-07:00I know, anastasia--sometimes the ads are impossibl...I know, anastasia--sometimes the ads are impossibly vague. I guess what I'm thinking about is that if (to use a lit example) you're an Early Modern specialist and you apply for a Medievalist position on the basis of a Chaucer course back in the day, the search committee will figure it out. Again, what I've seen is that some of the vagueness may be driven by administrative (HR) imperatives more than by departmental wishes, though departments are sometimes at fault, too.undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05589384016564587214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-14417070966940317472007-10-26T12:20:00.000-07:002007-10-26T12:20:00.000-07:00"Make sure that you really are suited for the posi..."Make sure that you really are suited for the position."<BR/><BR/>this would be easier if committees were more forthcoming about what they want. the job ads I've seen are unbelievably obscure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-77442471476462524412007-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:002007-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:00This sounds like HR language to me: "desirable" is...This sounds like HR language to me: "desirable" is not the same as "essential" to them, and they may have a form that requires that secondary areas get mentioned even if the department doesn't seem to believe they are going to be a determining factor. They want to spell everything out so that it can be an evaluation point and so that there is no room for misunderstanding, even if the points seem obvious (like where you will be teaching). Behind every statement like that lies the fear of a lawsuit, IMHO.undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05589384016564587214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-51780211390346576952007-10-24T10:24:00.000-07:002007-10-24T10:24:00.000-07:00Wow, I've never seen anything like that before. I...Wow, I've never seen anything like that before. It sounds like they're trying to reassure candidates that their secondary areas won't count against them and can count for them, but what a way to do it and shouldn't it go without saying? <BR/><BR/>I know it's hard when the deck is so stacked against applicants to keep in mind that you're evaluating the departments as much as they are you, but ad wording like that should prompt some special attention from those who get the MLA interview and particularly the on-campus interview with them. What kind of department ethos/culture has to exist for a sentence like that to make its way into an ad?The Constructivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07242149985581771922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-60160942629028199492007-10-23T21:54:00.000-07:002007-10-23T21:54:00.000-07:00Here's actual wording from one of the current post...Here's actual wording from one of the current postings I'm considering: "Secondary areas congruent with existing departmental specialties desirable but not essential."<BR/><BR/>Now, what the hell am I supposed to make of that? Along the lines you've mentioned, it'd sure be nice if committees didn't make the applicants do the math. Come on, people, just say what you'd like to see, or at least specify what "existing departmental specialties" might be. And if you really don't care, don't say it! If your committee can't agree, then KEEP MEETING, or reconstitute the committee.ArticulateDadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08407769773596623808noreply@blogger.com