Going on the Job Market

Should I go on the job market this fall?  

You should if:

• You will have a job market paper ready by November and you will have presented it in a workshop (ECON 708 or ECON 709) by the third week of October.

• You have your advisor's authorization to go on the market and you can confirm three letter writers.

• You expect to graduate this academic year. 

How late can I withdraw from the job market?

You can change your mind about going on the market before the first CV packet gets sent out on October 1st. While it is possible to withdraw after this date, the cost of withdrawing increases as the season progresses, since as your name gets circulated, it becomes increasingly likely that employers will recognize your name the following year and want to know why you are back on the market.

How many times may I go on the job market?

The department will offer placement services for you two times. All the requirements are the same, including having a (new) job market paper. This can come in handy, for example, if you accept a post-doc the first time you're on the market and need to go back on the market the next year to look for a more permanent position.

Assembling your Job Market Materials & Applying

How do I get my references sent to a school with an early deadline?

First off, be sure your letter-writers are aware of the early deadline and will be able to complete your letters in time. As for the sending of these letters, you have two options:

• If you only have a couple of early deadlines, then the most practical solution is to provide your references with contact information and have them submit their letters directly.
• If your references are able to submit their letters to the placement coordinator early, then you can give the placement coordinator contact information and they will do their best to accommodate you.

How do I send additional references after the main mailing in November?

You can still submit additional references in November. There is no upper limit on the number of applications.

Can I change my job-market paper or abstract after submitting an application?

While it would not be ideal to make major changes midway through the job market (e.g., changing the substance of your conclusions), the CV you include in your application packets may certainly differ from what was sent out in the departmental CV packet mailing. It is also possible to edit your job market materials as you are sending out your application packets, so don't worry if the packet you sent to one school is slightly different from the packet you sent to another school.

If the job listing requests a transcript, should I send an official or unofficial transcript? And should I have it sent to them directly or include it in my application packet?

As a general rule, if an employer wants an official transcript, they will state this specifically in their job listing—but if you want this question answered with certainty for a particular institution, then you will need to contact them directly. Also, unless they specifically request otherwise, it is best to include the transcript in your packet, as this will minimize the probability of it getting lost.

Not all institutions ask for my [job market paper, research statement, teaching statement, teaching evaluations, transcript]. Should I send it anyway?

Unsolicited materials are probably less likely to get looked at, but including them is also unlikely to do any harm. To take an example, if 95 percent of the places you apply request a job market paper, then sending it to everyone would probably be fine. On the other hand, sending your teaching statement everywhere would probably be a mistake. Perhaps you could send it to all teaching colleges, but sending a teaching statement to a research institute, government agency, or private firm (and perhaps even Ph.D. granting institutions that haven't specifically requested it) could send the wrong signal.

How should I use the AEA signaling mechanism?

It's probably not the best idea to signal your interest to a top 40 academic institution, as they are likely to assume that anyone who applies is extremely interested. A better strategy is to use this mechanism to signal interest to institutions that are attainable, but where it might not otherwise be obvious that you are interested.

Preparing for interviews

What are on-site interviews?

In the past, a few institutions visited Maryland in October or November to conduct on-site interviews. This included the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FRB). The exact timing of these interviews can vary dramatically from year to year. In recent years, these institutions have come in October.  Some local employers interview candidates in their locations before the job market. These interviews can take place as early as October or November. 

How can I prepare for the mock interview?

You should prepare for the half-hour interview exactly as you would prepare for an actual job interview: you should be prepared to describe your dissertation research to a faculty member who is not necessarily a specialist in your area. (We attempt to avoid using a student's committee members for the Mock Interviews.) Aim for this summary to take about 10 to 15 minutes. You should also be prepared to describe your future research interests and (if you are aiming for a job that involves teaching) your teaching interests. Interviewers may also ask you about your previous work experience. You should also look over the interview preparation materials and give some thought to how you would answer each of the sample questions.

If I will be out of town for part of December, can I still do a mock interview?

If you let us know in advance that you'll be out of town, then we will do our best to schedule a mock interview that accommodates your schedule. That said, if you do travel in the month of December, you should remain accessible by email throughout.

Do I have to have my mock interview taped?

Certainly not. Just let us know when you arrive for the interview and we will turn the camera off.

Will there be time to work on my job market seminar after I submit my applications?

In some cases, students have quite a bit of time between application deadlines and their first fly-out. But in other cases, institutions will call you on Sunday and invite you for a fly-out right away. Given this, it is best to have your full-length job market presentation (in addition to your half-hour interview) prepared by December 1st.