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ACADEMIC CAREERS: FINDING POSITIONS

There are many ways to find faculty positions. Successful job candidates typically use a variety of search methods and start looking at job descriptions about 12 months before they hope to start a new position. Below are some strategies and resources that may help increase your chances of finding a faculty position:

NETWORKING

  • Networking throughout grad school is a great strategy for securing employment
  • Serious job-seekers make themselves known to others who might have job leads or contacts by:
  • Attending conferences, colloquia, social hours, panels, and other events
  • Joining organizations and committees
  • Utilizing faculty members, mentors, and alumni as job advocates and referral sources
  • Learn more about networking at https://careers.uw.edu/channels/build-relationships/

JOIN A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

  • Professional associations typically offer an array of job search resources:
    • Job fairs or interviewing events at conferences, which are paramount in some fields
    • Online job boards, email lists, and newsletters
    • Find professional associations in your discipline by asking professors and by typing “professional association
  • [your discipline]” into a search browser

WHERE TO SEARCH

It is always best to start by asking your department where they typically post open positions. However, there are
also several academic job search websites, some that are general and some that are industry-specific.

Academic Job Search Websites:

Job Search Websites for Specific Fields

Ask your department for a list of discipline-specific job search sites

University Websites

If you’re interested in working at a particular university, visit the Human Resources / Career / Job / Employment
section of that university’s website. You can also visit the websites of specific departments within universities to
learn of open positions.


Examples: