Winter: in many fields, this time of year is filled with faculty position interviews, campus visits, and job talks. You might currently be deep in an academic job search process or watching others grapple with it. You may be curious about the kinds of jobs that PhD’s hold outside the academy. In this competitive academic job market, many graduate students and postdocs are doing both--investigating the market for academic jobs while also exploring alternate career paths.

To support the needs of current and future faculty, CRLT has drawn together a broad set of Preparing Future Faculty web resources that can help academics explore, apply for, and thrive in a wide variety of jobs. Many of the linked documents, videos, and websites originated from a CRLT-Rackham collaboration that took the form of an annual Preparing Future Faculty conference. The collection thus contains a wealth of resources that have been developed collaboratively over a decade of Preparing Future Faculty efforts at U-M.

While graduate students and postdocs will find these resources particularly useful, academics at all stages will find valuable guidance and information here. For example, we highlight strategies for success at any point in your academic career, from graduate student to postdoc to full professor. In addition, many graduate students and postdocs may be interested in exploring career options outside the academy that draw on the skills they are developing as scholars and teachers inside the academy.

For those who want an in-depth look at the range of faculty jobs, and the day-to-day life of those who work at different sorts of institutions, Investigating Academic Jobs offers:

• Faculty worklife resources that broadly illustrate the types of work that faculty do and offers ideas for how people succeed in such positions.
• Outside the academy presents a range of possibilities and resources for those considering alternative career paths.
• Articles and video give voice to the experiences of faculty members who are off the tenure track.

Those who are ready to prepare for diving into the academic job market can go to Applying For Academic Jobs to find:

• An overview of the academic hiring process
• Strategies for distinguishing yourself in the academic job market through networking
• Guidance on preparing job materials such as CVs and cover letters, teaching philosophies and demonstrations
• Advice for people interviewing and negotiating for academic jobs

And finally, CRLT has compiled resources related to success in the academy that should prove useful to everyone from graduate students to tenured faculty:

• Making the most of your time, whether you are just beginning graduate school, starting off an academic career, or looking to maximize productivity as an established faculty member
• Resources on mentoring and being mentored in the academy
• A range of resources for academics who are underrepresented in their fields
• A curated set of links to resources on teaching

If you'd like to pursue these topics in person, CRLT and Rackham continue to offer an annual Preparing Future Faculty seminar each May to a select group of graduate students. The course emphasizes the use of evidence-based teaching strategies, inclusive teaching, student assessment, and conversations about teaching and faculty life with faculty at diverse institution types. Applications are due by 4:00pm, February 24, 2017.