APA Issues Job Market Calendar Guidelines
It used to be that the timing of the job market in philosophy was anchored by the publication schedule of Jobs for Philosophers and the practice of holding first-round interviews at the Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association (APA). Now that the ads are posted continuously over the year, and video interviews, which can be scheduled anytime, are replacing APA interviews, questions have been raised about the uncertainty of the job market schedule, and what prospective employers and employees should expect from each other in regards to the timing of their interactions.
Today, responding to that uncertainty, the APA issued the following recommendations, which it hopes will be implemented beginning in Fall of 2016:
APA Statement on the Job Market Calendar
For tenure-track/continuing positions advertised in the second half of the calendar year, we recommend an application deadline of November 1 or later. It is further recommended that positions be advertised at least 30 days prior to the application deadline to ensure that candidates have ample time to apply.
In normal circumstances a prospective employee should have at least two weeks for consideration of a written offer from the hiring institution, and responses to offers of a position whose duties begin in the succeeding fall should not be required before February 1.
When advertising in PhilJobs: Jobs for Philosophers, advertisers will be asked to confirm that the hiring institution will follow the above guidelines. If an advertiser does not do so, the advertisement will include a notice to that effect.
Does the APA get input from hiring departments as a part of its process leading to these recommendations? If it did so on this occasion when did it do so and through what mechanism?
I will encourage my department, which hires every year, to indicate that it may or may not follow these APA suggestions.
On the one hand, this timeline matches the American job market closely, and the APA is after all the *American* Philosophical Association. On the other, many departments outside of the Americas advertise using PhilJobs, and these departments often have timelines that fall well outside North American norms (for totally innocuous reasons — it’s not like they’re trying to poach candidates with predatory and objectionably early exploding deadlines). Is it really fair to burden hiring departments with the dreaded asterisk of non-compliance?
The notice on ads for jobs that do not follow the calendar will, at least initially, only apply to US-based job listings. I’ve also been in touch with the leaders of other philosophical associations (BPA, CPA, AAP) inviting them to consider similar policy statements with dates matching the job market season in the geographic areas they primarily serve, which could then be incorporated into PhilJobs: Jobs for Philosophers as well.
Here’s a job market question from someone outside of the discipline, an English professor at a small liberal arts college looking to hire a TT position in Ethics (with an eye towards rebuilding our major). What are the SOP of job posting in Philosophy? Is it considered fine to post solely on PhilJobs: Jobs for Philosophers, or should we work through the channels of APA?
Appreciate the advice.
Posting on Philjobs is sufficient. All philosophers on the job market will check it regularly.