This blog is coauthored by Cristina Grande Herrera & Antonio B. Vazquez
When does the job market begin? Are you ready for the market? How does the process work? In this post we try to answer these questions and some others with our own job market experiences. The accounting job market starts when you need to prepare your package for the job market conference(s). This package normally comprises your job market paper and CV. A non-exhaustive list of job market conferences is: the IE Talent Workshop (Madrid, Spain) and the Rookie Camp (Miami, US). Do not be afraid to ask your advisor/s and colleagues from previous years about these conferences and any useful insights they may relate.
Please, bear in mind that in addition to the job market conferences almost every university requires you to fill out an online application. In addition to the job market paper and the CV, it is important to have the following documents ready for applications. First, the Research Statement: a document in which you explain what your research is about, briefly explain the papers you have included in your job market package and the research topics you would like to study in the future. Second, the Teaching Statement: where you explain your experience as an instructor/TA and the different courses you have taught. Third, Teaching Evaluations: a document signed by your chair department that relates your student evaluation outcomes. Fourth, Reference Letters: normally, you will be asked to provide at least 3 reference letters, which should be given by professors that have a close working connection to you. Last but not least, the Cover Letter: a document in which you introduce yourself as a researcher and relate to the institution you are applying the reasons why you fit in their department.
Some useful web pages to look for job positions are (not exhaustive): https://eaa-online.org/arc/job-listing, https://www.akadeus.com/announcements,a.html, https://ssrn.com/en/index.cfm/arn/arn-job-openings/ or https://www.jobs.ac.uk/. Some universities do not attend the main job market conferences, but they do publish online applications. We recommend creating a database with the information about each position, mainly the deadline and documents required.
Once you submit the conference(s) package(s), you will receive emails from universities interested in interviewing you at the conference (hopefully the ones you are interested in). We advise creating a schedule (excel format or similar) to keep track of your free slots and your interviews at any of the conferences. Remember that one slot will be covered by your own presentation. You will have access to a pdf file that states when you will present and another pdf file that states who will be at the interviewers from each attending institution. In order to prepare for the interviews, you need to gather information about the institution and be prepared for the following question: Why did you choose university “X”? Each interview takes around 25 minutes. The interview starts with an introduction. Later, you might be asked about the following items: your research (your job market paper in detail and a brief version of your other papers), teaching, other items in your CV. Please, have in mind that you will require bathroom breaks and you might want to bring some nutritious food items (walnuts, bananas…) and drink plenty of water. One piece of personal advice: be yourself during the interview. This is a matching process where both parties are looking for the best fit possible.
Hopefully, after the interviews you will receive emails from institutions that want to offer you a “flyout”. During a flyout you will have interviews with different department members. Bear in mind you will also present your job market paper. In solo flyouts you are the only person interviewed that day by the university. In shared flyouts you will spend the day with other job market candidates. Bear in mind that during these shared flyouts the other candidates may be or not in the same room during your job market paper presentation. We recommend once again creating an excel file with all your flyouts. This is to be sure about which days you have available when more universities offer you a flyout.
After flyouts, the universities interested in you will send an email with a job offer. They will give you some time to decide. Don’t accept anything before asking your advisor/s and think carefully about it.
Good luck!
