Special Session: May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor: An Abstract About Improving Your Odds and Successfully Navigating the Academic Job Market

One of the most stressful times for a marketing doctoral student is entering the job market to find a suitable academic position. Navigating the job market becomes a “rite of passage,” marking the transition from a student to a professor. Preparing for the job market requires doctoral students to juggle several responsibilities, including writing application materials, completing lengthy interviews, and visiting multiple campuses, all while staying on track with their dissertation, research pipeline, and teaching. The job market is fraught with uncertainty and stress for rookie Ph.D.’s, and many receive little guidance from their peers or professors at their university. While each doctoral student has a unique experience in the job market, the process includes a variety of common steps that each candidate has to master. This special session is designed to discuss the various aspects of the academic job market and will answer a fundamental question, “how can doctoral students be more successful in the job market?” The special session will begin with a discussion of what success in the job market means (e.g., placing at a R1 school), followed by an interactive discussion of specific strategies and steps doctoral students can take to be prepared for the job market. We envision discussing what to include in job application packages, how to find and apply for jobs, phone call interview etiquette, preparing for job market conference interview questions, thriving on campus visits, tips on staying calm while waiting to hear back from schools, and maintaining momentum on the dissertation. The uniqueness of this special session comes from the interactive nature of the session—panel participants will present information on the abovementioned topics but will also take questions from the audience throughout the session. Thus, the major benefit for attendees will be the opportunity to raise questions and concerns about the job market and receive real-time, diverse feedback from panel participants who have recently gone through the process. In addition, panel members will share examples of documents showing how to effectively structure a CV, cohesively discuss streams of research in the research statement, concretely discuss pedagogical approaches in the teaching statement, and tailor cover letters. After attending the special session, candidates will be better prepared for success in the job market and connected with other students on the market.