The Great Academic Job Hunt

The C. T. Bauer College of Business recently held a job market readiness workshop to help doctoral students prepare to navigate the academic job market.

Held every fall semester, the half-day event covered a variety of topics, including personal branding, how to best refine job market materials and a behind-the-scenes look at faculty recruiting.

“Our job is to give them more information on the process, so they are better prepared.”
Ye Hu, Director of Bauer College Ph.D. Programs

Director of Ph.D. Programs Ye Hu noted that the event is a collaborative effort between the Office of Doctoral Programs, the Rockwell Career Center and college leadership, all of whom dedicated their time to share important insights with students.

Dean Xianjun Geng shared his experience while earning his doctorate, encouraging students to be persistent and enjoy the process.

Associate Dean of Research Vanessa Patrick-Ralhan gave a presentation on personal branding and taught students the importance of showcasing their research in a way that best reflects their identity and the values they bring to an institution.

Chair of the Department of Marketing & Entrepreneurship Ed Blair discussed the desirable structure of academic presentations and how to adapt presentations to the audience through live “editing.”

RCC Senior Career Development Specialist Helen Godfrey

RCC Senior Career Development Specialist Helen Godfrey

RCC Senior Career Development Specialist Helen Godfrey also joined to teach students about the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) framework of interviewing. She also provided guidance on telling their story concisely, showcasing problem-solving skills and demonstrating results effectively.

“I’ve noticed that no matter what stage you’re at in your academic journey, everyone finds it challenging to talk about themselves.”
Helen Godfrey, RCC Senior Career Development Specialist

Godfrey has been involved in the Ph.D. Job Market Readiness Workshop since it was first offered in 2015. She said that it is rewarding to see students gain both practical tools and a new sense of confidence from the sessions each year.

Hu said that the purpose of this event is to prepare students for the academic job market and give them a better idea of what to expect.

“Students spend most of their time doing research, working on their dissertation and trying to get their papers published,” he said. “But there’s another side to it, and that is presenting your research and showcasing your capabilities in interviews at universities.”

Hu added that while students have done many presentations during their time in the program, what is expected from them in academic job interviews is more rigorous and crucial than any other presentation they have done.

“Our job is to give them more information on the process, so they are better prepared,” he said.

Whether they were students in their third or fourth year, actively applying for jobs or preparing for when they would have to, there was something that everyone could take away from the workshops.

Management & Leadership Ph.D. student Tiffany Owens, now in her fourth year, hopes to secure an academic role as an assistant professor and continue developing her research on organizational behavior.

“This has really helped set my expectations on how to be prepared,” Owens said. “One thing that I took away from today's workshops was the importance of showing the unique value you bring to prospective universities.”

To learn more about the Ph.D. program at Bauer, click here.