Graduate Jobs
Despite the difficult job market in recent years, our program has managed to maintain a strong record in placing its students in tenure-track positions around the country; in the past few years, Duke PhDs in English have accepted such positions at Harvard, Haverford, Yale, Swarthmore, Williams, Vassar, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and many others. Our placement record is one of the most competitive in the country.
For the three academic years between 2003-2006, twenty-three students graduated. We had thirteen graduates begin tenure-track faculty positions at doctoral-granting universities, one take a tenure track faculty position at a four-year college, and nine take non-tenure track college or university teaching positions. The offers were made from a range of excellent schools: Emory, James Madison University, Ithaca College, University of Portland, University of British Columbia, Vanderbilt, University of Kentucky, Lehigh and Yale.
The department runs a full support system to help students prepare themselves for their job applications, from the initial preparation of applications to mock on-campus interviews.
The Director of Placement for 2008-2009 is Priscilla Wald
Timeline for Job Candidates:
September 1: Research extensively any postdoctoral fellowships
that may be of appeal and whose criteria you seem to match. Keep your
dissertation committee and referees informed (in a timely manner) of any
Postdocs for which you may want to apply. You may find information on
postdoctoral opportunities at the Office of Research Support.
September 13 (Monday): submit a copy of your basic application materials (1. CV; 2. letter of application; and 3. Dissertation abstract; 4. Teaching materials) to your dissertation advisor and two copies to the placement committee through Kelly in the graduate office.
September 13-24: we recommend that you schedule a meeting with your dissertation advisor and with two members of the placement committee to go over your materials.
September 27 (approx.): once the MLA job information list has been published, please review it carefully and create a list of all those jobs for which you intend to apply. Please email this list to ALL MEMBERS of your dissertation committee and the placement committee.
October 1-20: We suggest that you meet with your dissertation advisor and with a member of the placement committee to discuss your choice of a 15-20 pp. writing sample that you have been distilling from your dissertation project or from other advanced graduate research.
December 6-10: Practice interviews will be scheduled during this period.
Throughout the process, please always update your advisor and members of your dissertation and of the placement committee on progress in your search: i.e., dossier or writing sample requests, requests for MLA interviews, etc.
Placement documents. [we'll need to get these from the committee]
Advice and Information:
Applying for Postdocs:
Office of Research Support
Fellowships DatabaseSearching for an Academic Job:
Information for Job Candidates from the MLA
Academic Job Checklist by Mary Corbin Sies
Career Network from the Chronicle of Higher Education
English Department Home Pages Worldwide by David L. Hoover
PhD Career Resources: Publications from Re-Envisioning the PhDJob Interviews and Negotiations:
Academic Job Interview Advice by Mary Corbin Sies
Academic Job Interview Questions by Mary Corbin Sies
The Academic Job Interview by Michael Garner
After the Offer, Before the Deal by Chris M. Golde
The Salary Calculator costs of living compared, from realtor.com
Job Listings:
Modern Language Association Job Information List
H-Net Job Guide
Higher Ed Jobs (US site, but includes international information)
Canadian Association of University Teachers Bulletin Online: Careers
ACCUTE Job List (Canada)
Association of Commonwealth Universities Job Listings
Jobs in Research, Science, Academic & Related Professions Jobs in the UK
Campus Review Jobs in Australia/NZ
On Academic Employment:
Career Info from the MLA
With thanks to Manina Jones for her research for the site at ACCUTE.