Dive Brief:
- The Guardian offers five tips for avoiding common mistakes in applying for academic jobs.
- Brevity, positivity, focus on details, transparency about career chronology and openness to impartial feedback are critical in crafting a strong application.
- Offering detailed information about only requested credentials is the best practice in earning the attention of a hiring committee.
Dive Insight:
Strong applications are the universal keys to gaining the approval of a hiring committee, no matter if the job is for an adjunct professor position or an executive appointment. Winning the interview before the interview requires applicants to first understand the culture of the school, to customize their CVs and cover letters to highlight relevant experiences, and doing so in as few words as possible.
Key words from institutional or departmental mission statements are critical in catching the eye of some application reviewers, and referencing achievements which may have been comparable to similar activities made by the hiring institution are a way to help application reviewers break the monotony of assessing candidates, and to find an ideal fit.