Applying during your first year as faculty

Applying during your first year as faculty

PsychLife 01 Feb 2016 05:56

A discussion has been going on in my lab very intensely the last week or so that I thought might get some interest here (also it's just us talking, so we're curious as to what others think). One of my colleagues (a first year post-doc) recently got a job offer at a good but not great R1 school. She has funding for a few more years for her postdoc, so she doesn't "need" a job in the sense that if she doesn't get/take one she won't have an income starting in September. However, it's not really a school that is an ideal fit for a variety of reasons (research, spousal career opportunities, location, etc). Here's the question: If she takes the job this year, but then next fall some positions become available that she'd definitely prefer, how bad would it look for her to potentially apply to those jobs during her first semester at the new school?

I realize that that could look pretty bad, but is it really going to ruin one's reputation in the field or just frustrate a small handful of people in one department? Would they even be THAT frustrated? Don't people in this day and age and market understand? Also, why are there these rules in academia — another one being that you should withdraw your candidacy from other schools as soon as you accept a job offer — that do not apply at all in the private sector?

What do people think? Isn't it worth being happy in the long-run and going for the job you really want even if you annoy a handful of people? Am I way off? Is this a MUCH bigger taboo than I realize¿

anon (guest) 01 Feb 2016 11:22

If she doesn't think that the new position will be her ideal job and plans on leaving as soon as she arrives then what the point of going there? Forget about what others in the department think or the larger implications. Going to a new place is very stressful, and starting a new academic job, course preps etc, take time. Why not invest all this time and effort in publications and positioning herself better for the next cycle? She has job security for some time so make a move when you plan to stay for a long time.

an-anon (guest) 01 Feb 2016 13:27

I was in this exact position several years ago. I ended up turning down 2 R1 jobs to go back on the market the following year and landed a position (my current one) where the research/location were better fits. I couldn't be happier.

And I agree with anon above. Starting a new position takes tons of time/resources. Don't do that unless you plan (or at least wouldn't mind) to stay for a bit.

Alternatively, assistant professors moving to other assistant professor jobs, particularly at R1s, seems to be increasingly common. We had an assistant search in my dept (not my area) where of the 4 candidates brought in for a campus interview, 3 were current assistant professors and 1 was a postdoc. And we made an offer to one of the assistant profs.

anon (guest) 01 Feb 2016 13:51

Don't do it. It will look bad and as said above, not really worth it. People are trying to convince themselves that this is part of the culture now and you are just playing the game. But I think you should care if you (or your friend) are decent people. Think about the costs for the department. They might understand why you want to move but it put them in an uncomfortable position to waste more time and money in recruiting a new hire. Also think about the person that came second in the search that might be denied from a dream job. It seems to me that your friend is fairly competitive and coupled with the luxury of not having to accept any new job, will probably find a better fit in a year or two.

asstprof (guest) 01 Feb 2016 15:25

I've known a few people who have moved after one year on the job. It is totally unideal for everyone but the market is so competitive it's just what happens sometimes.

That said, your friend should really consider staying. Did she get other interviews? Does she have a good sense of where she stands in the market? If she has a good idea and she knows she can do better in a future year (esp given that she has several years of funding left) she should stay. But it's possible this is the best she can do (i.e she didn't get other interviews and was rejected from similar and worse places) in which case she should face that reality, and consider this position vs. the possibility of nothing in the future.

She'll be more productive in her postdoc than if she moves, because it's hard to move, start up your lab, start teaching, etc. That is also something to consider for future tries at the market.

VAPs Rule (guest) 03 Feb 2016 20:16

Take the job, get research done, you never know what will happen once you get there. Generally the first contract the university gives you during tenure is a 1-3 year contract with expectation of renewal

Re: Applying during your first year as faculty

AnonymousPsychPerson 04 Feb 2016 18:41

I mean, isn't the reason she'd take the job just because the market is so crazy that who knows if there'll be a job next year. More and more I hear about people who get 2-3 interviews one year and then don't get a single interview the next? I know it sounds lame, but I would say take the job if there is a chance you may end up being happy there, but if something you 100% know you'd take instead comes up, go for it. You only live once, people in the department will get over it (they have their own lives to worry about). I don't understand why in academia we are expected to be so loyal to the universities/colleges and withdraw from searches or not seek out better opportunities.

Re: Applying during your first year as faculty

Happy in the UK 04 Feb 2016 20:07

The key seems to me the line "a few more years for her postdoc". If that means 2-3 then I don't see any reason why she should take the job. Yes, the market is competitive but she will also be more competitive and there is a great chance she can find at least a job as good as the offer if not better. But if she takes the job and wants to leave immediately she may not be able to because her research has slown down and she will always wonder what would it been to give it her best shot.