You Really Need Recommendations From Faculty Outside Your Department
Academic Job Market 101
This last couple of weeks, I've received a slew of new customers asking my assistance in planning for the Fall 2022 employment market. This thinking and preparation is commendable, and I advise it to anybody who knows they'll be on the market next year. One piece of advise I gave each of these clients was to begin developing a third or fourth recommendation letter writer who was not affiliated with your Ph.D. giving school.
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Some of you may be surprised, but having all of your letters come from academics at your Ph.D. institution/committee is a solid sign that a job applicant is "Not Ready For Prime Time."
It isn't a full deal-breaker, especially if your department has a number of profs who are well-known and important in their own right. In the same vein, if you are an early ABD, the lack of an external letter writer will not be fatal.
The finest, strongest, and most accomplished rivals for the positions you're seeking for–-even ABDs-–will have groomed well-known, prominent senior researchers in their field/niche to write for them from outside your school.
“We cannot solve problems with the kind of thinking we employed when we came up with them.” — Albert Einstein
What if you've had your Ph.D. for more than a year? Then your dependence on your Ph.D. departmental professors for recommendations quickly starts to stand out, and it will ultimately hurt your candidacy and eliminate your prospects for tenure track positions within a few years.
What is the reason behind this? Again, since it relates directly to tenure-track (as opposed to adjunct or interim) search committees' recruiting objectives.
Search committees for tenure track positions are looking for colleagues, not graduate students. Your Ph.D. program's professors, on the other hand, are familiar with you as a graduate student. They may think highly of you, but they will eventually judge you based on your performance in their courses, your work as a TA, and your dissertation writing.
No tenure-track committee hires someone for being an excellent graduate student, TA, or dissertation writer. They're looking for someone who can bring their national and international reputation as a professional scholar to the department.
Scholars outside of your graduate school with whom you have cooperated as a (junior) peer on conference panels, professional symposia, and other publications are the letter writers who can best testify to your reputation and accomplishments at this level. This is why every tenure-track job candidate should nurture at least one of these letter-writers.
I believe I hear cries of anguish along the lines of, "How can I possible DO this?"
It is not difficult, but it is time consuming. First and foremost, you must put yourself out there. You must attend national conferences, as well as brown bag presentations, seminars, and symposia hosted on your school. You must explore publishing possibilities as they emerge, and you must, above all, plan a high-profile panel for your national conference in your first year on the market. These are the times when you start to meet and interact with academics from various corners of the world.
If there are any academics whose work has had a significant impact on you, make an attempt to meet them at a conference, as described in this article. If they are really busy, request even just 15 minutes of their time. There's a chance they'll have time for coffee. Get a discussion going in whatever way you can.
Keep in contact once you've gained an acquaintance. Thank them for their time in an email. Inquire with your department about inviting them to campus. Invite them to be a panelist on another panel you're putting up.
If they agree to be a discussant, email them your paper ahead of time and respectfully and cautiously request early feedback to aid in the composition of the final copy. They may not have enough time. They could, however, pull it off. If they do, take their suggestions into account. Then connect with them throughout the panel and continue the topic over drinks afterward.
As your relationship develops, seek them guidance on minor issues such as a manuscript publishing venue or a grant possibility.
Now, when it comes to nurturing supporters/letter writers, there is just one rule: Do. Not. Impose. Also, avoid sending lengthy, depressing letters about your departmental woes and suffering at the hands of your horrible adviser. It's not something anybody wants to hear. They will, however, often provide a helping hand to a younger scholar if they are not forced to.
After some time has passed, inquire whether your friend would be willing to read a chapter of your dissertation and provide input. Give them plenty of time and don't set a deadline. If they agree, it's a positive indicator that they value and support your efforts. Include some of their thoughts, participate in a discussion about their suggestions, and be sure to thank them profusely for their time.
Now that you've created a positive working connection, you may bring up the possibility of them being one of your letter writers. Be aware that they may have Ph.D.s on the market who are vying for the same positions as you. Even if they like and support you, it's conceivable that they won't send you a letter. Don't take it personally; they've made a rational decision. However, there's a good possibility they'll agree to write for you.
And once they do, you'll have the viewpoint of an unbiased, independent agent who can assess you in relation to your profession as a whole, rather than someone who was essentially "paid to take care of you" in their role as one of your department's graduate faculty. Their letter demonstrates your national engagement and suggests your early readiness for your eventual tenure case down the road.
The Ph.D. job candidate in her fourth year on the job market who is still relying on a letter from a graduate faculty member that says things like "Rebecca created an A paper for my seminar!" or "Kate was the best TA in the program," or "Sophie wrote a very thorough and outstanding dissertation" is trailing the ghostly aura of her graduate student self behind her, signaling that she is still not tenure-track material.
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