Endings and Beginnings: Transitioning to the First Year of a Tenure Track Job

Abstract

This special session includes assistant professors with varying levels of experience, discussing several topics outlining what to expect from the final year in the doctoral program, the first semester as an assistant professor, and the first few years on the job. Discussants will speak on topics such as:

• The Job Market Conference: focusing on how to go about applying for jobs, what resources are most useful, tips to improve your success, navigating the conference interviews, following up after the conference, etc.

• Balancing the Job Search and Finishing the Dissertation: focus here is on how to manage one’s final year in the program between potentially flying out for job interviews, teaching classes, and also finishing the dissertation, which is of paramount importance.

• The First Semester Expectations vs. Reality: The focus here is on effectively balancing the transition from doctoral school to assistant professorship. Considering how overwhelming it may be to discover a new town and understand the workings of the new job, while also working that job, this topic is important to pass along helpful tips.

• The First Year, Expectations, and Reality, Where Has the Time Gone: This continues the theme from the previous discussion, but extends it to include understanding the realities of the first year on the job.

• Effectively Managing Your Time: The focus here is intertwined with the advice been put forth in the previous two topics. Managing one’s time is essential in order to successfully navigate the first semester and year.

• Tenure Clock: The focus here lies in understanding the necessary steps to take, in order to avoid the panic as the dreaded tenure clock ticks away.