The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your PhD into a Job

I'm an avid reader of Kelsky's blog and purchased this book fairly certain of what it would contain, My high expectations were certainly met. While the book did not contain much information that was "startlingly new," its breadth and depth earn the book its place on my bookshelf. I'm certainly happy to have all of this information in one place so that I can share chapters with colleagues, friends, and students. Kelsky has written a book designed to empower PhD students who are facing a bleak academic job market. She doesn't guarantee that her readers will earn a "coveted" tenure-track position by reading the book - nor is that her goal. Her mission is to help PhDs get a job, be it academia, alt-ac, or non-ac; and she does this by detailing what job candidates need to know about academia. The readers of her blog or columns in The Chronicle will not be surprised by this goal, nor should they be. Kelsky is an avowed advocate for PhD students and recent graduates who are struggling on the market because they need more guidance. The book is written for all academic fields, but Kelsky also calls attention to some of the dire conditions in the humanities, and how that may affect PhD candidates and job seekers. The bulk of the book focuses on preparing for jobs in academia, but it also provides information on leaving academia and finding other ways to utilize the PhD. The book is broken down into ten parts covering everything those looking at the tenure-track need to know, including types of academic institutions (R1/SLACs/R2/etc.), job market documents, offer negotiations, grant writing, and how/when/why to leave academia altogether. For those who are familiar with her blog, here are the biggest bonuses of her book: * More real-life examples from emails, letters, and in person conversations Kelsky has had over the years. * Chapter 4 details how the academic search process works from the university/department side - a land few grads may know as intimately as Kelsky explains. * Figuring out a 5-year plan and determining what issues of the minutiae of graduate school life will distract you from the goal of making your CV the strongest it can be for the job market. * Creating your “campaign platform” for the job market * More specific information on crafting your elevator speech * Key questions to prepare for in an academic interview (and how to tackle Skype and on-campus interviews) * Answers the question of what to do when you don’t feel like you belong in academia, for myriad reasons including elitism, racism, gender, sexuality, imposter syndrome, and more Most importantly for me, having all of this information in one compact book means I have a go-to present for my favorite students who giddily tell me that they want to become a professor. I don't want to discourage them like my undergraduate advisers tried to do to me, but I do want them to be well-informed about what the graduate-school-to-tenure-track life is like. I love having genuinely curious and bright students be interested in becoming a professional in my field (history), but I don't think it necessary that they see "professor" as the only meaningful way to study history or be a historian. I'm glad Kelsky has deepened my understanding of the nuances involved in mentoring students and being a student myself, as well as giving practical and thoughtful advice. On another note, the book also provides me with a good stocking-stuffer for my non-academic parents who still wonder why I’m “in school” after so many years, and why my work schedule doesn't follow the 9-5 they're used to. I may even send a copy to my adviser.

Karen Kelsky could sell this book at three times its sales price and I would still highly recommend it for future and current graduate students and their mentors. Of course, the current price, especially for the Kindle version, is just a small part of the allure of the book for impoverished graduate students like me. In "The Professor Is In," Kelsky, a former tenured professor at two research institutions, offers readers a wealth of insights from her two decades in the academy and as a member of many hiring committees. Readers will open the book to find an extensive table of contents that covers just about every conceivable aspect of the academic job market; everything from an overview of the hiring process to building a competitive record are covered. The author weaves concrete, helpful examples throughout the book. These examples are where the book makes its money and are especially pertinent in the chapters that attend to job documents, interviews and offer negotiations. It is also Kelsky's (often hilarious) examples that make the book's chapter on Outrageous Interview Questions particularly shine (as a minority graduate student, I can only imagine the effort it would take on my part to keep a straight face when asked such questions). Most important, however, is the fact that the author provides all of this insight without a saccharine view of academia. This is important given the state of the academic job market; Kelsky does not (and cannot) offer any guarantees of success. Instead, her advice, if followed, will make the reader a more attractive candidate, which, in this highly competitive market, is the best a candidate can do. It is also worth noting that the author tailors much of her advice according to the type of institution offering the job (ie., research universities vs. teaching colleges). As far as negatives go, the only one I see is that some of the book's content is derived directly from the author's blog. Considering the fact that the content on her blog is what got me interested in her book, and the derivative content is but a relatively small portion of the book, this isn't even a minor quibble for me. The initial advice on the blog was great; no need to reinvent the wheel, indeed. Also, STEM graduate students may not find this book as helpful...most STEM students I know don't desire a job in academia and, those that do, will find this to be a book geared toward grad students in the humanities. The humanities are where Kelsky's experience lies, though, so it's hard for me to find fault there. In sum, if you have any interest whatsoever in pursuing a job in academia, you must Get. This. Book. It will be my bible during my time on the market and beyond.

If you are a graduate student, considering graduate school, a faculty member, academic support, academic administration, or human; you need to read this book. The American academy is broken. I say this as one of the lucky few with a tenure track job. A system of graduate education was created in a time with circumstances that no longer exist. As Karen Kelsky explains in the opening chapters, the path to secure employment via a doctoral degree is a rocky one with a very uncertain outcome. For those that choose to pursue it, this book (and Kelsky's blog and social media profiles) provides a frank, honest, and accurate description of what it takes to get something out of the doctoral experience. Highlights: - The scope of this book could have been problematic. Yet somehow Kelsky pulled it off: covering what it takes to get a tenure track job, the job market process, and throws in some additional material on grants and leaving the academy. - The job market process chapters are incredibly detail oriented and this is a very good thing. The academic job interview is unlike anything anyone has experienced before. I'm certain this book will make interviews less scary. - Some of the chapters are elaborations on Kelsky's blog posts (some of which may not be available online anymore), but this is the minority of the content in the book. Moreover, the overarching themes and lessons of the book make the material useful, even to those that had read the blog post previously. - Kelsky is telling the ugly truth about the reality of the job market process. Yet, unlike many academic pundits, she also gives proven strategies for dealing with reality. We would all like things to be better, but until then, we have to work within the system. Kelsey gives you ways to do that. - Occasionally Kelsky's experience as an anthropologist does not resonate with my experience in a different field. Almost always Kelsky acknowledges when there are disciplinary or paradigmatic differences and suggests that the reader knows her field. This book may frighten some people. But it is absolutely essential that anyone that is a part of this process understands how this works. I read the book as a veteran of Kelsky's blog and consulting. I suspect that reading the entire book would be challenging and/or overwhelming for a young graduate student. I would suggest that an early graduate student read Part I, II, III, and IV carefully and skim the rest for familiarity. A graduate student that successfully passes exams should re-read Parts I-IV and then read V-VII carefully. Parts VIII-X are more topic-specific, but are excellent resources for any scholar. I believe that faculty should read this entire book with a goal of being better advisors and better academic community members. We all need to take responsibility for the system that currently exists and Kelsky's book (and other work) may be a good starting point for trying to resolve some of the problems - either as individuals or systematically. I sincerely hope that Kelsky can carve out time from her consulting work to write a similar book about life on the tenure track and getting tenure. Her blog posts on this topic are fantastic and I suspect that it would be a good "second project" ;) for her. We all desperately need this sort of frankness and guidance.

If you're interested in earning a PhD in support of your professional career objectives, chances are this book it not for you. Kelsky is writing to the Ph.D. academic. Those who are interested in teaching and conducting research at research focused schools. She does not touch on the professional practitioner. Her primary audience is seeking tenure track positions. She addresses the fact that her expertise is not adjunct teaching, teaching focused schools, and community colleges. That said, Ph.D.s interested in these schools can also find solid advice in this book. As I complete the final months of my dissertation, this is the book I wish I had read before I even began. Sadly for me, it's only recently been published. My interests lie primarily in teaching and professional practitioner, but even I felt like this book would have made me a stronger Ph.D. student and assisted in my school and career development. For anyone considering a Ph.D. or are at the beginning of coursework it is well worth a read. You're at the stage when this advice will help you with important decisions regarding your advanced degree planning. Additionally, if you decide to move ahead and earn that Ph.D. it will help you plan your career from the start. As Kelsky demonstrates, from the beginning is when you need to have a clear, big picture mentality. For those with tenure track goals it is a must-read! For those of us beyond that point, it is at once frustrating, disheartening, and yet offers still enough to hope to feel like you can pull things together. It is not a fluff piece: Kelsky tells it like it is. Not that it is easy to take when you realize you're somewhat behind the curve. There is a harsh reality to the Ph.D. once you're at career stage, and Kelsky tells it as it is. But don't feel like you're alone. She assures the reader that most schools, Ph.D. programs, and even faculty don't talk about these things, let alone train their students to be prepared for what's next. Again, I wish I'd heard it this book 4 years ago, but I don't feel like I cannot bring things together: I, however, am not focused primarily on tenure track, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested. Using her tips, suggestions, insights, and ideas I still feel like I have a chance to create a strong and successful Ph.D. career. I think you will too. But don't delay. Take time to read this book, don't let it scare you off, and figure out ways to make your career work for you. Her experience and expertise provide insights into the tenure track hiring process, the goals you should be setting while a Ph.D. student, how to focus your time and energy on writing, the dos and don'ts of co-authorship, and more. While she primality speaks to the humanities and soft sciences, she offers enough for other fields to have a good idea of what they should be thinking about. She's gruff at times, but like any mentor, you feel as though you're getting sound advice, even when you might not want to hear it. Also take the time to check out Kelsky's site and newsletter. She offers a range of add ons (seminars, one-on-one training, etc) that you might be interested in. If not (So far, I'm not) it at least offers additional information you can benefit from. Overall this book should be read if: 1. you are considering going for a Ph.D., 2. are at the beginning of your Ph.D. coursework. In these two groups you'll be able to apply her insights and plan far better than down the road. If you're already 1. nearing the end of the Ph.D. coursework or 2. at dissertation stage, or even 3. early career: fear not. You might not get what you wanted out of the process (you'll understand when you read), but you should be able to regroup with information and insights that help you understand what needs to be done. It's never too late - at least to a point. You should still be able to create a successful career in some way and find that this book keeps you from pursing an unrealistic direction and know when it's time to refocus.

This book is phenomenal at what it sets out to do - provide honest information about the academic job market and how to make your best attempt at getting one of the scarce available jobs within it. My wife has a Ph.D. in Art History, and she left academia a few years ago. Last year, a dream job went on the market. It was a tenure-track job in her subfield close to where we wanted to live. The kind that shows up every couple decades. We figured she had to apply, but were skeptical about her chances. We decided we'd give it the best possible shot we could, and we'd make sure that if she didn't get the job, it wouldn't be because somebody worked harder on their application. As part of this process, we discovered Karen Kelsky's website and bought this book. We read everything twice. We internalized it. And we wrote and rewrote her cover letter, CV, and other application materials, rehearsed for her interview for days, and spent weeks preparing and rehearsing her job talk. We also figured that, as long as she was applying for one job, she might as well apply for some others. If nothing else, if she got other interviews, they could be good practice. In the end she applied to five schools, got first round interviews at ALL FIVE, and received TWO job offers, including the one we really wanted. We owe a lot of this to Karen Kelsky and her book. It definitely won't guarantee you an academic job, but if you want to get an academic job, it's the best advice you'll ever receive, and the best money you'll ever spend.

After two cycles on the academic job market, I discovered this book and read it. The information was very helpful (despite my being way behind the ball in terms of Kelsky's suggested preparation timetable) and I changed my application process accordingly. I don't doubt for a second it played a significant role in my getting hired as an Assistant Professor this last spring. The main takeaway for me was approaching the market with the (feigned) confidence of an established scholar and not that of an insecure graduate student. I do disagree with Kelsky on one point, however. She says it is more important to focus on one's own writing than to get involved in projects for other people. I'm sure that this is true so far as it goes. However, part of why I was recently hired was the direct result of my volunteering to help an already established scholar I'd only met a couple times edit a volume of conference papers. He'd organized the conference, was lamenting during a break the amount of time editing the papers was going to take, and I stepped in with an offer to help out gratis. After a post-conference follow up email to him, he agreed and I got busy. Months later when he was informed of an upcoming opening at another institution and was asked if he knew anybody they should consider he immediately passed on my name and told me to apply. That inside connection was invaluable, particularly since I'd applied to that same institution in the previous cycle and never even got a phone interview. So definitely give this book a careful read and take its advice seriously. But don't be afraid to pursue projects unrelated to your own, especially if you can do another scholar a solid. After all, as Aquinas said, charity is the form of the virtues.

I am working on getting together my application for faculty positions and this book has been invaluable so far. There is a lot of great advice in this book, and the author's voice is blunt, easy to read, and to the point. While I probably won't choose to follow all of the advice given (as there are so many discipline specific nuances that my mentors have warned me about), just reading her chapter titled "Just Say No to the Weeping Teaching Statement" (Chapter 25), and her other chapters in the section titled "Job Documents that Work" have cleaned my teaching and research statements up immeasureably. Apart from useful advice on the more well known aspects of the job application process, the real value from this book reminds me of the value I got from being able to reference a book my mom got me while going through puberty to avoid awkward conversations. While I have a fantastic mentor, there are just some things I wouldn't dream of wasting her time with -- like what not to wear to a campus visit. However, this book has answered that question and more! I actually found this book while searching online some questions that I was too embarrassed to ask anyone in person (ex. If making a personal website, what are the implications of ".com" versus ".net" versus ".org"?). I found the author's website [...] and based on her useful advice, decided to buy the book. I'm happily suprised and I know it will be my go-to guide in this next year of intimidating faculty job searching.

There are some good pointers in this, but it's generally a very negative (but realistic) view of the academic job market. Essentially, it tells us what we should already know: if you want an academic job, secure grants/funded dissertation or post-doc work, present at every conference possible, and publish, publish, publish. If you miss the boat on these, be prepared to do something else. Oh, and if you have time, teaching a class or two as a graduate student may help (the author makes it pretty clear that "provision of education" is a secondary concern among college and university administrators - and those who prefer to teach should be prepared for that reality). Again, the author presents a fairly-negative assessment of the academic job market and culture, with the caveat that she herself, quit and did something else because of this environment. It's kind of ironic that someone with obvious disdain for academia would write a "guide book" for how to enter it.

Absolutamente imprescindible. Lo aconsejo a cualquier doctorante (o doctor) que intenta hacer carrera en el mundo academico. Muchas gracias Karen!!

I thought this book was going to be helpful towards the end of my PhD studies, but I'm happy I was curious enough to read it at the beginning of them. It provides valuable strategic advice not only for advanced PhD candidates or recent PhD graduates, but also to people thinking about doing a PhD or who have just begun! It's an entertaining book, and the advice is very practical.

The Professor is In: By Karen Kelsky "MUST BOOK FOR PHD STUDENTS". The book should be given as a gift to every student who starts their PhD in the orientation program itself. Never read a book as direct as it is. Book Review: The book is a gem for students starting their PhD or just completed their PhD. The book exposes the current job scenarios which is going on in universities for example "Adjunct/Visiting/Lecturer" positions done to save the money and get underpaid teachers. The visiting Professors meant mainly for teaching cannot focus on the research work as they are not given PhDs to guide. The book is terrifying to read but is an eye-opener for many. We enrol in PhD program thinking we will get a job but it exposes the gaps and hidden traps that lay ahead. The book presents the situation about funding cuts in universities, raising tuition fees every year putting students to more debt. Since the Professor (Author of the book) has already been Tenure track before; so she presents information first hand and that's what I liked about the book. The introduction page is one of the best pages in the novel where the Prof is having a retirement party and young graduates are seeing a career like him in their eyes. Little do they know they are in for a big surprise. The book also talks about the hiring process in US universities which is a great help for someone who is searching for a job and is a recent PhD graduate. Addon in the Book: The book, in the end, encourages PhDs to use the skills which they have learned while doing research work. It also encourages them to not consider academic as the only option, it is not the end of life or only aim of doing a PhD. Regards and All the Best to Dr. Karen Kelsky Dr. Mayank Mishra Author of diary of a phd student: to be or not to be

If you are a PhD student entering the stage of job-search, this is A MUST for you. This book helped me to do a complete make-over for my CV and cover letter and gave me outlook on the present job market. The interview-prep section is very very good and useful. This is not a collection of the usual advice, ie 'be confident' and 'seek eye contact'. There is nothing trivial about this book, and I already ordered it for two of my friends who ar ein the final stage of their PhD.

In this book, Dr. Kelsky explains step by step how the transition from a frail student to a confident researcher should be done. She doesn't only give advice and tips, but convince the reader how important is the behavior and image that s/he reflects. When you apply for a job (especially tenure), the search committee are seeking for a colleague. If you present yourself as a student, then there is no surprise about the negative outcome. Dr. Kelsky, who is a former professor, gives an in-depth insight into the mind of a search committee member, and highlights subtle things in your application that are preventing you from getting the job. If you are a PhD student (or an early career researcher) you need to read this book, and the earlier the better. It will help you build through the years a more solid and coherent CV, so that you land the job you are seeking.