academic job search strategies

Academic Job Search Strategies in Canada

Practical ways to improve your success

www.edujobscanada.com

Precious thoughts to candidates• Job search mantra: To succeed, know yourself; know the

game field and use an effective strategy

• Optimize yourself with the right qualifications; research what employers are truly looking for; demonstrate why an employer should hire you

• Job application is a number game, but you may win the game faster by being targeted and smart

• Always monitor your progress and adjust your strategy

• Ask yourself: what is preventing me from getting a job now?


Understand university employment• Do you understand what universities are looking for?

• They want people who can educate or provide support to academics to educate students

• They want open-minded people, with diverse background

• What value can you bring to that university mission?

• Understand the unique branding proposition of universities

• Research their unique culture and strategic direction


Where to find Academic Jobs• Conventional wisdom: there is a hidden job market and most jobs are

not advertised in Canada

• However, universities in Canada advertise almost all their jobs

• Teaching and research jobs are open to everybody, including international candidates

• Support/professional positions are often unionized and are restricted

• Use niche academic job portals to find open positions

• Maintain your social network presence; headhunters are active in education

• Visit job sites and university website regularly for updates


Why Job Boards?Job seekers are able to :

• Post your resume and allow employers to find you, as a passive job seeker

• Set automatic job search alerts

At EdujobsCanada.com, a niche job board, Employers can:

• Manage, preview, delete, edit, or clone jobs from their account page

• Use screening questionnaires to expedite candidate selection

• Manage applications by using our application tracking system


Maintain your social media presence


• Top recruiters use social networks at each stage of the recruiting process

• So you are not online? Really! Are you a 21st century candidate?

• Explain your experience and achievements; what level of teaching you have done

• Your online presence is a e-portfolio that goes beyond traditional resume/CV

• Analyzing social profiles of job seekers give recruiters more confidence in a candidate’s professional and cultural fit

• Social recruiting generates strong ROI and good quality

Tips for creating a great application

• For purely academic job (teaching/research), use a CV, instead of a resume

• For support position (administration, professional), use a resume

• A resume is concise; a CV is long and detailed

• Consider the use of a portfolio: teaching and research statements, collection of accomplishments, community service, etc.

• Be creative and stand out: Are you tech savvy? A website presence with video and e-portfolio can make a difference

• Tip: a video recording of your own teaching, conference, workshop, etc., is a great show and tell


Tips to create an appealing CV• A description of your PhD or postdoc is a must

• Explain what level of teaching you have done

• Use a consistent style for headings and subheadings

• Don’t be afraid to use bullet points

• Check the department’s website to see what kind of research they are at present involved in

• Honestly assess yourself: are you a match to that department?

• Most job application failure come from a mismatch


In Closing• Job search is a professional game

• All games have rules: written or implicit

• You are more likely to succeed when you invest in your own development, learn about employers’ real needs and demonstrate how you can help them move forward

• Academic job search requires an understanding of university mission and work environment


EdujobsCanadaEdujobscanada.com is a niche Canadian job board specialized in academic and research job posting for colleges, universities, research centers, and institutions looking to hire candidates with advanced education and qualifications. Since 2006, we have been helping employers make targeted job postings that lead to smart hiring connections.

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