Comments on: Letters of recommendation for job applicants: how important are they? http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/ History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:11:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Andy http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-942147 Andy Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:44:52 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-942147 I am in the process of applying for faculty positions. I have got good recos from my previous contacts. I have got a good letter from my present postdoc PI as well. I have got a call from one school. I am concerned that my postdoc PI will not be happy if I say that I will have to leave him (I have completed 1 year of my postdoc). I worry if the University call him personally, he may not strongly recommand me. How to resolve this? I am confused... I am in the process of applying for faculty positions. I have got good recos from my previous contacts. I have got a good letter from my present postdoc PI as well.

I have got a call from one school.

I am concerned that my postdoc PI will not be happy if I say that I will have to leave him (I have completed 1 year of my postdoc). I worry if the University call him personally, he may not strongly recommand me.

How to resolve this?

I am confused…

]]> By: Rad Readr http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-538022 Rad Readr Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:39:45 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-538022 While other materials such as writing samples are more important, I have found that letters can be used rhetorically during departmental debates. While other materials such as writing samples are more important, I have found that letters can be used rhetorically during departmental debates.

]]> By: undine http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-537699 undine Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:24:24 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-537699 What happened to Susan happened to me: some bored work-study (I'm guessing) in the Registrar's Office at one of the schools I'd attended sent an entirely different person's transcript in response to a request for transcripts so that I could get hired. It got sorted out, but as Susan says, not cool. What happened to Susan happened to me: some bored work-study (I’m guessing) in the Registrar’s Office at one of the schools I’d attended sent an entirely different person’s transcript in response to a request for transcripts so that I could get hired. It got sorted out, but as Susan says, not cool.

]]> By: Susan http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-537177 Susan Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:58:23 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-537177 Actually, at my last employer I had to provide a transcript for accreditation. Sigh. Then my grad school sent my brother's undergrad transcript. Not cool. Actually, at my last employer I had to provide a transcript for accreditation. Sigh. Then my grad school sent my brother’s undergrad transcript. Not cool.

]]> By: anon2 http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-537171 anon2 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:52:40 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-537171 We had a recent search in a small sub-field with less than 40 applications. One letter writer ended up writing for 5 of the candidates (let's call the letter writer X), four of hir own students and one from another university. Because no one on the committee was remotely a specialist in the field we relied on the letters a little more - BUT one of my colleagues was absolutely obsessed with the letter from X for the one non-student. The letter indeed ranked this person's research above all of hir own students. But then we got to the conference interview - the candidate was a total tool. But my colleague was still obsessed and insisted that this candidate be brought to campus (we only invited 2 people). And the candidate was again a hideous tool (mostly to me though and I think there were some serious gender issues going on there). When the department voted on the two candidates the vote was everyone but 2 people for the non-tool candidate and still my colleague was devasted that we weren't going to hire the tool - and all because one 'authority' in the field said this person's research was 'the best.' We had a recent search in a small sub-field with less than 40 applications. One letter writer ended up writing for 5 of the candidates (let’s call the letter writer X), four of hir own students and one from another university. Because no one on the committee was remotely a specialist in the field we relied on the letters a little more – BUT one of my colleagues was absolutely obsessed with the letter from X for the one non-student. The letter indeed ranked this person’s research above all of hir own students. But then we got to the conference interview – the candidate was a total tool. But my colleague was still obsessed and insisted that this candidate be brought to campus (we only invited 2 people). And the candidate was again a hideous tool (mostly to me though and I think there were some serious gender issues going on there). When the department voted on the two candidates the vote was everyone but 2 people for the non-tool candidate and still my colleague was devasted that we weren’t going to hire the tool – and all because one ‘authority’ in the field said this person’s research was ‘the best.’

]]> By: Comrade PhysioProf http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-537162 Comrade PhysioProf Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:49:23 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-537162 In my experience, the only value of letters of recommendation for job candidates is if they raise red flags. Parsing superlatives is a waste of time. In my experience, the only value of letters of recommendation for job candidates is if they raise red flags. Parsing superlatives is a waste of time.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-537120 Historiann Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:24:39 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-537120 I've found that the best way to keep the bureaucracy at bay is to <b>feed the beast!</b> Bury them in paper. No one will really read it all, anyway. But it's there, in case some bored state legislator wants to try to score political points about how left-wing and liberal your department is. . . The Political Science department at my uni was under attack by our previous R Governor, Bill Owens, for being too liberal. Funny how he and the other complainers who felt they had so much to offer our students don't bother to do the bare minimum required to be considered for a faculty position here--like, get a Ph.D.! I’ve found that the best way to keep the bureaucracy at bay is to feed the beast! Bury them in paper. No one will really read it all, anyway. But it’s there, in case some bored state legislator wants to try to score political points about how left-wing and liberal your department is. . .

The Political Science department at my uni was under attack by our previous R Governor, Bill Owens, for being too liberal. Funny how he and the other complainers who felt they had so much to offer our students don’t bother to do the bare minimum required to be considered for a faculty position here–like, get a Ph.D.!

]]> By: polisciprof http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-537049 polisciprof Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:03:37 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-537049 More on transcripts...A couple of years ago when my mid-western uni was up for accreditation, all faculty who did not have transcripts on file had to submit them to HR. When the accreditation team arrived to do their site visit, the first place they went was the HR office to check the files.... I am applying for promotion this year. My promo committee (at a school in the same system as Indyanna) wanted my contracts from previous employers to show that I actually had the number of years in service that I claimed and was appointed to political science departments (since my degree in in that field). It was a huge hassle, but I suppose necessary in this day and age. More on transcripts…A couple of years ago when my mid-western uni was up for accreditation, all faculty who did not have transcripts on file had to submit them to HR. When the accreditation team arrived to do their site visit, the first place they went was the HR office to check the files….

I am applying for promotion this year. My promo committee (at a school in the same system as Indyanna) wanted my contracts from previous employers to show that I actually had the number of years in service that I claimed and was appointed to political science departments (since my degree in in that field). It was a huge hassle, but I suppose necessary in this day and age.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-536719 Historiann Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:45:07 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-536719 Yeah, but who's going to accept a letter from wellbehaved@gmail.com as being from Laurel Ulrich? I guess the absence of institutional e-mail should be a sign. . . Amazing tales of real life imposters. So, now we know why they need graduate transcripts! (When I was on the market, I provided a photocopy of the transcript, because original copies were very expensive. No search committee ever asked me for an original--but I was prepared to order one for them. (I wonder if digital documents has made this particular requirement less expensive? Probably not.) Susan, I guess there is honor among thieves, if dude got bounced from the fellowship but continued to pay rent to you. (I guess ze had to live somewhere, right?) Yeah, but who’s going to accept a letter from wellbehaved@gmail.com as being from Laurel Ulrich? I guess the absence of institutional e-mail should be a sign. . .

Amazing tales of real life imposters. So, now we know why they need graduate transcripts! (When I was on the market, I provided a photocopy of the transcript, because original copies were very expensive. No search committee ever asked me for an original–but I was prepared to order one for them. (I wonder if digital documents has made this particular requirement less expensive? Probably not.)

Susan, I guess there is honor among thieves, if dude got bounced from the fellowship but continued to pay rent to you. (I guess ze had to live somewhere, right?)

]]> By: Mamie http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/21/letters-of-recommendation-for-job-applicants-how-important-are-they/comment-page-1/#comment-536705 Mamie Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:56:42 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9309#comment-536705 Oh, yeah. Small Urban U recently set up an all-online job application process. Applicants are to provide email addresses for their references, who are then contacted for emailed letters of recommendation. Great! Now fishy applicants can provide gmail or hotmail addresses for famous professors and forge their own recommendations! Oh, yeah. Small Urban U recently set up an all-online job application process. Applicants are to provide email addresses for their references, who are then contacted for emailed letters of recommendation. Great! Now fishy applicants can provide gmail or hotmail addresses for famous professors and forge their own recommendations!

]]>