I’ve spent my past month meeting with faculty in Madrid, Berlin, Karlsruhe, & Munich.
At each stop, we have exchanged success stories, swapped ideas on training students, & commented on what it takes to land an academic job in country specific markets.
Notably, while research expectations were remarkably consistent - everyone wants to hire someone who does high impact research - and everyone noted there is competition for the best jobs.
This was not a surprise.
However.
There was a surprise.
Expectations for soft skills were remarkably consistent. Despite National and Regional differences, faculty relayed several essential social skills that they looked for in potential hires.
What are they? And why are they important?
First, people look for good citizens.
Across five research universities, all of my contacts look for evidence that a job candidate will help out - they look for students who have started doing service to the institution.
Why? Because local service suggests you will help out on committees and other essential elements of faculty life.
Second, people look for evidence that you will succeed in the classroom.
Why? We all teach. We all want people we can trust with our students. More than ever teaching well is a predictor of landing a job at these instituons.
Btw; no one grumbled about teaching. We all know it’s a big part of academic life.
Third, people are attentive to whether you have social skills. While accepting of quirks - like odd hobbies - we look for people we can put in front of practice.
Why? We have to interact with each other. No one wants to be stuck around a rude and/or unpredictable person.
Btw: the only grumbling I heard was about senior people who are misanthropic.
Fourth, people look for independence. In a world where advisors seem to have figured out how to publish with students, independence has become more important early in the career.
Why? BC we have all seen people with good records flame out when their advisor moves on to a new student.
A common metric for independence was looking at the breadth and location of collaborators.
Finally, people listen for grumbling. Against a backdrop of COVID, a war, and economic uncertainty, no one wants to hire a toxic person.
Now more than ever, complement your research, with service, good teaching and a resilient positive attitude.
Best of luck on the job market! I hope everyone lands at a place they can find joy!
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