Reflections on the Academic Job Boot Camp 2022

Vesna Curlic is currently undertaking her PhD in History at the University of Edinburgh, supported by the Canadian Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Her doctoral research examines experiences of immigration, ethnicity, and public health in Britain in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. More broadly, her research interests include the history of medicine and science, modern immigration law, and public health policy. She splits her time between Edinburgh and her hometown of Toronto, Canada.


It isn’t a great time to be on the job market. This will come to little surprise to any early career researcher. Though the health of the job market is difficult to quantify, things don’t seem to be great. These systemic issues require systemic changes, but doctoral students and early-career researchers (ECRs) still need effective career support in the meantime. There have been some excellent developments in the support offered to doctoral students and ECRs who want to know their options outside of traditional academic positions. The Royal Historical Society recently offered a workshop about non-academic careers, the recording of which is available on their website, as part of their career development programme. Vitae, the UK-based non-profit for researchers’ career development, also offers resources on non-academic jobs, including their publication series called “What do researchers do?” Increasingly, universities themselves are offering support for doctoral students and alumni looking beyond the academy through careers services.

On the other hand, for researchers in pursuit of a traditional academic career, it can be difficult to parse through all the advice and remain hopeful in the face of a difficult job market. In an attempt to combat this, History UK has offered the Academic Job Boot Camp annually since 2016. Having participated in the 2022 event, I am thoroughly convinced that the Academic Job Boot Camp is an exemplary illustration of what practical, useful job market support looks like in the current climate.

The concept of the Boot Camp is straightforward. ECRs apply for the Boot Camp by submitting a cover letter and CV for an imaginary lectureship in an imaginary department. Once accepted, participants prepare a five-minute talk on the question “how does your research inform your teaching practice?” The day of the Boot Camp, each participant gives their presentation, answers questions from the audience, has a mock interview with senior academics with hiring experience, receives feedback, and observes another mock interview. This process is followed by a roundtable Q&A session with the senior academics. After the day is done, participants are sent comprehensive feedback from audience members.

I am a first-generation academic – no one else in my family has gone to university – so my whole academic career thus far has been a process of figuring out each step as I go. The Boot Camp really demystified the experience and made an academic job application and interview feel like a more approachable feat. There were no assumptions made about what people knew or didn’t know. Unspoken expectations were said aloud and explained clearly. It was a refreshingly transparent approach to academia.

A few pieces of advice that stuck out included:

Do your research, but remember that you can never predict everything:

The main point of an interview is assessing how you might fit in with the department’s teaching and research goals, and the university ecosystem as a whole. As a result, there is an expectation that you have done your research about the department’s strengths and priorities, and evidence how your skills complement those areas. However, there are limits to this and mistakes will happen. Many of the senior scholars shared instances when they misread how an interview went or misunderstood a committee’s instructions. There might be times when you tread on an unspoken tension or emphasise the wrong things. You simply must embrace that these things might be out of your control.

Be true to yourself:

This sounds like unhelpful advice, but it wasn’t meant as a flippant ‘just be yourself and everything will work out!’ Instead, the way I understood it, the senior academics were reminding us that applicants have agency in this process too.  In a climate of scarcity, it can feel like we have to mould ourselves to the jobs and apply for anything that comes our way. It was heartening to be reminded to not compromise your values or personality during the job search. The interview committee is hiring, in the case of permanent jobs, a potential colleague for life and you are looking at your possible colleagues for life, too. There has to be a level of interpersonal connection, institutional fit, etc. These amorphous factors can sometimes feel like hurdles, but it is helpful to remember that they work both ways.

Make a Plan B that’s almost as good as your Plan A:

There is a lot of talk about careers for PhDs that are outside the traditional academic teaching and research posts. This is an excellent development, and I personally know many ECRs who have found exciting, fulfilling work beyond the academy. I also know many current doctoral students who are making active plans for work outside the academy, using internships and part-time work alongside their studies to gain relevant experience. I think it makes a lot of sense to have an idea of what else you could do. However, it was also really validating to hear that falling back on your Plan B is allowed to be a little disappointing. The PhD is, at its core, training for a certain kind of academic job. It’s unfair that many qualified, talented people do not end up in academic careers and that’s allowed to sting.

 

The Boot Camp was the first time I walked away from a job market event feeling more hopeful and more prepared than before. Offering prospective applicants an insight into what it feels like to be interviewed and following up with individualised feedback is an incredible way of supporting ECRs in a difficult market.

 

2022 Academic Job Boot Camp

Academic Job Boot Camp – Wednesday 7th September 2022, online event.

History UK is pleased to be running the Academic Job Boot Camp again this year. All early career historians are encouraged to apply, with preference being given to those who have already completed or submitted their PhDs.

  • Are you thinking about applying for your first lectureship in history?
  • Submitting applications and never hearing back?
  • Wishing you could have a ‘test run’ for job applications and interviews?

The Academic Job Boot Camp is a free half-day event for early career historians, sponsored by History UK and supported by History Lab Plus. It will help you to structure your academic CV, hone your cover letter, rehearse your job presentation, and undergo a mock interview, as well as demystifying some of the processes around academic recruitment. The experience, feedback, and advice that you receive at the event is intended to improve your chances the next time you apply for an academic job.

How will the boot camp work?

This event simulates all stages of the job application process, up to and including being interviewed as a shortlisted candidate. You will be interviewed by experienced academics drawn from universities nationwide. You will also deliver a job presentation to other early career historians.

You will receive feedback on your academic CV and cover letter, interview, and presentation. You will also have the opportunity to observe how others approach the job application process, providing peer feedback and support. The event will end with a roundtable discussion, offering the chance to ask questions of academics who have been involved in university recruitment – as well as chatting and networking with others in similar positions to you.

As in 2021, this event will take place entirely online. However, many universities were already moving towards introducing online elements to the job application process before the pandemic, so experience with this kind of format is likely to be useful in the future.

You can read posts about the job boot camps from previous years hereherehere and here.

 

Outline Itinerary (all events to take place online, exact timings TBC):

1-1.15: Welcome.

An introduction to the event and History UK from Simon Peplow, Early Career Researcher representative for History UK.

1.15-3.45: Presentation or Job Interviews. 

During the afternoon you will be asked to participate in four activities:

  1. a 30-minute mock interview; you will be informed of the exact time of your interview on the day.
  2. observe a 30-minute mock interview; the time of this will also be made clear to you on the day.
  3. give a 5-minute presentation addressing the question ‘How does your research inform your teaching practices?’, followed by 3-4 minutes of questions; led by an experienced academic in front of other early career historians who will provide written feedback.
  4. observe presentations from other attendees, ask questions and provide written feedback.

3.45-4.00: Break.

(As an online event, the obligatory tea/coffee break will unfortunately have to be self-catered!)

4.00-5.00: Roundtable discussion and advice for navigating the academic job market.

 

This online event is free and sponsored by History UK and History Lab Plus.

To participate, you will need to apply for an imaginary lectureship in a real history programme. Please read the job advert for the Imaginary Lectureship in History here https://bit.ly/3d5WjYE, then submit a letter of application and academic CV to Simon Peplow (Simon.Peplow@warwick.ac.uk). Please also contact Simon if you have any questions about this event.

The deadline for applications is noon on Wednesday 24th August 2022.
The online event will take place on Wednesday 7th September 2022.

2021 Academic Job Boot Camp

Academic Job Boot Camp – Monday 6th September 2021, online event.

History UK is pleased to be running the Academic Job Boot Camp again this year, following a forced hiatus in 2020. All early career historians are encouraged to apply, with preference being given to those who have already completed or submitted their PhDs.

  • Are you thinking about applying for your first lectureship in history?
  • Submitting applications and never hearing back?
  • Wishing you could have a ‘test run’ for job applications and interviews?

The Academic Job Boot Camp is a free half-day event for early career historians, sponsored by History UK and supported by History Lab Plus. It will help you to structure your academic CV, hone your cover letter, rehearse your job presentation, and undergo a mock interview, as well as demystifying some of the processes around academic recruitment. The experience, feedback, and advice that you receive at the event is intended to improve your chances the next time you apply for an academic job.

How will the boot camp work?

This event simulates all stages of the job application process, up to and including being interviewed as a shortlisted candidate. You will be interviewed by experienced academics drawn from universities nationwide. You will also deliver a job presentation to other early career historians.

You will receive feedback on your academic CV and cover letter, interview, and presentation. You will also have the opportunity to observe how others approach the job application process, providing peer feedback and support. The event will end with a roundtable discussion, offering the chance to ask questions of academics who have been involved in university recruitment – as well as chatting and networking with others in similar positions to you.

Due to the pandemic, in 2021 this event will take place entirely online. However, many universities were already moving towards introducing online elements to the job application process before the pandemic, so experience with this kind of format is likely to be useful in the future.

You can read posts about the job boot camps from previous years here, here, here and here.

 

Outline Itinerary (all events to take place online, exact timings TBC):

1-1.15: Welcome.

An introduction to the event and History UK from Simon Peplow, Early Career Researcher representative for History UK.

1.15-3.45: Presentation or Job Interviews. 

During the afternoon you will be asked to participate in four activities:

  1. a 30-minute interview; you will be informed of the exact time of your interview on the day.
  2. observe a 30-minute interview; the time of this will also be made clear to you on the day.
  3. give a 5-minute presentation, followed by 3-4 minutes of questions; led by an experienced academic in front of other early career historians who will provide written feedback.
  4. observe presentations from other attendees, ask questions and provide written feedback.

3.45-4.00: Break.

(As an online event, the obligatory tea/coffee break will unfortunately have to be self-catered!)

4.00-5.00: Roundtable discussion and advice for navigating the academic job market.

 

This online event is free and sponsored by History UK and History Lab Plus.

To participate, you will need to apply for an imaginary lectureship in a real history programme. Please read the job advert for the Imaginary Lectureship in History here https://bit.ly/3iqVhWn, then submit a letter of application and academic CV to Simon Peplow (Simon.Peplow@warwick.ac.uk). Please also contact Simon if you have any questions.

The deadline for your application is noon on Friday 20th August 2021.
The online event will take place on Monday 6th September 2021.

 

2020 Academic Job Boot Camp 

UPDATE – 2nd April 2020 – Please note that the academic boot camp has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation – we hope to run the event again in 2021, so please do check back for further news. 

Academic Job Boot Camp – Saturday 2nd May 2020 at Brunel University London. 

History UK is pleased to be running the Academic Job Boot Camp again this year, following its success in previous years. All early career historians are encouraged to apply, with preference being given to those who have already completed their PhDs. 

  • Are you starting to think about applying for your first lectureship in history? 
  • Submitting applications and never hearing back? 

The Academic Job Boot Camp is a free half-day event for early career historians sponsored by History UK and supported by History Lab. It will help you to structure your academic CV, hone your cover letter, rehearse your job presentation and undergo a mock interview, as well as demystifying some of the processes around academic recruitment. The experience, feedback and advice you receive at the event is designed to improve your chances the next time you apply for an academic job. 

How will the boot camp work? You will take part in a simulation of all stages of the job application process up to and including being interviewed as a shortlisted candidate. You will be interviewed by experienced academics drawn from universities nationwide. You will also deliver job presentations to other early career historians. 

You will receive feedback on your interview and presentation. You will have the opportunity to observe how others fare. The event will end with a roundtable, after which there will be drinks and a dinner(*) at a nearby pub and restaurant. 

You can read posts about the job boot camps in previous years, here, here, here and here. 

Itinerary (all locations at Brunel University London, exact rooms TBC): 

1-1.30: Lunch and Welcome. 

Please arrive at this event at 1pm. Please notify Simon Peplow if you have any dietary requirements. 

1.30-3.45: Presentation or Job Interviews.  

During the afternoon you will be asked to participate in four activities: 

  1. a 30-minute interview; you will be informed of the exact time of your interview on the day. 
  1. observing a 30minute interview; the time of this will also be made clear to you on the day. 
  1. give a 5minute presentation, followed by 3-4 minutes of questions; led by an experienced academic in front of other early career historians who will provide written feedback. 
  1. listen to presentations from other attendees, ask questions and provide written feedback. 

3.45-4.00: Coffee and Tea Break. 

4.00-5.00: Dr Sara Wolfson to lead a session on ‘Top Ten Tips for Securing an Academic Job’. 

5.00-7.30: Networking and dinner (*please note that participants will have to cover the costs of their own dinner). 

This event is free and sponsored by History UK and History Lab Plus. 

To participate, you will need to apply for an imaginary lectureship in a real history programme. Please read the job advert for the Imaginary Lectureship in History here and look at the further particulars for the job http://bit.ly/2o696yy, then submit a letter of application and CV to Sue Davison (Sue.Davison@sas.ac.uk). 

Questions should be directed to Simon Peplow (Simon.Peplow@Warwick.ac.uk). 

We have a limited number of travel bursaries that you will be able to apply for. We will cover part or full costs of travel. Please indicate whether you will be applying for a travel bursary, as well as the approximate cost of advance tickets, in your email applying for the job. We reserve the right to pay full or partial costs, depending on demand. 

The deadline for your application is noon on Friday 3rd April and applicants will be contacted by the following week to let them know if they have been successful. 

Perspectives on the New to Teaching workshop 2018

Below we collect some perspectives from participants in the New to Teach event that was held at the IHR in September 2018. Sponsored by the Royal Historical Society, HUK provided travel funding to enable participants from outside London to attend. We share some of their thoughts below.

Amy King (Bristol)

With the start of my new job looming (thanks in no small part to the Academic Job Boot Camp earlier this year!), I was delighted to sign up for the New To Teaching training held in September. The day started with an introduction to writing new courses, including an overview of the principles of backwards design and some practical exercises to get us started. Needless to say, I feel much less daunted by the prospect of writing two new modules this year thanks the session! We were also given a taste of how to use digital humanities to improve the student experience, shown some exciting examples of the use of social media in the classroom, and given some top tips and tricks for delivering lectures and seminars. Thank you to History UK for another brilliant, practical training day; I look forward to putting what we learned into practice in the new academic year.

 

Marc Collinson (Bangor)

Although I have taught seminars for four years, being offered the opportunity to convene a module for the first time had proved daunting. Likewise, my simultaneous entering the Job market after just shy of four years enrolled on a PhD forced me to reassess my employment situation – was I fully equipped? Was I prepared? The session was enlightening in helping me to consider the fundamentals of lecturing, seminar leading and course design – revisiting these in a friendly environment was fruitful and encouraging. This session helped me ignore some of the pettier concerns I had and prepare to rethink what I could do differently, it also made me more confident for an interview for a post-doc I had the following week. At time of writing, I had not heard back, but I felt more prepared for the interview, and comfortable with the line of questioning. I would thoroughly recommend others attend this event in future. Even if you think you are a good tutor, it is important to be able to reflect and reassess. That is, after all, a cornerstone of the teaching in higher education.

 

Liz Brooker (Leicester)

Having done a PGCE in Secondary History, I thought I would attend this course to update my practice now that I am teaching in Higher Education. I thought the course was very well structured and it covered lots of different teaching styles such as small group teaching and lecturing. I found these sessions useful and have tried to implement some of the strategies in my own teaching. The careers development session at the end of the day was very informative. It was especially nice to hear the thoughts and experiences of the other academics in attendance.

 

Thomas Davies (Bangor)

The History UK New to Teaching event was a thoroughly enjoyable day, raising some interesting points and encouraging thought on how to structure lessons, how to engage students and ensure they obtain as much as possible from lectures and seminars, providing a forum for discussion with peers and with an opportunity also to discuss with individuals experienced in teaching techniques. I have managed to incorporate some of the ideas in semester of teaching – together this has helped in my professional development and made me keen to continue teaching in the future!