ABSTRACT
It’s no secret that many associate and full professors in our field today, including some of the successful women we interviewed in this volume, were able to get tenure and promotion with little more than most of you will need to land an MLA interview. Typically, entry-level job candidates in rhetoric and composition will be expected to have published at least one article in a peer-reviewed journal and to have given a handful of presentations at national conferences. They will also be expected to demonstrate excellence in teaching: they’ll need a solid teaching record, innovative pedagogical strategies, and a well articulated teaching philosophy. Bottom line: acing your classes and getting your doctorate, even at a top-tier research institution, will probably not be nearly enough to land you a tenure-track position today; you’ll also need to build a strong record of scholarly productivity and develop an innovative teaching portfolio. You’ll need a good mentor (or two), as well.
