ABSTRACT

This practical guide prepares graduate students of color for their first job in academia and offers strategies for succeeding in the early years of a tenure-track position. Through the voices of faculty who have experienced the rigors of the job search and a career in academia, Beginning a Career in Academia offers advice for graduate students of color on how to transition from graduate school to an academic position. This inclusive volume shares perspectives that vary based on gender, racial, ethnic, generational, and disciplinary backgrounds, giving readers an opportunity to reflect on successful strategies for career readiness and for dealing with marginalization. The authors provide recommendations and tips to enhance the job search, identify campus fit, prepare for the interview and negotiation process, address dynamics of of racial and gender politics, find work-life balance, and demystify the promotion and tenure process. This must-read provides candid advice and mentorship for any graduate students of color embarking on a carreer in academe.

part I|74 pages

Practical Advice for Finding Success in the Academic Job Market

chapter 3|11 pages

Navigating Professional Conferences

Essential and Effective Job Seeking Strategies

chapter 4|13 pages

On the Phone, on Campus, on the Market

Demystifying the Academic Interview Process

chapter 5|11 pages

When Race and Ethnicity Show Up in the Interview

Identifying Search Committee Expectations of Token Hires During the Interview Process

chapter 6|10 pages

Negotiating a Job Offer in Academia

‘Lean In' or Lay Low?

part II|48 pages

Identity, Fit, Collegiality, and Secrets for Thriving in the Ivory Tower

chapter 8|12 pages

Future Academics of Color in Dialogue

A Candid Q&A on Adjusting to the Cultural, Social, and Professional Rigor of Academia

chapter 9|9 pages

Mentoring Junior Faculty of Color

Succeeding at Historically White Colleges and Universities

chapter 10|10 pages

15 Missteps That Can Derail Faculty Early in a Career

What Graduate Students Need to Know About the Push and Pull of Academia

chapter 11|15 pages

Staying Awake and Walking All Night

First Generation, Working Class, and Multiracial Latina/o Immigrants Building a Compass to Navigate Academia

part III|58 pages

Work-Life Balance

chapter 12|10 pages

LGBTQ Faculty of Color In and Out of the Classroom

Unhinging the Closet Door

chapter 13|13 pages

Transitions to Academic Life for Women of Color

Still Waiting to Exhale

chapter 14|10 pages

Developing Your Teaching Craft

Observations From the Classroom

chapter 15|10 pages

Practical Strategies for Achieving a Work-Life Balance

Fired Up? Ready to Go!

chapter 16|13 pages

If At First You Don't Succeed

Motivation for Finding the Best Institutional Fit