A Job Search or an Information Search?
A job search is what you do when you’re ready to apply for jobs, whereas an information search involves investigation and inquiries for information (including some probing of your own priorities) about employment at a particular institution and/or location to help you best prepare for your application and hopefully your interview. An information search can help you determine if a potential job would be a good match for you and you for it. For example, consider the following: What is the school/department’s mission? Does it mesh with your goals and style as an educator? What courses are taught? Who are the faculty and what are the educational backgrounds and interests? What are the student demographics? What are the campus and local area like?
We recommend starting as early as possible and doing a thorough, unrushed information search, but we realize that this is not always possible. Even if you are ready to apply for a specific advertised job, though, doing an information search will help you to tailor your application package as fully as possible to highlight how your education, experience, and interests fit with the employer’s position and program.
In other words, it’s never too late to begin your job/information search, but it’s never too early, either.
TIPPS HANDOUTS ON JOB AND INFORMATION SEARCHES
Some Things To Consider When Choosing A Place To Work (revised 2016)
The Do’s and Don’ts of Job Searches (revised 2016)
Using the Computer to Help Your Job Search (PDF file) (mainly ESL-related)
BOOKS THAT TALK ABOUT JOB AND INFORMATION SEARCHES
Vick, J. M., Furlong, J. S., & Lurie, R. (2016). The academic job search handbook. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. [This excellent book is available online for University of Hawaii at Mānoa faculty, staff, and students.]
Formo, D.M. & Reed, C. (1999). Job search in academe: Strategic rhetorics for faculty job candidates. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, Inc.
Kennedy, J.L. (1995). Hook up, get hired!: The internet job search revolution. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
JOB AND INFORMATION SEARCH RESOURCES
General resources for higher education – all disciplines
The Chronicle of Higher Education
This site contains news, articles, and job information for all things academic in the U.S. as well as numerous articles and forums dedicated to career and job search related issues. Vitae is its specific website which contains all manner of academic job listings from instructor all the way up to university president. the Get News & Advice section has a number of advice articles to those seeking jobs.
Highly rated site geared toward jobs in academia.
Japan REsearch Career Information Network (JREC-IN)
If you are looking for a job in a country outside of the United States, it would be good to check for job-related websites there. This website, for example, is somewhat of a Japanese equivalent of The Chronicle of Higher Education. They have just recently introduced an English version of the site.
And here is a website for looking for academic positions in the United Kingdom (Europe too).
Career and Professional Development Center, Carnegie Mellon University
This site contains a variety of useful resources and tips for those planning to conduct a job search and apply for jobs.
Job Search for Graduate Students, Cohen Career Center, College of William and Mary
This site also contains a variety of useful resources and tips for those planning to conduct a job search.
ESL/EFL-specific job resources
Online job listing for teaching ESL.
Online resource focused on ESL/TESOL teaching, containing state-by-state information on teacher certification and jobs in ESL/TESOL as well as a lengthy list of free ESL lesson plans
Looking for an ESL teaching job overseas? Check out Dave’s ESL Café, which has specific job boards for Korea, China, and other countries and job discussion forums. Also contains an extensive collection of activity and teaching ideas for the language classroom.
World language job resources
N.B.: Professional language teaching organizations and associations often have job listings, either on their website or through their member publications or listservs.
American Association for Applied Linguistics
See their Career Center section for job listings (NOTE: You must be a AAAL member to view).
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Career Center
“The ACTFL Career Center is a real-time source of employment opportunities in the field, connecting job seekers and employers at all levels and all languages. Whether you are seeking career advice or need support finding your next job, ACTFL’s Career Center will help you find the solution.”
American Association of Teachers of French (AATF)
American Association of Teachers of German (AATG)
American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ)
American Association of Teachers of Korean (AATK)
American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL)
American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese (AATSP)
Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA)
Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO)
Modern Language Association (MLA)
National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL)
Linguistics-related job resources
Probably the best place for linguists to find jobs is by subscribing (free) to the LinguistList. Apart from the general LinguistList, you can also subscribe to specific mailing lists focused on particular languages, language families, or linguistic areas.
Linguistic Society of America (LSA)
See their Jobs Center for position listings.
Literature-related job resources
The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) is a scholarly, non-political, non-profit professional association open to all persons interested in Asia and the study of Asia. With approximately 8,000 members worldwide, representing all the regions and countries of Asia and all academic disciplines, the AAS is the largest organization of its kind. (NOTE: To view job listings, you must be an AAS member.)
Humanities & Social Sciences Online (H-Net)
List of major professional organizations for literary scholars
General job hunting sites
Searching for a job in a specific location? Start local (see Hawai‘i examples below)
Career Opportunities at the University of Hawai‘i
If you are interested in teaching at the postsecondary level and have a particular university or community college in mind, visit their website and find their section for job opportunities (it could be listed under “jobs,” “human resources,” “personnel,” etc.). The University of Hawai‘i, for example, has a specific website for jobs at all levels (graduate assistants, faculty, staff, researchers, administrators, etc.) for the entire UH system (2-year community colleges and 4-year universities).
Job Opportunities, Hawai‘i Department of Education
If you are interested in teaching at the public K-12 level and have a particular state, city, or area in mind, visit its Department of Education or school district website to find out what type of jobs are currently available and the general requirements for teaching K-12 there. The link above, for example, is the job opportunities page for the Hawaii Department of Education.
Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools
If you are interested in teaching in private schools at the K-12 level and have a particular state, city, or area in mind, see if they have an organization they belong to, like the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.
SALARY LINKS
How Far Will My Salary Go In Another City? (CNN Money)
Compare cost of living in two cities.
Use the various calculators to compare salary ranges for similar jobs or figure out benefits or cost of living.
JOB NETWORKING
Social networking for academics and a place to share research papers.
Business-oriented social site used for professional networking.