academics - are speculative job apps worth doing?

[hatwoman]

me again. tedious aren't I?

in my current line of work there is no point at all in doing speculative job apps - everything is done by the book - advertised, strict person specs, proper short-listing, interviews etc. am I right to assume the same about academia?

I have a feeling that hourly-paid teaching is generally recruited in a more ad hoc way - but what about proper jobs?

The reason I ask is because dh and I are contemplating moving. and I have my eye on a particular university (as about the only employer in the area that would possibly have me) and despite keeping a close eye on its vacancies nothing has come up. should I send my cv in anyway? cold? if so who to? or should I call someone for a chat? if so, again, who - head of dept of random person in the dept who has the same interests as me? or cv first then chat? Ideally I'm after a proper job - but I'd take teaching as a start.

any advice?

IME 'proper' jobs - I guess you mean lectureships or research posts - have to be advertised, and are hard enough to fund anyway, so a speculative CV, no matter how good, wouldn't be able to 'create' a job that wasn't already advertised. HOWEVER once jobs are advertised then it is very worthwhile already having made contact with the dept - also hourly paid teaching is one way of getting to know people.

Keep watching the vacancies at least weekly, but I'd also get in touch with people in the dept with your interests - ask about teaching, or other work (don't know your field, there might be transcription / technical / review work going?), also about research discussion or seminar groups you might get involved with. Email might be good. Also chase up any contacts you have from conferences, publications, networks etc?

thanks - I thought proper jobs would be the same as my sector. when you say get in touch - do you mean send an email (with cv?) and/or phone?

I'd probably go for email first, then recipient is more in control IYSWIM. Can then attach cv for their informaton, and can always follow up with a phone call once they've read the email and know who you are. Email is usually the default mode of communication - at least in my little corner of academia!

love your cats btw, bet they keep you busy

Hi,

I'd say if you had the skills in an area of the same interest as a person from that department, you could contact them. They might be able/willing to write a grant application with you in mind. They may still not get the grant, but it might be worth a try.

I would absolutely be contacting the head of the dept or the course leader . Its the best time of year to be doing it now to plan ahead for next academic year. Sometimes though such associate jobs can't be confirmed until September to do with the funding and working out everyone's teaching timetables, but sometimes you know in advance if someone is going to be off say for research leave and institutions never appoint onto contract for mat leave cover, they take in as hourly paid. After a certain time as hourly paid you might get offered a fractional contract, then become an inside candidate for any vacancy for which you would have to compete. I think there's lots of work out there. I would e mail/CV or post CV with letter, and definitely then phone up ideally out of term time when its less busy, or on an afternoon end of day. Do your research first about the place and put some really positive things you have to offer in the covering e mail/letter.