Introduction

Job market advice is often given by successful job market candidates after they’ve finished the market and landed a job. Their experience may look better from the comfort of their new job than when they were going through it. This rose-tinted perspective is important, as it may give future job market candidates (JMCs) something to look forward to and provide a helpful assessment of what worked for them. However, they may make the market seem less stressful or more fun than it actually was.

We hope to complement the excellent practical guides out there (e.g. John Cawley's GUIDE AND ADVICE FOR ECONOMISTS ON THE U.S. JUNIOR ACADEMIC JOB MARKET) by focusing less on the logistics and more on overall well-being. We talk about what to expect in terms of the mental health challenges you might face on the market and tips on how to overcome them.

For example, mental health tip #1: people will tell you the job market is fun. While there certainly are fun aspects of the job market (traveling and meeting new people - although we did not get to experience all that), the job market is not really meant to be fun, and it often isn’t. Most people will find some aspect of the process stressful and the stress may manifest in the form of insomnia, moodiness, loss of appetite, or other physical symptoms (headaches, backaches, etc.). So if you are struggling or just not enjoying the market, know that you are not alone and that it is completely normal!!

This guide will start by focusing on Your Big Picture, i.e., what do you want in a job and what actually makes you happy? We are utility maximizers after all... Then we dive into what to expect in different phases of the job market. We define these phases as "pre-summer", summer, preparing (Sept-Oct), applying (Nov-Dec), first-round interviews, second-round interviews, and the offer stage. Each section will provide mental health tips and point to additional resources that we found useful along the way.