The Guide

Practical Tips:

The time to get serious about the job market is actually the spring semester before your job market year. During this time, you will be (i) working on your JMP and (ii) meeting with committee members to confirm you are ready to embark on the job search. Departments vary widely in their job market processes, so make sure to communicate with your advisors and/or relevant persons to ensure you're on track.

Try to keep your research/ analysis organized (your future dissertation-writing self will thank you). Set aside time each day for writing/editing. Get a draft of your JMP on paper! Here are some guides, podcasts, apps, and tips that we found helpful...

1. Workflow and Organization

• "Alex's Research Workflow: Stata, Github, R & Overleaf'' - The Hidden Curriculum

• "How to handle multiple projects with Melissa Spencer''- The Hidden Curriculum

• "Tips on managing workflow''- The Hidden Curriculum

• "Code and Data for the Social Sciences: A Practitioner’s Guide'' by Matthew Gentzkow and Jesse M. Shapiro

2. Apps for Organization

• Calendly

• Evernote

• Todoist

3. Drafting and Presenting

• "The Introduction Formula'' by Keith Head

• "How to Write Applied Papers in Economics'' by Marc F. Bellemare

• Check out Dr. Jonathan Schwabish's guide to data visualization.

• "How to give an applied micro talk'' by Jesse M. Shapiro

• "Tips + Tricks with Beamer for Economists'' by Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham

4. Tips for writer's block?

• Take a Break!

• Change locations

• Try the Pomodoro Technique

Mental Health Tips:

Pre-summer is a great time to invest in your future self’s mental health. Here are some things to consider...

1. Start to reflect and record Your Big Picture

2. Find a hobby that isn't econ-related! Even better if you can do the hobby with people that aren't economists!

• running group, dance class, pottery, video games, knitting, play a musical instrument

3. Schedule times to work (or just chat) with members of your cohort.

4. Move your body. Find your preferred form of movement (walking, swimming, running, lifting, dancing) and incorporate that into your daily life.

5. The Hidden Curriculum: "Tips on prioritizing mental and physical health with Jevay Grooms''

6. Meditate! Apps for Mindfulness and Meditation

• Headspace

• Calm

• Moodfit

• MoodMission

Practical Tips:

There are two things that should get done during the summer before starting on your job market journey.

1. Finish a draft of your JMP. You should plan to make your JMP public (via your website) by September or October.

2. Speaking of your website, if you don't already have one, now is the time to make one! Check out this newsletter for ideas on what to include on your website.

   • Your CV - Sarah Jacobson has an awesome Twitter thread with tips for econ job market CV's

Kelli- I used SquareSpace. It took me a couple of hours to create the page and get a layout I liked. I also find it very easy to update and manage. The downside: it's not free. I paid a $144.00 annual fee and $20 for the domain name. Check it out: www.kellimarquardt.com

Dana- I went the easy route and used google sites. My website does not have all the bells and whistles, but it worked for me. Here's the link https://sites.google.com/view/danashaat/home

Chase- I used GitHub pages to host my site and the Hugo Academic theme. Here’s a guide by Alex Hollingsworth that walks through how to do this. You can also listen to me talk about websites on The Hidden Curriculum

Mental Health Tips:

You may start feeling very overwhelmed and maybe burnt out with your job market paper and the research process. If so, go back and re-read our mental health tips from Pre-Summer. Also...

• Now is a good time to look back at Your Big Picture

  • • Remind yourself why you started in the first place

    • Recognize how stress can impact your preferences and be sure to keep this in mind as stress increases going forward in the market.

• REMEMBER: The job market is a marathon, not a race. Pace yourself and make sure to take adequate rest when needed to ensure you can finish strong! There is no shame in taking short breaks here and there.

Practical Tips:

September and October of your job market year are very critical months; you will be very busy doing the following:

1. Presenting your JMP to faculty and peers

2. Revising and copy editing your JMP draft for applications and to send to your letter writers

   • Speaking of letter writers, they play an extremely important role. It is crucial that you have a good relationship with your letter writers, and that you talk to them early and often! A good letter of recommendation can be the difference between you application being considered for the job and being tossed aside. Carlos talks about this more in the 12th paragraph of this blog post.

3. Preparing your job market "packet" - you can find a great guide on how to put this together here

• The job market "packet" will vary based on the type of job you are applying to, so be prepared to create a few different versions of the packet, especially focusing on what to include (and exclude) from cover letters

• Daniel Mangrum's Job Market Hacker streamlines the application packet building process.

4. Making the list of jobs you want to apply to - we recommend checking the job postings at least once a week and adding all the jobs you are interested in to a spreadsheet along with all the relevant information (link to the job posting, deadline, etc.)

• Jobs are typically posted on: JOE, Chronicle of higher education, NABE, and firms' own websites - if you are targeting a specific firm/institution, check their websites regularly.

Mental Health Tips:

Things are getting real. You are about to start applying to jobs! The list of things you need to do is endless. Here are some tips to help manage stress and anxiety during this time:

1. Start early and stay organized - How many times can you proof read/edit your job market paper? The limit does not exist! Start early to make sure that you don't miss out on any jobs with earlier application deadlines.

2. At some point you will have to make a decision to stop making changes to your paper and prepare it for submissions. Do not be too hard on yourself, your JMP will never be perfect, but you will have to submit it anyway. So trust your gut and your advisors, and just do it!

3. Remember that this is probably the busiest time of the job market year. Exhaustion is normal and adequate rest is crucial.

4. Something's gotta give! Although we all fancy ourselves super heroes, no one can do it all. Define your priorities and decide what you are OK losing some control over (e.g. not cooking all your meals at home, working out less frequently, not having an active social life, etc.). Remember, you can regain that control once the job market madness ends.

Practical Tips:

1. The general time to apply to jobs varies by field so be aware of deadlines* and apply early!

*Do not trust the deadline field posted on JOE! Many will put the wrong one or choose the default (01/31). Be sure to look at the actual posting text for the date, details on how to apply, and method to send letters of recommendation.

• • Policy and public health jobs: apply in early November if not before

  • See Riley Acton's guide to applying for policy schools for more details on those particular jobs

  • Other academic and economic research jobs: try to apply by Thanksgiving even if the due date is later (but don't stress if you can't get them all in before Thanksgiving... just be sure to meet the required deadlines!)

  • Industry jobs: applications for these are typically rolling, but apply in the Fall if this is the type of job you are targeting.

2. There are several main job platforms. Each will require separate uploads of your materials and may have different systems for recommendation letters. Be sure to coordinate with the person sending your letters to make sure they're uploaded to each platform correctly.

• Job Openings for Economists (JOE), Econ Job Market (EJM), Interfolio, Academic Jobs Online, School specific websites, Email

Mental Health Tips:

This is probably one of the more boring, but least stressful parts of the job market. Nevertheless, stress management is still important!

1. There are often a lot of jobs to keep track of -- pick an organizational system that works for you and stick with it.

• Here is just one option shared via Google Sheets - "Example JM Application Spreadsheet''

2. Sending out a large number of applications can be overwhelming. It is often helpful to set daily, achievable goals for applications rather than focusing on the overall number.

• Be sure to prioritize jobs that you are most excited about.

• It's okay to miss some deadlines. In fact, it's inevitable! Given the large number of jobs that you may apply to, it's hard not to miss some deadlines. Just make sure not to miss the ones you are most excited about!

Tom Petty said it best, the waiting is the hardest part! You submitted your applications, you've done your best, and now all you can do is wait and prepare for interviews. In this stage, you have little control, and a lot of uncertainty to live with.

Practical Tips:

1. You will be getting interview invitations via email and/or phone calls - make sure to respond promptly, and to always answer your phone even if it is an unknown number.

2. Keep track of the number of interviews you have, where and what time they will take place -

note for virtual interviews: take note of time zones!

note for in-person interviews: note the hotels and distance between hotels to allow enough time to get from one to the other

3. Remember: Your advisors are also your advocates! Share with your advisors your favorite positions and keep them updated every time you get an interview. Communication with advisors at this stage is crucial!

4. Prepare a five-minute job market spiel and practice it often. This should be done alone in the mirror, while driving, in the shower, and with others whenever you can.

Mental Health Tips:

Waiting to get interviews can be very difficult. It is a time of uncertainty and rejection. You do not have much control over anything, and that can present real mental health challenges. Here are some tips on how to stay healthy during this time:

1. Do not take rejection personally! The only certainty in the job market is that everyone WILL be rejected at some point, and often by jobs they really want.

2. Quality over quantity. The number of interviews you have is not an indicator of success/failure. Someone can have 2 interviews and 2 offers, another person can have 20 interviews and zero offers. You only need one job!

3. Schedule activities you enjoy. Exercise, read, paint, walk, go out with friends, sleep, binge watch a TV show, cook. Seek out whatever brings you joy during this time to take your mind off the market.

4. Have a support system. This can be in the form of a parent, sibling, friend, therapist, peers also on the market.

Note: With your job market peers, make sure you come to an agreement on what you want to share, and what to keep private at this time, e.g. number of interviews, places where one has interviews, offers, etc. For some people, they won't mind, but for others, it may lead to comparisons, which ultimately do not serve anyone.

5. Commiserate with peers who are on the job market by sharing experiences, funny anecdotes, awkward incidents (all of which are bound to happen), without giving too much information, as per the point above.

6. DO NOT, WE REPEAT, DO NOT go on Econ Job Market Rumors. This can be updated by anyone, at any time, is unreliable information, and will not serve you at this time.

Our experiences with interviews and flyouts were during the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus our advice is based on an entirely virtual job market experience. There are other considerations for in-person job markets, i.e. travel expenses, transportation between interviews, choice of attire and footwear, etc.

Practical Tips:

1. First round interviews typically last between 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Interviews for different types of institutions can have different structures:

   1. Dr. John Cawley's guide provides an overview of what to expect for academic 1st round interviews at the ASSA meetings on pages 37-46

   2. The STAR method is a helpful framework for how to respond to questions you'll likely get in consulting interviews

3. You will almost definitely be asked if you have any questions for them. Here are some good questions you could ask.

4. If you run out of questions but have more time, then feel free to say so and offer to talk about something else that you want to highlight.

5. It is important to make sure you are in control of the conversation as much as possible. If derailed, try to politely steer the conversation back to where you want it to go. This will not be possible all the time.

6. Virtual Interviews: Try to have a plain background, the fewer distractions the better. No need to remove everything from your walls, but if anything might stand out as unprofessional, best to remove it temporarily.

7. Schedule as many mock interviews as you can, preferably with faculty members you do not usually talk with before your real interviews start.

Mental Health Tips:

1. The number of interviews candidates get vary widely (0-30+) -- but you can only get one job. Focus on doing well in the ones you have and assessing your fit for the job rather than dwelling on the ones you didn't get.

2. Interviews are stressful! but preparing will help (see previous section). Practicing will help you start off strong, anticipate questions, and practice getting back on track if questions are derailing.

3. It is impossible to tell how “well” an interview went since you don’t have much information and the information you do have is noisy. For example, lots of questions could be great (they were super interested!) or terrible (they were very confused!). It’s often not helpful to try to figure out which one it is. Instead, focus on your impressions of them and whether it’s a place you’d be interested in learning more about.

4. The "set it and forget it" mindset can be helpful here. When an interview is done, don't dwell on it, just move on to the next one or move on with your life. Dwelling and speculating will not benefit you in any way.

5. A lot of these interviews, especially virtual ones, will be quite awkward. It's not you. It's not them- ok, it might be them. It's mainly the process and the nature of online interviews.

6. Virtual Interviews: You might be sitting at your computer for several hours each day, make sure to schedule some time to move your body. Take a walk, go up and down the stairs, or do some stretching in the evenings.

Practical Tips:

1. Dr. John Cawley's guide has excellent advice on flyouts/campus visits on pages 47-57 here.

2. Flyouts might take place at the institution that wants to hire you or virtually. The purpose is for both you and the company to get a sense of what it would be like to work together and meet as many of your potential colleagues as possible. Here are our additional thoughts:

   • One-on-one meetings: Most of the day will be spent having short (30 minutes) meetings with a variety of people at the institution. The focus of these meetings is often trying to figure out whether you’d be a good colleague and how you might be able to collaborate with the person you’re talking with. It’s a good idea to try to find out what they do and how it might intersect with your work. Of course, don’t forget that you’re also trying to figure out these things!

   • Job talk: The job talk is where you get the opportunity to present your job market paper to your potential employer. Not everyone will be in your field, so try to make it relevant and accessible to everyone in the audience.

   • Informal events: Flyouts may include informal events such as lunch or dinner or a “happy hour”. Focus on developing genuine connections with the participants and remember you are evaluating them as well. It’s okay if it is awkward (it likely will be!) but keep an eye out for any red flags (e.g. they ask you questions that make you uncomfortable, they make sexist/racist/homophobic comments, they are rude, etc.).

3. At the end of a flyout, most institutions will give you a timeline of when they expect to make decisions. If they do not do this, then you should ask!

Mental Health Tips:

1. Flyouts can be exhausting (especially if you are traveling), so try to space them out if you can. If you're flying, it can also be helpful to schedule multiple interviews in one trip based on geography if possible.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for things you need during flyouts (e.g., bathroom breaks, coffee) - this is doubly true if virtual.

3. Similar to first-round interviews, it's really difficult to tell how a flyout is going. Focus on your impressions of the institution and potential colleagues to determine whether it is a good fit if you end up receiving an offer.

4. Waiting to hear back from places could take A LONG TIME, but it could also be a very quick rejection! If you are lucky, you will be offered a job quickly, but for most people, it takes longer than any of us would like.

5. Get adequate rest the night before. And plan to just relax right after.

6. This is the one stage where you know the institution is interested enough to spend a whole day with you, so try to enjoy the attention and the perks (in-person flyouts include meals and hotel stays, enjoy that!)

You got an offer! Now is the time to celebrate. You did it!!!

Ok, now that you know you are awesome (not that there was any doubt before), there are still a few things you may need to do. The best tip we can give is: Talk to Your Advisor(s)!

1. Should you accept the offer? Are you expecting more offers to come in? Should you email potential jobs to let them know of your offer? Can you ask for an extension?

2. And what about negotiations?!

• see Jennifer Doleac's twitter thread here for typical (and not so typical) negotiation advice

Advisors can also be helpful if you need guidance on deciding between multiple offers. That being said, we have a few more thoughts here...

• Which job is best? This doesn't necessarily mean the offer with the highest ‘rank’ or the most pay. What job is best for YOU?...Reference Your Big Picture

• Where will you be happy? Where will you be most productive?

• What works best for your family at this time?

• You can use a Decision Grid (example here)

• Talk to your friends if you feel comfortable

• Talk to your therapist! If you've been working with them for a while, they probably have a good sense of your values, needs, and desires!

It may be helpful to divorce the decision from the search process. It can be hard to get your present self to fully internalize the costs/benefits associated with each option for your future self. When you're exhausted or decision-fatigued, external markers of success may get more weight (e.g., prestige, salary) relative to internal ones (e.g., alignment with values, long-term career opportunities, day-to-day happiness).

Finally, remember that this is not the rest of your life (unless you want it to be). Maybe none of the offers match Your Big Picture, and that's ok! The job market is just one step in the journey that is your career as a Ph.D. economist.

Some Additional Resources:

• The Awesomest 7-Year Post Doc -Radhika Nagpal

• Not the awesomest 7-year post doc -Mathbionerd Blog

This guide is not comprehensive; it is meant to serve as a companion to other guides that focus more on the logistics of the job market. Our goal is to, at the very least, make you feel like you are not alone. There are thousands of students also going through the market, and we can guarantee you that if you are struggling, there are many students in the same position. (Extreme cliche warning) There is also, as cliche as it is, a light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel might be long, the light may be very faint and invisible for a very long time, but it is there! Whether you have to go through the scramble, get a job immediately, or have to stay in grad school another year, the job market will end eventually. Finally, remember that your job and/or JMP/research do not define you. Life is about more than publications, prestigious jobs, or tenure. Make sure to find happiness and sources of pride outside of your professional accomplishments. A really nice quote, via Claudia Sahm's great post: "The quality of your job market paper is orthogonal to the quality of your person.” -John DiNardo.

We hope that you not only benefit from this guide but also enjoyed reading it. We would like to thank our advisors, friends, the folks who gave us feedback on this particular guide, and everyone who responded to our Twitter thread with advice for future JMCs for helping us with ideas while writing this. If you have any insights/advice you would like to add, please feel free to reach out to us!