The Interfolio Blog

We're headed to the MLA Convention this month, and in conjunction with the gathering, the MLA has issued a report on academic jobs in languages, both in English literature and language as well as other languages.

Well, we can't say the news is great. The MLA report and forecast predicts a 35% decline in positions in English language and literature coupled with a 39% decline in positions in other languages. Combined with the declines from this past year, those numbers bring us to a 51% decline in English and a 55% decline in other languages. 

Where does that leave job seekers? Many are applying to a wide range of positions, from postdocs to adjunct to tenure track, and are also trying to align their studies so as to be as desirable as possible across a variety of concentrations. But still, anecdotal evidence has shown that graduates are often applying to 100 or more jobs and only landing a slim 3-4 interviews.

In this kind of hiring environment, PhDs in the humanities are encouraged to take steps to differentiate their applications from those of their peers. This is a topic we write about frequently, so we thought we'd pull together some of our resources and advice on how to make your job search process easier and more fruitful. Below are links to a collection of academic job search articles that may help!

• Stand out in the crowd during an academic job search. We take a look at how being tech savvy can greatly increase your chances of getting an interview... and hopefully a job.
• Academic Interview Etiquette - The dos - and don'ts - of the interview process.
• 5 ways to simplify applying for higher ed jobs - steps that can help you streamline your search.
• Yes, you can use social media for the job search - how to use social networks to assist in the job search process.
• 5 resources to help you write a great CV - we pull resources from around the web to help you put together a powerful CV.