Peter is 'on the market'

So this is my last year in the Ph.D. program in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh--Deo volente.

They call this my year 'on the market.' I'm looking for a job. The job search in philosophy is an involved and unusual process; I thought family and friends might want to know a bit about it and how I'm doing.

The American Philosophical Association has an online publication called "Jobs for Philosophers"--and no, neither McDonalds nor Domino's Pizza places ads. But a bunch of colleges and universities do. The jobs fall into two main categories: tenure track jobs and non-tenure track jobs (visiting and adjunct positions, as well as post-docs). The listings specify particular areas of scholarly specialization and competence. Candidates pour over the few hundred job listing and apply to ones they fit more or less well. I am applying almost exclusively for jobs in the former category. But I am also applying for a few (long-shot) multi-year, cushy post-docs. In total, I'm applying for about 30 jobs.

I submit most applications in October and November. These consist of my CV, a writing sample, and letters of recommendation from my advisers and other scholars who know my work. They also sometimes include a statement of my teaching philosophy, research interests and plans, and/or evidence of teaching excellence. 

Search committees sift through the mountain of applications they receive (I gather these days there are typically 100-300 applications per position). The first cut usually involves an interview with say 10 candidates--either via Skype or at the annual meeting of the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association, which this year meets in Atlanta, GA between Christmas and New Years. If I get, say, three to five such interviews, I've done well; if I get six or more, I have done excellently. I should have a decent sense of how many I'll have by early to mid-December.

The next cut typically involves on campus interviews (lasting a couple days each) for say two to five top candidates. These include giving academic talks, meeting with the faculty, perhaps guest teaching a class... these happens in, what, January through March, I think. If I get two to four of these: YEAH!

Then they offer the job to the top candidate. If I get an offer, I take it. If I get two or more offers, I hem and haw--and negotiate--to get the one that seems the best fit for me and my family. If I'm lucky this will all be done by March. If I'm not, the uncertainty could drag out even into May (or later).

Prayers are appreciated.

This is a list of the jobs I'm applying for. 

(They are in philosophy departments unless noted.)

Tenure track jobs

1. Baylor University (Great Texts)
2. Carleton College
3. Catholic University
4. College of St. Benedict, St. John’s University
5. Georgetown
6. Kent State
7. Lehman College
8. Loyola University Chicago
9. Marquette
10. North Carolina State University
11. Ohio State University
12. Rutgers, Camden
13. Stony Brook University
14. UCLA
15. University of California, Riverside
16. University of Maryland, Baltimore County
17. University of Michigan
18. University of Missouri, Columbia
19. University of Nebraska
20. University of Notre Dame
21. University of Oklahoma
22. University of Southern California
23. University of Sydney
24. Wabash College
25. Washington University, St. Louis
26. Wayne State University

Long-shot, multi-year, cushy post-docs:

1. University of Pennsylvania Mellon Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow
2. University of Michigan Society of Fellows
3. Princeton Society of Fellows
4. Harvard Society of Fellows