The Hunt Begins

I thought I would give a quick update on what is going on with my job hunt. I was hired here on a three-year lectureship and now I am going into my last year. So my goal this year is to get a tenure track job. It is still early yet, many good jobs will come out in the next couple of months. So far there are a few good possibilities. I am not sure any of these jobs are my dream job, but I have not visited them, so who knows. So far these are my choices. As a note, the more specific a job the less amount of applicants. In other words a job looking for anyone who does 1965 or above may get 100 to 200 applicants where a strict Civil War only job may get 30 to 50.

1. Missouri Southern State University, Joplin MO. They are looking for a historian who could teach several areas, but one of the areas is Civil War and Reconstruction. This is in the Ozark Mountains that we loved.

2. Brigham Young University, Provo Ut. Their preference is a Western Historian and they must be able to teach Utah history. Utah history is very close to Mormon history so I could learn it, Western history is a stretch, but possible. They would really have to like me to even consider me for the position.

3. University of Victoria, Victoria, BC. Any American field before 1920. Good school and not as many will apply because of location. The negative part is I am not sure about living in Canada. I lived there for two years, it is a nice, but what can I say, I like America.

4. Weber State University, Ogden UT. They are looking for some to teach either 19th or 20th Century. I should have a shot, but they will get a lot of applicants. One positive is it close to family and seems to be the kind of town I would enjoy.

5. Rutgers, Newark, NJ. 19th Century historian. Positives are a good school and good football team, negatives is Newark.

6. University of California-Riverside, Riverside CA. Looking for a 19th Century historian. Positives are good school and close to family. I would have two siblings within two hours, and Melissa’s grandma lives in Riverside. The negative is living in California. I am not crazy about CA, it is very expensive and crowded. My perfect job would be a college town.

7. Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT. Looking for a 19th Century historian. This is an excellent school, they will be looking for the best. I do not know enough about the area to make any judgments yet.

8.York College, York, PA. Civil War historian. The best part about this job is it is a Civil War job, meaning fewer applicants. So far the area sounds good. My cousin Lindsey’s husband is from there and they lived there for a while and loved it. It is close to Melissa’s Mom and close to my research.

Who knows about any of these, I may not get an interview to any of them or all of them. Not to mention my dream job may open up next week. I just thought I would post these because several people have been asking about where I am applying.