Ask a Mentor
The Body & Embodiment Mentoring Committee is pleased to introduce a special “Ask a Mentor” column where senior scholars address questions submitted from fellow Body & Embodiment members. Stay tuned for future “Ask A Mentor” columns with advice on topics such as professional development, producing research, and navigating the job market from fellow B&E members!
The Body & Embodiment Mentoring Committee is pleased to publish our sixth “Ask a Mentor” column where senior scholars address questions submitted from fellow Body & Embodiment members. You can also find our “Ask a Mentor” series on the B&E Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/227366640757073)
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question: What tips do you have for maximizing ASA attendance?
Answers:
From Carrie Lee Smith, Associate Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of the Center for Public Scholarship & Social Change, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Good question!
Academic conferences can be so overwhelming. We put so much pressure on ourselves to maximize our ASA attendance, without thinking through what we really want to get out of it. So, my first suggestion is: figure out what your goals are, and be realistic about what you can actually accomplish – come up with three actionable goals, e.g., “Learn about two new research studies in the field of illness experiences.” Next, map out a schedule and plan ahead of time. Being prone to anxiety and highly risk-averse, I often map out my conference schedules far in advance and in way too much detail, including dining plans and restaurant reservations, much to the amusement of my friends and colleagues. It’s just one less thing to worry about. Wow – there are so many competing sessions to chose from in that one timeslot – what do I do? That’s when you look at your list of goals and say, “hmm … which one of these sessions best maps unto my goals?”
Second, don’t forget the often overlooked conference components. We all know receptions are a great way to meet and mingle, but business meetings – while more formal – are very good ways to get involved in ASA section governance. So go to a meeting and maybe volunteer for one of the myriad section tasks – you’ll get involved and widen your professional networks. Consider attending a teaching, professional development, or policy and research workshop. You’ll get to learn something new, and potentially meet future collaborators. And of course, anyone who knows me knows I always spend some time in the book exhibit. Pick up some new books and chat with your friends and colleagues as you negotiate for space and say “excuse me” as you reach out over someone to grab a book. (Anyone want to guess the highest number of books I lugged home from an ASA meeting?)
Coming so close to the beginning of the academic year, attending ASA should hopefully rejuvenate us and have us looking forward to the upcoming school year. So, take some time to enjoy yourself too – it’s not all about work! Find time to check out a local attraction (I am partial to interesting museums, independent bookstores, and baseball games), set aside to have a meal on your own (so you get some rest from “being on”), and maybe read a book relating to the conference city (here’s a list for Los Angeles: https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/books/books-about-los-angeles-our-top-city-based-reads).
Finally – remember, be kind to yourself. You don’t and can’t do it all in one conference – there will be future conferences!
Read more about Dr. Smith here: https://www.millersville.edu/socanth/faculty/smith-dr.-carrie-l.php.
From Rene Almeling, Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies, Yale University
“ASA is a giant conference -- there are usually thousands of people there -- and it can feel very overwhelming, especially the first couple of years you go. So here are a few tips for ASA newbies:
1) It's a good idea to look through the program ahead of time and find a couple of sessions you would like to attend each day you'll be there. After a session, you can always go up and say hello and ask a question of a presenter, which is a nice low-pressure way to meet new people.
2) ASA has more than 50 subject-specific sections (listed here: https://www.asanet.org/communities-sections/sections). Most sections have a reception during the meeting, usually in the 6pm-8pm time slot. The receptions are listed in the program and/or announced by sections via their newsletters, and they offer a good place to meet new people. And a bonus is that they often have free food! Everyone feels a little awkward at these, so if you can team up with a friend, you can hang out and say hello to other scholars in your research area.
3) Going to section business meetings (also listed in the program) can be a good way to hear about what sections are planning for the upcoming year. Many sections call for volunteers to run for section positions at the business meetings, which can be a great way to get involved in sections.
4) Be sure to take some time to wander through the book exhibit hall. This is often where people go when they have nothing scheduled, so you can run into people and say hello while checking out the newest books in sociology.
5) I would also encourage grad students and postdocs to look through the list of conference attendees and consider emailing one or two more senior people (postdocs or professors) with whom you share research interests to see if they might be willing to meet one-on-one at the meeting. I usually get several of these requests and try to fit in as many as I can. Probably not everyone is willing to do this, but the worst that can happen is the person says no.
6) Finally, make sure to build in a little downtime away from the hustle and bustle of the conference. Take a nap, go outside for a walk, whatever will allow you to rest during what can be a very busy and intense time.
I'll be in LA for ASA in August 2022, so if you see me there, please say hello!
Read more about Dr. Almeling at https://sociology.yale.edu/people/rene-almeling and https://www.renealmeling.com/.
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question: What tips do you have for maximizing ASA attendance?
Answers:
From Carrie Lee Smith, Associate Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of the Center for Public Scholarship & Social Change, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Good question!
Academic conferences can be so overwhelming. We put so much pressure on ourselves to maximize our ASA attendance, without thinking through what we really want to get out of it. So, my first suggestion is: figure out what your goals are, and be realistic about what you can actually accomplish – come up with three actionable goals, e.g., “Learn about two new research studies in the field of illness experiences.” Next, map out a schedule and plan ahead of time. Being prone to anxiety and highly risk-averse, I often map out my conference schedules far in advance and in way too much detail, including dining plans and restaurant reservations, much to the amusement of my friends and colleagues. It’s just one less thing to worry about. Wow – there are so many competing sessions to chose from in that one timeslot – what do I do? That’s when you look at your list of goals and say, “hmm … which one of these sessions best maps unto my goals?”
Second, don’t forget the often overlooked conference components. We all know receptions are a great way to meet and mingle, but business meetings – while more formal – are very good ways to get involved in ASA section governance. So go to a meeting and maybe volunteer for one of the myriad section tasks – you’ll get involved and widen your professional networks. Consider attending a teaching, professional development, or policy and research workshop. You’ll get to learn something new, and potentially meet future collaborators. And of course, anyone who knows me knows I always spend some time in the book exhibit. Pick up some new books and chat with your friends and colleagues as you negotiate for space and say “excuse me” as you reach out over someone to grab a book. (Anyone want to guess the highest number of books I lugged home from an ASA meeting?)
Coming so close to the beginning of the academic year, attending ASA should hopefully rejuvenate us and have us looking forward to the upcoming school year. So, take some time to enjoy yourself too – it’s not all about work! Find time to check out a local attraction (I am partial to interesting museums, independent bookstores, and baseball games), set aside to have a meal on your own (so you get some rest from “being on”), and maybe read a book relating to the conference city (here’s a list for Los Angeles: https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/books/books-about-los-angeles-our-top-city-based-reads).
Finally – remember, be kind to yourself. You don’t and can’t do it all in one conference – there will be future conferences!
Read more about Dr. Smith here: https://www.millersville.edu/socanth/faculty/smith-dr.-carrie-l.php.
From Rene Almeling, Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies, Yale University
“ASA is a giant conference -- there are usually thousands of people there -- and it can feel very overwhelming, especially the first couple of years you go. So here are a few tips for ASA newbies:
1) It's a good idea to look through the program ahead of time and find a couple of sessions you would like to attend each day you'll be there. After a session, you can always go up and say hello and ask a question of a presenter, which is a nice low-pressure way to meet new people.
2) ASA has more than 50 subject-specific sections (listed here: https://www.asanet.org/communities-sections/sections). Most sections have a reception during the meeting, usually in the 6pm-8pm time slot. The receptions are listed in the program and/or announced by sections via their newsletters, and they offer a good place to meet new people. And a bonus is that they often have free food! Everyone feels a little awkward at these, so if you can team up with a friend, you can hang out and say hello to other scholars in your research area.
3) Going to section business meetings (also listed in the program) can be a good way to hear about what sections are planning for the upcoming year. Many sections call for volunteers to run for section positions at the business meetings, which can be a great way to get involved in sections.
4) Be sure to take some time to wander through the book exhibit hall. This is often where people go when they have nothing scheduled, so you can run into people and say hello while checking out the newest books in sociology.
5) I would also encourage grad students and postdocs to look through the list of conference attendees and consider emailing one or two more senior people (postdocs or professors) with whom you share research interests to see if they might be willing to meet one-on-one at the meeting. I usually get several of these requests and try to fit in as many as I can. Probably not everyone is willing to do this, but the worst that can happen is the person says no.
6) Finally, make sure to build in a little downtime away from the hustle and bustle of the conference. Take a nap, go outside for a walk, whatever will allow you to rest during what can be a very busy and intense time.
I'll be in LA for ASA in August 2022, so if you see me there, please say hello!
Read more about Dr. Almeling at https://sociology.yale.edu/people/rene-almeling and https://www.renealmeling.com/.
The Body & Embodiment Mentoring Committee is pleased to publish our fifth “Ask a Mentor” column where senior scholars address questions submitted from fellow Body & Embodiment members. You can also find our “Ask a Mentor” series on the B&E Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/227366640757073)
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question: As a scholar constantly engaging with the body and identities, do you have any insight into how and when to disclose information related to my identity while on the job market or during campus visits (disability, being partnered, having children, sexuality, etc.)? I am very open about these dimensions and talk about them without much prompting, but I would not want them used against me either.
Answers
From Dr. Sonny Nordmarken, Postdoctoral Fellow in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, University of Houston
“This is a great question. Navigating disclosure is personal and might be different for different issues and different jobs. I would recommend a conservative approach in general regarding disclosure of (invisible) disability, partnership status, and children while on the market. I would not disclose this information during an interview or any time before you are offered a job, since it could negatively impact your candidacy. Committees might think these things would limit your ability to work. However, if you have access needs that you have to communicate in order to make your interview accessible to you, I recommend doing so and informing them that it is a “disability accommodation” —otherwise, requests might not be understood as such; this language can bring them to take your needs more seriously if that is the case. In this kind of a situation, disclosing your disability is necessary. It depends on the department and the job, but in general, I would recommend not bringing up your own sexual identity during a campus visit unless it is somehow relevant or helps position you favorably in terms of the job. This is not to say that you need to hide it—I think it’s best to “be yourself,” and often, there are a number of ways you can express your sexuality without explicitly stating it. If you can, try to “read the room” or, better yet, ask a trusted colleague in the department ahead of time what they advise, to get a sense of how such information might be received if you do want to bring it up. You could, on the other hand, explain in your teaching or diversity statement how your minority sexual identity has benefited your teaching and/or contributions to diversity. These are the places where bringing it up could benefit you. Keep in mind, though, that sexuality-related employment discrimination persists.
I've always been told to not discuss a partner or children during the application process at all, since this could negatively affect chances of an offer. I believe it's also illegal to ask if a candidate has children. I've been advised to not answer the question but to turn the question around and ask, if you are asked this (or anything else illegal) directly, something like, "Do many folks in the department have children?" If you do have a partner, children, or any other sensitive thing that you'd like information about, you can discuss it after you've been offered the job.”
From Dr. Virginia Berndt (Assistant Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M International University)
“In short, it depends! The general recommendation is to be cautious in disclosing your statuses and identities, and I am inclined to agree because employment discrimination is prevalent. However, I'm also very open about personal dimensions and had that same worry that they would "slip out" during the application process and could be used against me. I'm a chronically ill scholar, and it was difficult navigating whether, when, and how to disclose this background to various parties at different points in the application process. So, I ended up doing so from the start since I was likely to start talking about it anyway. My chronic illnesses are part of me, and the challenges I faced as a result were fundamental in my formation as a scholar and instructor, including my trajectory, pedagogy, and research interests. Thus, I always emphasized how this status of mine was a strength. In my cover letter, I mentioned this briefly in a sentence or two. That way, if I was going to be discriminated against for my illnesses, I would have been screened out from the start. During interviews, I discussed how challenges I faced as a student have informed the way I listen to and help my own students. Thus, again, I explained how my status and identities were relevant and helpful for the position I was interviewing for.
So, if you talk about your statuses without much prompting, making them relevant to the position at hand can be helpful. Also, it might be necessary to bring up statuses like illness or disability during the process to secure accommodations during the interview, campus visit, and/or job talk process.”
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question: As a scholar constantly engaging with the body and identities, do you have any insight into how and when to disclose information related to my identity while on the job market or during campus visits (disability, being partnered, having children, sexuality, etc.)? I am very open about these dimensions and talk about them without much prompting, but I would not want them used against me either.
Answers
From Dr. Sonny Nordmarken, Postdoctoral Fellow in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, University of Houston
“This is a great question. Navigating disclosure is personal and might be different for different issues and different jobs. I would recommend a conservative approach in general regarding disclosure of (invisible) disability, partnership status, and children while on the market. I would not disclose this information during an interview or any time before you are offered a job, since it could negatively impact your candidacy. Committees might think these things would limit your ability to work. However, if you have access needs that you have to communicate in order to make your interview accessible to you, I recommend doing so and informing them that it is a “disability accommodation” —otherwise, requests might not be understood as such; this language can bring them to take your needs more seriously if that is the case. In this kind of a situation, disclosing your disability is necessary. It depends on the department and the job, but in general, I would recommend not bringing up your own sexual identity during a campus visit unless it is somehow relevant or helps position you favorably in terms of the job. This is not to say that you need to hide it—I think it’s best to “be yourself,” and often, there are a number of ways you can express your sexuality without explicitly stating it. If you can, try to “read the room” or, better yet, ask a trusted colleague in the department ahead of time what they advise, to get a sense of how such information might be received if you do want to bring it up. You could, on the other hand, explain in your teaching or diversity statement how your minority sexual identity has benefited your teaching and/or contributions to diversity. These are the places where bringing it up could benefit you. Keep in mind, though, that sexuality-related employment discrimination persists.
I've always been told to not discuss a partner or children during the application process at all, since this could negatively affect chances of an offer. I believe it's also illegal to ask if a candidate has children. I've been advised to not answer the question but to turn the question around and ask, if you are asked this (or anything else illegal) directly, something like, "Do many folks in the department have children?" If you do have a partner, children, or any other sensitive thing that you'd like information about, you can discuss it after you've been offered the job.”
From Dr. Virginia Berndt (Assistant Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M International University)
“In short, it depends! The general recommendation is to be cautious in disclosing your statuses and identities, and I am inclined to agree because employment discrimination is prevalent. However, I'm also very open about personal dimensions and had that same worry that they would "slip out" during the application process and could be used against me. I'm a chronically ill scholar, and it was difficult navigating whether, when, and how to disclose this background to various parties at different points in the application process. So, I ended up doing so from the start since I was likely to start talking about it anyway. My chronic illnesses are part of me, and the challenges I faced as a result were fundamental in my formation as a scholar and instructor, including my trajectory, pedagogy, and research interests. Thus, I always emphasized how this status of mine was a strength. In my cover letter, I mentioned this briefly in a sentence or two. That way, if I was going to be discriminated against for my illnesses, I would have been screened out from the start. During interviews, I discussed how challenges I faced as a student have informed the way I listen to and help my own students. Thus, again, I explained how my status and identities were relevant and helpful for the position I was interviewing for.
So, if you talk about your statuses without much prompting, making them relevant to the position at hand can be helpful. Also, it might be necessary to bring up statuses like illness or disability during the process to secure accommodations during the interview, campus visit, and/or job talk process.”
The Body & Embodiment Mentoring Committee is pleased to publish our fourth “Ask a Mentor” column where senior scholars address questions submitted from fellow Body & Embodiment members. You can also find our “Ask a Mentor” series on the B&E Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/227366640757073)
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question: Considering the ongoing pandemic setting, what insights do you have in navigating the COVID/pandemic job market (academic or non-academic)?
Answers
1. Regarding the non-academic job market:
Some sociology graduate students always planned to pursue non-academic jobs because of their broad or applied interests. Others are reacting to the sad state of the academic job market. There are many opportunities for interesting and fulfilling work outside of university settings. Here are a few tips for your job search.
· You will need a resume rather than a CV for most jobs. To learn more about transforming your CV into a resume, look at this blog post from Sociology at Work, this webpage from UC Davis, and this document from Princeton with worksheets to help you translate academic language. Your institution may have similar resources.
· Informational interviews allow you to learn about the kinds of jobs available to people with advanced degrees in sociology. A good place to start is with people who have graduated from your program and gone on to work in non-profits/NGOs, government, think tanks, and corporate organizations. In informational interviews, you aren’t asking for a job, but learning and growing your networks.
· You will need an up-to-date, appealing LinkedIn profile. Organizations and recruiters use LinkedIn to find job candidates, and it is also where people you meet through networking will go to learn more about you. ASA has a LinkedIn group for Sociologists in Practice settings.
· Depending on your interests, sign up for the Interested? e-newsletter (for social justice-oriented jobs in non-profits, government, philanthropy, etc.) or check out DevEx (jobs in international development/NGOs).
Your graduate work has given you the skills to succeed in many different types of jobs. It is a challenge to translate your academic experience into terms that organizations can understand, but you can do it!
You should also check out our upcoming member webinar, Thriving Outside Academia: Advice from Sociologists in Practice settings, on April 20!
Erynn Masi de Casanova, Ph.D.,
Director of Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs at ASA
2. Regarding the academic job market:
As a background, I have accepted a tenure track assistant professor of sociology position to begin in Fall 2021. I have only just completed my PhD and was on the market ABD (all but dissertation). This was my first round on the job market, so I have no prior experience to compare the COVID market to. From what I understand, however, one thing that makes this market different is how positions/openings have been closed or canceled due to the pandemic.
For that reason, I kept my options quite open. If the position in question applied at all to my research interests or experience, I applied. Having said that, I recommend not wavering on the factors most important to you. Some individuals may be geographically bound and settled. In that case, it is ok to only apply to positions close by, even if others may pressure you to apply to positions far away. Others may have a passion for a position at a teaching college or university. Apply to places where you could see yourself living and working. If you come across a position to which you feel openness (something like, “Wow, I never thought about living or working here or at a college/university like this before, but I’m open to the idea!”), then go for it, if you feel that way after researching more about the location and department!
While openness was key to my experience, there were a couple of instances where I was not completely sure whether a position was the correct fit. In these cases, I reached out to a mentor to gauge their thoughts. Talking with mentors is also helpful because they may have insight into the environment or “feel” of the college/university and department as well.
Due to the pandemic, a lot more about the job market has become virtual. Accordingly, I increased my online academic presence. Before even applying to positions, I kept my online academic profiles updated, including LinkedIn, Publons, Kudos, ORCID, and Google Scholar. I also tried to develop a presence on academic Twitter. Some of the locations where I applied have Twitter accounts for their sociology departments, so I followed those accounts to get a feel for what the department was like. I even found out about an excellent position through Twitter that I would not have found via the regular sources! I created an academic website with a few sections: a quick “About Me” section, a section where my CV was available for download (I tried to update this often!), and a contact page. On this website, I also included pictures of myself presenting at conferences that I had gathered over the years. I opted to create a website through Weebly and bought a domain name for my first and last name (firstnamelastname-dot-com) to make it easier for anyone interested to remember. However, there are options available where you do not have to buy a domain name (website-dot-com/firstnamelastname). Also, keep in touch with your department coordinator or administrator to keep your department profile regularly updated (if your university has one)! A lot more correspondence is virtual, whether via email, telephone, or Zoom. This means that offers and negotiations may take place asynchronously via email, but this is not always the case.
Be prepared to explain, whether in your application materials or in an interview setting, how your teaching and research has been adapted, given the pandemic. For instance, if you have not yet taught an online course, think about how you might adapt your course to an online setting and be prepared to talk about that. As for research, consider how your research methods have changed given the pandemic. Do you conduct in-depth interviews virtually? All of the above will speak to your adaptability as well.
My personal experience has been that departments and search committees have been very gracious given the pandemic context. For example, due to an Internet connectivity issue, I had to give a job talk without video! Everyone in the department was incredibly understanding.
If you are going on the Fall job market, try to draft your materials in the Summer. This is standard advice, but I do wish I would have given myself more time to prepare. If you are looking to have mentors read your materials and offer advice, they will also appreciate the extra time, since their work and family obligations have also likely stacked due to the pandemic.
Virginia Berndt, PhD, University of Delaware
For more information about Virginia, see https://www.virginiaberndt.com.
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question: Considering the ongoing pandemic setting, what insights do you have in navigating the COVID/pandemic job market (academic or non-academic)?
Answers
1. Regarding the non-academic job market:
Some sociology graduate students always planned to pursue non-academic jobs because of their broad or applied interests. Others are reacting to the sad state of the academic job market. There are many opportunities for interesting and fulfilling work outside of university settings. Here are a few tips for your job search.
· You will need a resume rather than a CV for most jobs. To learn more about transforming your CV into a resume, look at this blog post from Sociology at Work, this webpage from UC Davis, and this document from Princeton with worksheets to help you translate academic language. Your institution may have similar resources.
· Informational interviews allow you to learn about the kinds of jobs available to people with advanced degrees in sociology. A good place to start is with people who have graduated from your program and gone on to work in non-profits/NGOs, government, think tanks, and corporate organizations. In informational interviews, you aren’t asking for a job, but learning and growing your networks.
· You will need an up-to-date, appealing LinkedIn profile. Organizations and recruiters use LinkedIn to find job candidates, and it is also where people you meet through networking will go to learn more about you. ASA has a LinkedIn group for Sociologists in Practice settings.
· Depending on your interests, sign up for the Interested? e-newsletter (for social justice-oriented jobs in non-profits, government, philanthropy, etc.) or check out DevEx (jobs in international development/NGOs).
Your graduate work has given you the skills to succeed in many different types of jobs. It is a challenge to translate your academic experience into terms that organizations can understand, but you can do it!
You should also check out our upcoming member webinar, Thriving Outside Academia: Advice from Sociologists in Practice settings, on April 20!
Erynn Masi de Casanova, Ph.D.,
Director of Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs at ASA
2. Regarding the academic job market:
As a background, I have accepted a tenure track assistant professor of sociology position to begin in Fall 2021. I have only just completed my PhD and was on the market ABD (all but dissertation). This was my first round on the job market, so I have no prior experience to compare the COVID market to. From what I understand, however, one thing that makes this market different is how positions/openings have been closed or canceled due to the pandemic.
For that reason, I kept my options quite open. If the position in question applied at all to my research interests or experience, I applied. Having said that, I recommend not wavering on the factors most important to you. Some individuals may be geographically bound and settled. In that case, it is ok to only apply to positions close by, even if others may pressure you to apply to positions far away. Others may have a passion for a position at a teaching college or university. Apply to places where you could see yourself living and working. If you come across a position to which you feel openness (something like, “Wow, I never thought about living or working here or at a college/university like this before, but I’m open to the idea!”), then go for it, if you feel that way after researching more about the location and department!
While openness was key to my experience, there were a couple of instances where I was not completely sure whether a position was the correct fit. In these cases, I reached out to a mentor to gauge their thoughts. Talking with mentors is also helpful because they may have insight into the environment or “feel” of the college/university and department as well.
Due to the pandemic, a lot more about the job market has become virtual. Accordingly, I increased my online academic presence. Before even applying to positions, I kept my online academic profiles updated, including LinkedIn, Publons, Kudos, ORCID, and Google Scholar. I also tried to develop a presence on academic Twitter. Some of the locations where I applied have Twitter accounts for their sociology departments, so I followed those accounts to get a feel for what the department was like. I even found out about an excellent position through Twitter that I would not have found via the regular sources! I created an academic website with a few sections: a quick “About Me” section, a section where my CV was available for download (I tried to update this often!), and a contact page. On this website, I also included pictures of myself presenting at conferences that I had gathered over the years. I opted to create a website through Weebly and bought a domain name for my first and last name (firstnamelastname-dot-com) to make it easier for anyone interested to remember. However, there are options available where you do not have to buy a domain name (website-dot-com/firstnamelastname). Also, keep in touch with your department coordinator or administrator to keep your department profile regularly updated (if your university has one)! A lot more correspondence is virtual, whether via email, telephone, or Zoom. This means that offers and negotiations may take place asynchronously via email, but this is not always the case.
Be prepared to explain, whether in your application materials or in an interview setting, how your teaching and research has been adapted, given the pandemic. For instance, if you have not yet taught an online course, think about how you might adapt your course to an online setting and be prepared to talk about that. As for research, consider how your research methods have changed given the pandemic. Do you conduct in-depth interviews virtually? All of the above will speak to your adaptability as well.
My personal experience has been that departments and search committees have been very gracious given the pandemic context. For example, due to an Internet connectivity issue, I had to give a job talk without video! Everyone in the department was incredibly understanding.
If you are going on the Fall job market, try to draft your materials in the Summer. This is standard advice, but I do wish I would have given myself more time to prepare. If you are looking to have mentors read your materials and offer advice, they will also appreciate the extra time, since their work and family obligations have also likely stacked due to the pandemic.
Virginia Berndt, PhD, University of Delaware
For more information about Virginia, see https://www.virginiaberndt.com.
The Body & Embodiment Mentoring Committee is pleased to publish our third “Ask a Mentor” column where senior scholars address questions submitted from fellow Body & Embodiment members. You can also find our “Ask a Mentor” series on the B&E Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/227366640757073)
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question:
The body and embodiment is a key area of interest of mine, but essentially no faculty in my department fall into this area or are familiar with it. What tips would you provide to graduate students in this position trying to do a highly body/embodiment dissertation and working with faculty outside of this subfield?
Answers
1. In this case, you may have to do some independent reading on the subject. There are a few things you can do to familiarize yourself with the literature.
1) Check out an undergrad textbook on the subject if you are brand new to the field. It can give you some insight into what folks in the field find most important to know. Go online and find syllabus for sociology of bodies and embodiment classes. They can help direct your reading.
2) Check out the journal Bodies & Embodiment
3) Twitter is also really useful. Follow the Bodies and Embodiment section as well as its members. Folks will often post their own work to Twitter. Who knows, you might meet some mentors, peers, and collaborators in the process.
4) Attend conferences – now is a great time since they are mostly online – and watch the panels and presentations on Bodies and Embodiment.
Finally, don’t expect to master the literature overnight. It might take some time but in the words of Barbara Risman “life is long.” There will be time in your career to absorb more and more of the field. Focus on what is relevant to your work right now. If bodies and embodiment is truly central to your work then the rest will come as you grow in your scholarship and continue to review relevant literature to your teaching and research interests.
Corey Stevens, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
For more information about Corey see https://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/sociology/faculty-staff/stevens.shtml
2. This is an important question that I imagine many students encounter. As a relatively new subfield with interdisciplinary roots, few sociology programs have significant concentrations of faculty specializing in body and embodiment, let alone a regular rotation of graduate courses or comprehensive exams in the area. This means that many if not all graduate students seeking to focus their dissertations on body and embodiment topics likely face challenges assembling their committees.
My first piece of advice is to think broadly about who might make a good committee member or mentor. When talking with graduate students about what literatures are relevant to a dissertation or other paper, I always remind them to consider not just the research directly on their specific topic, but all of the connected “satellite” literatures. This can apply to assembling a dissertation committee as well. Many different subfields of sociology overlap significantly with body and embodiment in terms of focal questions/debates and theoretical schools. Thus, depending on the particular project, faculty working in medical sociology, gender, race, disability, or theory, for example, may have a lot of familiarity with debates and theories relevant to a body and embodiment dissertation. They may even be able to reframe questions or introduce you to unexpected literatures that push your project in productive new directions precisely because they are situated adjacent to but not embedded in the field.
This also relates to the idea that it is always best to think expansively about mentorship. I was first asked to reconsider the notion of “the mentor” in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity Faculty Bootcamp, where they encourage participants to populate “mentoring maps” rather than seek one perfect mentor. This requires rethinking mentorship in terms of specific goals or needs, and then identifying mentors who can meet one specific need. For example, graduate students in the dissertation phase require substantive feedback on their work, but they also need professional development, access to funding and other opportunities, and safe spaces/emotional support. Many mentorship needs can be effectively met by faculty with research interests in other areas. In fact, it is arguable that someone with strong mentoring skills can better meet many of graduate students’ most pressing needs than an expert on the content of their dissertation. This also means that one can and should turn to body and embodiment scholars outside of one’s department (e.g., faculty in humanities departments working on the body at your university), as well as in sociology departments at other universities, for additional substantive feedback. These relationships are often cultivated through conferences and professional associations such as the Body and Embodiment Section of the ASA. (This is why we have a mentoring program!) However, connections also emerge more organically through attending talks and presenting one’s work. I recommend when first approaching a potential mentor that you keep your mentoring map in mind and ask them for something narrowly defined (feedback on a specific idea or argument, for example), rather than seeking “a mentor” more generally.
Finally, it is okay, to a degree, to teach yourself the literature and to teach it to your chair in the process. Keep in mind that everyone writing a dissertation becomes an expert on their specific topic. Dissertation supervisors thus always learn from their students to some extent, even as they also impart knowledge, although they have to be open to learning, and you also have to have adequate outside checks on your ideas and interpretations from experts in the field.
One final caveat, however, is that the approach I am describing may not be sufficient if there are really no faculty members with relevant expertise in your department. Most significantly, a dissertation chair needs to know and understand enough of the work to accurately assess its worth and quality. There also have to be enough viable candidates with overlapping research specializations to form a committee. Otherwise, changing programs may be the best course of action.
Asia Friedman, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Delaware
For more information about Asia see: https://www.soc.udel.edu/people/faculty/asiaf?uid=asiaf&Name=Asia%20%20Friedman%20Ph.D.
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question:
The body and embodiment is a key area of interest of mine, but essentially no faculty in my department fall into this area or are familiar with it. What tips would you provide to graduate students in this position trying to do a highly body/embodiment dissertation and working with faculty outside of this subfield?
Answers
1. In this case, you may have to do some independent reading on the subject. There are a few things you can do to familiarize yourself with the literature.
1) Check out an undergrad textbook on the subject if you are brand new to the field. It can give you some insight into what folks in the field find most important to know. Go online and find syllabus for sociology of bodies and embodiment classes. They can help direct your reading.
2) Check out the journal Bodies & Embodiment
3) Twitter is also really useful. Follow the Bodies and Embodiment section as well as its members. Folks will often post their own work to Twitter. Who knows, you might meet some mentors, peers, and collaborators in the process.
4) Attend conferences – now is a great time since they are mostly online – and watch the panels and presentations on Bodies and Embodiment.
Finally, don’t expect to master the literature overnight. It might take some time but in the words of Barbara Risman “life is long.” There will be time in your career to absorb more and more of the field. Focus on what is relevant to your work right now. If bodies and embodiment is truly central to your work then the rest will come as you grow in your scholarship and continue to review relevant literature to your teaching and research interests.
Corey Stevens, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
For more information about Corey see https://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/sociology/faculty-staff/stevens.shtml
2. This is an important question that I imagine many students encounter. As a relatively new subfield with interdisciplinary roots, few sociology programs have significant concentrations of faculty specializing in body and embodiment, let alone a regular rotation of graduate courses or comprehensive exams in the area. This means that many if not all graduate students seeking to focus their dissertations on body and embodiment topics likely face challenges assembling their committees.
My first piece of advice is to think broadly about who might make a good committee member or mentor. When talking with graduate students about what literatures are relevant to a dissertation or other paper, I always remind them to consider not just the research directly on their specific topic, but all of the connected “satellite” literatures. This can apply to assembling a dissertation committee as well. Many different subfields of sociology overlap significantly with body and embodiment in terms of focal questions/debates and theoretical schools. Thus, depending on the particular project, faculty working in medical sociology, gender, race, disability, or theory, for example, may have a lot of familiarity with debates and theories relevant to a body and embodiment dissertation. They may even be able to reframe questions or introduce you to unexpected literatures that push your project in productive new directions precisely because they are situated adjacent to but not embedded in the field.
This also relates to the idea that it is always best to think expansively about mentorship. I was first asked to reconsider the notion of “the mentor” in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity Faculty Bootcamp, where they encourage participants to populate “mentoring maps” rather than seek one perfect mentor. This requires rethinking mentorship in terms of specific goals or needs, and then identifying mentors who can meet one specific need. For example, graduate students in the dissertation phase require substantive feedback on their work, but they also need professional development, access to funding and other opportunities, and safe spaces/emotional support. Many mentorship needs can be effectively met by faculty with research interests in other areas. In fact, it is arguable that someone with strong mentoring skills can better meet many of graduate students’ most pressing needs than an expert on the content of their dissertation. This also means that one can and should turn to body and embodiment scholars outside of one’s department (e.g., faculty in humanities departments working on the body at your university), as well as in sociology departments at other universities, for additional substantive feedback. These relationships are often cultivated through conferences and professional associations such as the Body and Embodiment Section of the ASA. (This is why we have a mentoring program!) However, connections also emerge more organically through attending talks and presenting one’s work. I recommend when first approaching a potential mentor that you keep your mentoring map in mind and ask them for something narrowly defined (feedback on a specific idea or argument, for example), rather than seeking “a mentor” more generally.
Finally, it is okay, to a degree, to teach yourself the literature and to teach it to your chair in the process. Keep in mind that everyone writing a dissertation becomes an expert on their specific topic. Dissertation supervisors thus always learn from their students to some extent, even as they also impart knowledge, although they have to be open to learning, and you also have to have adequate outside checks on your ideas and interpretations from experts in the field.
One final caveat, however, is that the approach I am describing may not be sufficient if there are really no faculty members with relevant expertise in your department. Most significantly, a dissertation chair needs to know and understand enough of the work to accurately assess its worth and quality. There also have to be enough viable candidates with overlapping research specializations to form a committee. Otherwise, changing programs may be the best course of action.
Asia Friedman, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Delaware
For more information about Asia see: https://www.soc.udel.edu/people/faculty/asiaf?uid=asiaf&Name=Asia%20%20Friedman%20Ph.D.
The Body & Embodiment Mentoring Committee is pleased to publish our second “Ask a Mentor” column where senior scholars address questions submitted from fellow Body & Embodiment members. You can also find our “Ask a Mentor” series on the B&E Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/227366640757073)
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question:
Given the current environment, what do you suggest we do to bolster our ability to remain in the field while the industry is particularly rough?
Answers:
1. This is a tough question, because as the writer says, it looks particularly rough out there this year, and it’s not clear whether the market will improve in the next few years. That being said, I have a few pieces of advice. First, while there aren’t very many jobs, there are some, and the better you can speak to sub-areas where there are academic jobs, the better. Can you frame your work so that it makes a clear connection to health, criminology, and/or race? If your work is qualitative, can you add a quantitative component or teach a statistics course to make those jobs more within your reach? Second, you might consider expanding your job search to the non-academic market, where PhD research skills might be valued. If your situation allows you the time/funding to do so, can you invest in professional development opportunities that would be attractive to an applied employer, particularly those that increase your methodological or policy skills? For example, data or methods workshops through ICPSR, joining and working with a group like Scholars Strategy Network to write a policy brief based on your research, diversity training workshops in or around your university (perhaps even leading or co-leading a workshop in your department or university). Third, related to expanding your job search beyond academia, set up an appointment with the career services office at your university for tips and strategies for converting your academic CV into a resume. Talk to PhD alums from your department about their job search strategies and what they have learned about transferable skills and resume building and writing. Fourth, whether you are targeting positions inside or outside of academia, meet people and network. There are lots of ways to do this – join a variety of ASA sections and take advantage of any mentoring opportunities, join Twitter and share your research, email and meet with PhDs from your department, or who work in an institution or type of organization you are interested in, send your published work to people you cite, etc. Finally, talk with your advisor, your DGS, and a wide range of other faculty in your department for ideas about what is the best use of your time to achieve your goals. Most faculty in PhD-granting departments view getting students in positions to get jobs as one of the most important (and enjoyable) aspects of their work, so let them help you. Good luck to everyone!
Mary Nell Trautner, Associate Professor of Sociology, University at Buffalo, SUNY
For more information about Mary Nell see
https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/sociology/faculty/faculty-directory/trautner-mary.html
2. This question is always painful to address, even in times not impacted by a global pandemic and economic recession. That said, my advice for staying “in the field” is the same now as it would be in normal times: (1) define what “in the field” means to you, (2) get a clear understanding of WHY you want to be “in the field” and make sure your answer is tied to what you want rather than what you’re afraid of (3) apply for appropriate jobs that are a reasonable fit, and (4) until you are employed in a long-term job or are ready to move on, find ways to stay “in academia” as a student, a post-doc, or with an institutional affiliation. I’ll expand on each of these:
All of the above suggestions are intended to help you stay “in the field,” but at the end of the day, sometimes things just don’t work out. Honestly, sometimes things don’t even work out when you get what you thought was your dream job, only to find that it makes you miserable for some unexpected reason. Accept the fact that you might be on the job market for longer than 1 year, and also accept the fact that sometimes your dream job isn’t your dream job after all. Rather than focusing on a job title or the status that comes with it, focus on what work activities (Research? Writing? Teaching?) are most rewarding to you and trust that your skills will be useful and in demand across a variety of fields and institutions. Good luck!
Kjerstin Gruys, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Nevada, Reno
For more information about Kjerstin see
https://www.unr.edu/sociology/people/kjerstin-gruys
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question:
Given the current environment, what do you suggest we do to bolster our ability to remain in the field while the industry is particularly rough?
Answers:
1. This is a tough question, because as the writer says, it looks particularly rough out there this year, and it’s not clear whether the market will improve in the next few years. That being said, I have a few pieces of advice. First, while there aren’t very many jobs, there are some, and the better you can speak to sub-areas where there are academic jobs, the better. Can you frame your work so that it makes a clear connection to health, criminology, and/or race? If your work is qualitative, can you add a quantitative component or teach a statistics course to make those jobs more within your reach? Second, you might consider expanding your job search to the non-academic market, where PhD research skills might be valued. If your situation allows you the time/funding to do so, can you invest in professional development opportunities that would be attractive to an applied employer, particularly those that increase your methodological or policy skills? For example, data or methods workshops through ICPSR, joining and working with a group like Scholars Strategy Network to write a policy brief based on your research, diversity training workshops in or around your university (perhaps even leading or co-leading a workshop in your department or university). Third, related to expanding your job search beyond academia, set up an appointment with the career services office at your university for tips and strategies for converting your academic CV into a resume. Talk to PhD alums from your department about their job search strategies and what they have learned about transferable skills and resume building and writing. Fourth, whether you are targeting positions inside or outside of academia, meet people and network. There are lots of ways to do this – join a variety of ASA sections and take advantage of any mentoring opportunities, join Twitter and share your research, email and meet with PhDs from your department, or who work in an institution or type of organization you are interested in, send your published work to people you cite, etc. Finally, talk with your advisor, your DGS, and a wide range of other faculty in your department for ideas about what is the best use of your time to achieve your goals. Most faculty in PhD-granting departments view getting students in positions to get jobs as one of the most important (and enjoyable) aspects of their work, so let them help you. Good luck to everyone!
Mary Nell Trautner, Associate Professor of Sociology, University at Buffalo, SUNY
For more information about Mary Nell see
https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/sociology/faculty/faculty-directory/trautner-mary.html
2. This question is always painful to address, even in times not impacted by a global pandemic and economic recession. That said, my advice for staying “in the field” is the same now as it would be in normal times: (1) define what “in the field” means to you, (2) get a clear understanding of WHY you want to be “in the field” and make sure your answer is tied to what you want rather than what you’re afraid of (3) apply for appropriate jobs that are a reasonable fit, and (4) until you are employed in a long-term job or are ready to move on, find ways to stay “in academia” as a student, a post-doc, or with an institutional affiliation. I’ll expand on each of these:
- Define what “in the field” means to you. For some students, it means “a tenure-track job at an R1 institution or nothing!” For other students it means “any job that allows me to use the expertise I developed in graduate school.” Figure out your range of what this means for you. Consider expanding that range, especially if you are under financial strain.
- Don’t spend multiple years (or even 1 year) “on the market” unless you are confident that the jobs you are applying for are a fit for what you WANT to do for work. It’s critical that you go beyond simply listing a dream job title, to really understand what you will actually DO if you are hired for that job. Do you have a strong understanding of what a typical day or week looks like for that job? Are you confident that those daily and weekly tasks are what you want to do for the next few decades? How you spend your time, day in and day out, impacts your happiness SO MUCH MORE than having a particular title. As a scholar who studies work and occupations, I often think about my own job as a tenure-track professor at a research institution through a fairly pragmatic lens. I ask myself: Do I feel engaged in my work most days of the week? Do I enjoy at least half of what I do for my job in a given week (after all, I’m being paid, so I can’t expect to enjoy every minute!)? Am I being compensated fairly for my work? Do I like my colleagues? Is there potential for growth throughout my career? Am I happy? How much stress does work cause? How am I doing with work-life-family balance? How does my job provide balance between autonomy and structure – and is this balance healthy for me? I asked myself these questions when considering whether to stay on the tenure-track job market, compared to another career that I considered – being a non-fiction author. I felt that I could be successful in either path, but also realized that I thrive when I have both structure and social interaction, which pointed to a tenure-track job as my first choice.
- Don’t apply for every single job that is posted. Focus on the jobs for which you are a reasonable fit. You don’t have to be a “perfect” fit for every job, but you shouldn’t have to reinvent yourself for every application. When I hear students say that they are exhausted and can’t possibly work on their research because they’ve applied for 140 jobs, I am often very concerned that they actually have a lower chance at landing a job than if they had applied for far fewer. Why? Because quantity often gets in the way of quality. You shouldn’t reinvent yourself for every application, but you SHOULD thoughtfully customize each application to show that you understand both the job requirements AND the institution.
- Lastly, if being a tenure-track professor is truly your dream job, prepare to be on the market for at least one year, and likely two or more. I spent two years on the market as a graduate student, and then two more years on the market as a post-doc. I love my job. I’m glad I hung in there. But… I had a back-up plan (see above!) that I actively envisioned myself loving, which kept me sane. One more pragmatic consideration: if you really want a job in academia, do what you can to maintain some form of formal affiliation with an academic institution. If possible, stay in grad school for another year or two, (even if you're working full-time at Starbucks and just taking 1 credit), to wait out the market and still seem like a "fresh" PhD in applications. If you must graduate, get an institutional affiliation of some sort, possibly from the institution from which you’re graduating, so that you can retain an .edu email and academic institution’s letterhead for your job applications. If you must join the underpaid adjunct hustle, do so, but know that few adjunct positions result in a permanent position, so don’t put all of your eggs in that basket!
All of the above suggestions are intended to help you stay “in the field,” but at the end of the day, sometimes things just don’t work out. Honestly, sometimes things don’t even work out when you get what you thought was your dream job, only to find that it makes you miserable for some unexpected reason. Accept the fact that you might be on the job market for longer than 1 year, and also accept the fact that sometimes your dream job isn’t your dream job after all. Rather than focusing on a job title or the status that comes with it, focus on what work activities (Research? Writing? Teaching?) are most rewarding to you and trust that your skills will be useful and in demand across a variety of fields and institutions. Good luck!
Kjerstin Gruys, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Nevada, Reno
For more information about Kjerstin see
https://www.unr.edu/sociology/people/kjerstin-gruys
The Body & Embodiment Mentoring Committee is pleased to publish our first “Ask a Mentor” column where senior scholars address questions submitted from fellow Body & Embodiment members. You can also find our “Ask a Mentor” series on the B&E Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/227366640757073)
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question:
How do you suggest "translating" the relevancy of your work on bodies to more traditional Sociology departments when on the job market, especially for more general ads?
Answers:
1. The body is a window into understanding sociological processes in many important subfields. The key is to make this point clear to search committees rather than assuming that they are interested in the body per se. Unless there's a job ad searching specifically for a scholar of the body and embodiment (and this is rare in my view), your goal is to communicate to the department that the body is a site for understanding some broader process of more general sociological import. In my case, for example, the body helps me understand how gender is recreated in interaction and helps me trace the consequences of gender for pregnancy prevention as an embodied process. I tap into medical sociological processes through a focus on the embodied experience of contraception as well. The key is to "aim bigger" than the body when trying to communicate broader appeal. I find the study of bodies fascinating, but it's important that theorizing not end with the body when aiming for a general audience; it's often a good idea to start with the body and to end with elucidating something more general that non-body scholars care (more) about.
Krystale Littlejohn, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Oregon
For more information about Krystale see https://sociology.uoregon.edu/profile/klittlej/
2. When I was writing my dissertation and on the job market I was so close to my data that I struggled when trying to "translate" my research to sociologists outside of my narrow topic, much less a truly broad audience. I was writing about "aesthetic labor" and it was important because appearance-based inequality is a big deal that everyone should care about (right?). The importance and relevance of this work seemed simultaneously obvious (on a good writing day!) and also impossible (on a bad writing day). I had to constantly remind myself that answering the "so what?" question about my research was vital if I wanted a job (or to graduate, for that matter!). Please note that I was on the job market for three years in graduate school and then another two years during my postdoc. In my first two years on the market, my ideas were not fully developed, and I just sucked at it. But I got better. FIRST, I managed to say "appearance-based inequality in the workplace" instead of "aesthetic labor." Then I managed to say "appearance-based inequality in the workplace invisibly reproduces gender, race, and class inequality." Those improvements in framing were enough to finish my dissertation and get a postdoc. I was also doing well presenting this work at conferences. But it wasn't until I was preparing my first job talk, and seeking feedback from peers, that I got some really really important advice. A mentor of mine was very blunt: "If you can't simply explain how your work is somehow tied to the traditions of Marx, Weber, and/or Durhkeim, you aren't ready to present your research in a job talk." I thought that was really harsh and old-fashioned. I'm a Bourdieu (Pierre) and Bordo (Susan) kind of scholar! Did I seriously have to pay lip-service to the founding fathers? Well, I wanted a job so I took the advice, mostly. Rather than trying to force-fit my research into these frameworks, I instead decided to ask myself "What would a die-hard Marxist (or Durkheimian, or Weberian) need to know about my work to take it seriously?" I figured out how to answer those questions, succinctly, and it really really helped. Without naming names, during a job interview a well-known Marxist scholar asked me, "Now, how do you take a niche topic like women's body image, and translate it into something more important?" I found the question kind of dismissive of my work, but I kept my composure and said, "Actually, although women's body image is an interest of mine, that topic is more in the realm of psychology. In contrast, as a sociologist, and a conflict-theorist, my research focuses on power relations that are shaped by gender, race, class, and embodiment." I had never before used the term "power relations" or "conflict theory" in my academic writing, but I intentionally used these terms to answer the question because they spoke to that scholar's language. Most of my memories of being on the job market are a blur, but I'll never forget that interview question and my response because I had worked so hard to prepare for it.
Kjerstin Gruys, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Nevada, Reno
For more info about Kjerstin see https://www.unr.edu/sociology/people/kjerstin-gruys
and section website (http://sectionbodyembodiment.weebly.com/).
Question:
How do you suggest "translating" the relevancy of your work on bodies to more traditional Sociology departments when on the job market, especially for more general ads?
Answers:
1. The body is a window into understanding sociological processes in many important subfields. The key is to make this point clear to search committees rather than assuming that they are interested in the body per se. Unless there's a job ad searching specifically for a scholar of the body and embodiment (and this is rare in my view), your goal is to communicate to the department that the body is a site for understanding some broader process of more general sociological import. In my case, for example, the body helps me understand how gender is recreated in interaction and helps me trace the consequences of gender for pregnancy prevention as an embodied process. I tap into medical sociological processes through a focus on the embodied experience of contraception as well. The key is to "aim bigger" than the body when trying to communicate broader appeal. I find the study of bodies fascinating, but it's important that theorizing not end with the body when aiming for a general audience; it's often a good idea to start with the body and to end with elucidating something more general that non-body scholars care (more) about.
Krystale Littlejohn, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Oregon
For more information about Krystale see https://sociology.uoregon.edu/profile/klittlej/
2. When I was writing my dissertation and on the job market I was so close to my data that I struggled when trying to "translate" my research to sociologists outside of my narrow topic, much less a truly broad audience. I was writing about "aesthetic labor" and it was important because appearance-based inequality is a big deal that everyone should care about (right?). The importance and relevance of this work seemed simultaneously obvious (on a good writing day!) and also impossible (on a bad writing day). I had to constantly remind myself that answering the "so what?" question about my research was vital if I wanted a job (or to graduate, for that matter!). Please note that I was on the job market for three years in graduate school and then another two years during my postdoc. In my first two years on the market, my ideas were not fully developed, and I just sucked at it. But I got better. FIRST, I managed to say "appearance-based inequality in the workplace" instead of "aesthetic labor." Then I managed to say "appearance-based inequality in the workplace invisibly reproduces gender, race, and class inequality." Those improvements in framing were enough to finish my dissertation and get a postdoc. I was also doing well presenting this work at conferences. But it wasn't until I was preparing my first job talk, and seeking feedback from peers, that I got some really really important advice. A mentor of mine was very blunt: "If you can't simply explain how your work is somehow tied to the traditions of Marx, Weber, and/or Durhkeim, you aren't ready to present your research in a job talk." I thought that was really harsh and old-fashioned. I'm a Bourdieu (Pierre) and Bordo (Susan) kind of scholar! Did I seriously have to pay lip-service to the founding fathers? Well, I wanted a job so I took the advice, mostly. Rather than trying to force-fit my research into these frameworks, I instead decided to ask myself "What would a die-hard Marxist (or Durkheimian, or Weberian) need to know about my work to take it seriously?" I figured out how to answer those questions, succinctly, and it really really helped. Without naming names, during a job interview a well-known Marxist scholar asked me, "Now, how do you take a niche topic like women's body image, and translate it into something more important?" I found the question kind of dismissive of my work, but I kept my composure and said, "Actually, although women's body image is an interest of mine, that topic is more in the realm of psychology. In contrast, as a sociologist, and a conflict-theorist, my research focuses on power relations that are shaped by gender, race, class, and embodiment." I had never before used the term "power relations" or "conflict theory" in my academic writing, but I intentionally used these terms to answer the question because they spoke to that scholar's language. Most of my memories of being on the job market are a blur, but I'll never forget that interview question and my response because I had worked so hard to prepare for it.
Kjerstin Gruys, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Nevada, Reno
For more info about Kjerstin see https://www.unr.edu/sociology/people/kjerstin-gruys
