Going on the Graduate Job Market

For PhD candidates, the most obvious way to look for a job is through the AEA meetings in January; see Time Line for the AEA Market for details about how it works. The AEA market is highly organized, which makes it relatively easy to use. On the other hand, it reaches a fairly narrow selection of employers. If you're a masters candidate, or a PhD candidate looking for a nonacademic job, you'll want to broaden your search. You can do that by using the placement services, web sites and other tools below. It will take more work and creativity, but you'll reach a broader selection of employers.

With that said, here are some tips on conducting an effective job search. Not all of these tips will necessarily apply to you; some depend on whether you are going on the market with a masters degree or are a doctoral candidate, and others depend on whether you are looking for an academic or nonacademic job.

• Talk to your supervisor. If you're a doctoral candidate, this is the first step to take in preparing to go on the market. It's crucial that you and your supervisor both agree that you're ready. Also, your supervisor will be able to help you figure out what part of the market is most appropriate for you.
• Prepare your paper. If you're looking for a PhD-level job, potential employers will expect you to submit at least one paper. Work with your supervisor and committee members to make sure that you have a first-rate paper to send out. It should be ready to send out by October 1st if you plan on participating in the interviewing process at the AEA meetings. If you have more than one finished paper, that's great and you should probably send out copies of each one.
• Choose your references. You'll generally need to list at least three people as references on your CV or resume. On the PhD market, or if you are a masters student but plan to interview at the AEA meetings, you'll need to have these folks write formal letters of reference. Decide who would be best able to write a strong letter on your behalf and approach them fairly early. Aim to get the letters by October 1st. On the masters market, you'll still need to list references but if you're not interviewing at the meetings you might not need actual letters: potential employers often call your references instead.
• Update your CV or resume. Be sure to post a copy of it on your web page so that potential employers can find it easily. If you don't have a web page, create one. If you're on the PhD market, give a copy of your CV to Laura in the department office.
• Talk to the placement director. Be sure to talk to the department's placement director as soon as you decide you're ready to go on the market. Do this whether you are on the masters or PhD market.
• Browse through JOE. Job Openings for Economists is a list of job advertisements published ten times a year by the American Economic Association and is available online. Virtually all academic jobs are advertised in JOE, as well as many nonacademic jobs. It tends to be oriented toward PhD-level jobs but there are also listings for jobs at the masters level. No matter what kind of job you want, JOE is a quick way to get an overview of the market.
• Browse through the employer listings. If you're not looking for an academic job but aren't really sure what else is out there, try browsing through a page of employer and career listings. It contains links to a small fraction of the firms and organizations that hire economists, but it will give you a better idea about the spectrum of potential employers.
• Check out placement websites. There are lots of web sites devoted to the job market. Those sites are probably most useful for people on the masters market. One thing to keep in mind is that the listings tend to describe the skills needed for each job and don't necessarily specify that a particular degree is required. You won't find much if you search for "economist" or "economics masters" but you'll find many, many more under "economics", "statistics" or "finance".
• Consider using Career Services. If you're interested in a private sector job, especially if you are coming out with an MA or MS, consider signing up with Liberal Arts Career Services.
• Read up on potential employers. If you apply for a private sector job, be sure not to forget to read up on the company before your interview. Figure out what its main industry is, who its competitors are, and whether it has had any big successes or failures lately. You don't have to become an expert over night but you don't want to arrive at an interview with only a foggy idea what the company does.