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Academia's Most Wanted: The Characteristics of Desirable Academic Job Candidates in Criminology and Criminal Justice

NCJ Number
227414
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Education Volume: 20 Issue: 10 Dated: March 2009 Pages: 20-39
Author(s)
Brandon K. Applegate; Caity R. Cable; Alicia H. Sitren
Date Published
March 2009
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study explored the extent to which attributes affect whether an applicant for an assistant professor position would be invited for an on-campus interview.
Abstract
Findings reveal several applicant characteristics that are related to the likelihood of an interview and that some of these relationships are conditioned by the characteristics of the faculty who decide whether to extend an invitation. Findings suggest that doctoral students should seek opportunities to conduct and publish research, should present papers at conferences, and should endeavor to gain classroom teaching experience. Moreover, they should pursue publication in higher-tier journals. Similarly, doctoral programs should seek to engage their students in research and publishing, provide opportunities to teach classes, and support student participation in professional conferences. Faculty should also recognize that what they say about a student in a job reference letter matters. Two characteristics did not significantly affect the desirability of applicants: first, area of specialization was not a factor in the respondents' judgments of job applicants; second, the university from which the applicant had received their degree did not significantly influence "desirability rating." Implications of the findings for the nature of the discipline, for mentoring doctoral students, for designing Ph.D. program experiences, and for hiring new colleagues are discussed. Data were collected from 187 respondents who completed surveys. Tables and references

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