Services for Academics: job market, tenure, promotion, and renewal
What I Offer
I work with academics in all fields on materials for the academic job market, tenure, and renewal/promotion for long-term lecturers.
These are all high stakes, complex applications that have multiple audiences, not-always-clear expectations and end in a single up-or-down decision that affects the entire trajectory of your career, which can make the whole process feel both opaque and (understandably!) nervewracking.
My experience is that in the face of something so momentous, when you have feedback and advice from colleagues and mentors that often pushes you in different and sometimes opposed directions, it's hard to know what to say, or to know how to frame or position yourself. You can get stuck in a cycle of editing and tweaking your documents over and over again without knowing if the work you're putting in is even productive, or what ‘done’ means (other than having to send it in by the deadline).
That's where I come in. I help you sort through the feedback and expectations for your documents, get really clear how you want to communicate your achievements and scholarly identity, and produce excellent, effective materials you feel good about (and know when to feel done with).
For all their complexity and high stakes, these documents are fundamentally statements about who you are as a scholar. What I provide as a writing coach that's different from what you can get from even the best colleagues and mentors is that I put you - your real goals, values, and identity - at the center of the process, and help you tell a story about yourself that is both authentic and highly effective.
We would be a particularly good fit if any of the following are true for you:
- You have multiple scholarly identities and/or your work crosses fields in ways that makes it challenging to explain your impact.
- Your record is substantial but it doesn't necessarily look that way without explanation.
- You find yourself in unending cycles of editing, tweaking, and perfectionism.
- You've received feedback that is unclear, contradictory, or negative and you want to make sure you incorporate it effectively.
- You're great at articulating your work in person but it falls flat when it comes time to write it down.
- You are LGBTQIA+.
- You are neurodivergent, with or without diagnosis.
- You want the process of putting together great materials to be more easeful and supported.
How It Works
Working with me includes:
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Three one-hour coaching calls
- An initial call to set goals and create a plan for your materials.
- Two additional calls, paced on a timeline we mutually decide, to best support getting your materials over the finish line.
- A round of asynchronous feedback on drafts after each coaching call.
Fee: $500. Inquire about a sliding scale if this cost represents a barrier, for any reason. I am happy to work with professional development funds if available.
From Past Clients
"In the last couple of weeks I've received 3 job offers. I'm over the moon and I credit so much of it to your mentorship in the fall. Thank you"
Cara Brand
Asst. Professor of Biology, Rutgers University
"I just really appreciate this! The academic job market really makes it feel like you're in this back and forth war with your confidence in who you are as a person/researcher, so things like this really help"
Jackie Cosse
PhD Candidate, Social Work, NYU
"Wonderful experience... You were able to ask probing questions that helped me better understand myself as an academic, teacher, mentor, and as a writer. This helped me think more clearly about who I am academically, what I value, and how I tend to work. I knew there was something about my teaching statement that I was not in love with, and you named it very clearly. Once we identified it, I could revise the document in a way that made it feel more coherent, more memorable, and more representative of who I actually am."
Sam Bacharach
Postdoctoral Fellow, Monell Chemical Senses Center
FAQ
Q: You're not in my field? Are we still a good fit?
A: Yes! My own background is in writing studies and political science, so while it's true that I have some specific subject matter knowledge in those areas, the work I do supplements (and does not replace) getting feedback from trusted mentors and colleagues in your field. My approach centers the writing process itself, and works well across fields. I've successfully worked with academics in the social sciences, life sciences, and humanities across a number of disciplines.
Q: How is this different from an editing service?
A: I help you shape your materials from wherever they're at when we meet, until they're ready to submit. I don't typically offer a line by line copyedit: editors are fantastic when you're already mostly sure what you're going to say, but I meet you earlier in the process than that, to help you shape and hone your message.
Q: What actually happens in a session?
A: Everyone is different, but typically the flow is something like: you send me your drafts (in whatever state they're in) in advance of our meeting, and then in session we talk through your drafts and ideas, process external feedback, and make a writing and checkin plan. Often this involves working on your documents live in session. You'll always leave each session with a clear to-do list, a next checkin, and forward moving steps.
Q: Is this a good fit for people whose first language is not English?
A: Yes!
Q: Is this confidential?
A: Absolutely.
Q: What if I need more than three sessions?
A: If for any reason, you'd like to have more than three sessions, you can always book more at an a la carte rate of $150/call, but I feel confident that for these kinds of materials, three sessions plus asynchronous feedback is the right number for the vast majority of clients.
Q: I have a question that isn't really answered here.
A: Please reach out! I'd love to hear it. You can also book a free consult call.