Brian Gettler on Nostr: In Canada, these searches are open and, depending on the position and the university ...

In Canada, these searches are open and, depending on the position and the university advertising, can attract hundreds of applicants. While some are not realistic (no PhD or any prospect or earning one, no relevant experience), most are totally legitimate. Relatively few have permanent academic employment elsewhere (this is the case even for what are considered choice jobs at prestigious institutions). Most are postdocs, are teaching whatever courses on contract they can find, or are working in entirely different sectors to make ends meet. And while we don't have a formal time limit on when people can no longer apply, most simply stop trying after several years. Still, after a PhD, a postdoc or two, and some other limited term appointments, a non-neglible number of candidates have CVs that would've placed them among the top scholars of generations past. Now many struggle to get interviews, to say nothing of jobs.