Friday, January 25, 2008

Finding that Job

Let's face it - how many paleontologists actually are in jobs with a title of "paleontologist"? This can also be a plus, in that there are many different kinds of jobs to which we can apply. In my own search for a job, I have found a number of resources that are quite helpful - here are some of the best. Keep in mind that I'm more of a "biological paleontologist" these days, so obviously my links are perhaps a little biased. But here goes. . .

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
A must-see jobs board for anyone hoping to find a "strict" paleontology job. Generally quite frequently updated, and many of these jobs aren't posted anywhere else.

VRTPALEO mailing list
This is an email list, not a web page - again, many jobs that are posted here aren't posted anywhere else. Unfortunately, internet archives for this list don't exist (that I know of).

Geological Society of America

I haven't used this one quite as much just given my career path, but it's still something to check out for those looking for jobs in geology departments.

The Chronicle of Higher Education
This website is one of the most useful job-hunting websites out there. The link above takes you to their "job search" form - you can also sign up for email alerts of new job postings, etc. They also have an extensive career advice section, which has been most helpful for me.

AAAS Science Careers
From the same people who bring you the journal Science, another searchable academic jobs site (also with the option of email alerts). I've generally found it to be more useful than the equivalent site from Nature, in that the AAAS site more frequently has jobs I'd actually think about considering.

Anatomy Jobs Sites
As someone from an anatomy background, I've also applied for jobs at various medical schools. The American Association of Anatomists and American Association of Clinical Anatomists both run jobs boards.

Other Sites of Note
Here are a few other sites of note:
EvolDir
SICB Job Listings
American Association of Physical Anthropologists
HigherEdJobs.com
Higher Education Jobs

Final Recommendations
When it comes to finding the jobs for which you'd want to apply, check early and check often. Some sites have RSS feeds or email alerts - take advantage of these, because they can save you a lot of work in the long run. And if you're really, really wanting those jobs just in vertebrate paleontology, pay close attention to the VRTPALEO list and the SVP web pages. Word-of-mouth doesn't hurt, either!

3 comments:

ReBecca Hunt-Foster said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReBecca Hunt-Foster said...

I was not familiar with this site until today, but I found 3 pages of jobs just by searching for "paleontology:" http://www.indeed.com/

Anonymous said...

Don't forget the PaleoNet Listserve.