Hi all, I know at one point there were several English PhDs floating around in this forum. I'm in the median stages of dissertation writing, and thus on the job market for the first time (ie: I'm on a trial run, because I COULD scramble a defensible version of the diss out by next summer, but it will be better if I take a year beyond this one). I know the odds are already low, and the jobs this year seem to be a bit lighter in quantity as well. That said, I still want to put my best foot forward and make it as difficult as possible for these jobs to reject me, haha. Right now, I'm looking at the Renaissance position at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Medieval/Renaissance position at North Central College in Naperville, and the Renaissance position at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY (which, due to the size of the school and its geographic location, is pretty much my dream job). Any insider tips and tricks? We're getting job market support at my school, but most of the advice is based more on the R1 job market (ie: a bunch of folks with degrees from Harvard and Yale pitching ideas for how to get jobs at smaller R1s).
Well for North Central and probably Hamilton, put the emphasis on teaching, including how your research supports your teaching. Make the case that you can teach writing, intro to lit for non-majors, etc (take a look at their catalogs so you can be specific). For VCU, put some emphasis on teaching, but focus on your research program, etc.
@UnitedBorn is a fan of Virginia Commonwealth University sports. I don't know if he can provide information about their academics.