Friday, 30 June 2017

mathematics - Should I apply to tenure-track positions if I'm fairly certain I won't be staying?


I hope to receive my PhD in Mathematics in May of 2015, so I am currently applying for jobs. Due to life circumstances, I'm fairly certain that I will only be staying at my next position for about 2 years. Does this mean I shouldn't even try to apply for tenure-track positions? Will a hiring committee not even consider me for the position if I'm not willing to commit to staying with them for a certain amount of time?


I would love to get a teaching/lecturing position at any institute of higher education (4-year research university, liberal arts school, community college), but as I look for openings, a lot of them are tenure-track assistant professor positions. Should I go through the effort of sending in an application, or will that be a waste of my, and the committee's, time?


Thanks for any advice you have!


Edit (to address Nate's comment):


My wife is currently applying for 2 year graduate degree programs in various cities in the US, so I'm applying for jobs in the same cities. When she finishes her program, we plan to move outside of the US (Africa or Southeast Asia), where I do hope to remain in academia, teaching mathematics to college-aged students.



Answer



Apply.



If you accept a position, you are committed for the following year. Leaving after two years will disappoint people, but it happens fairly often, and the potential consequences of you not applying to these jobs are perhaps more serious than the potential consequences to the departments if you leave after two years.


Besides, I don't know what your circumstances are, but you are presumably not completely sure you won't stay.


No comments:

Post a Comment

evolution - Are there any multicellular forms of life which exist without consuming other forms of life in some manner?

The title is the question. If additional specificity is needed I will add clarification here. Are there any multicellular forms of life whic...