2010 AHA Job Center

January 7–10, San Diego Marriott, Marriott Hall

Handout

The Job Center Handout, also provided on site to job candidates, gives an early preview of which institutions will be conducting interviews in San Diego. Searches reported more recently than December 16 do not appear in this version of the Handout. Searches can open up right before the annual meeting.

Visit the bulletin boards and the electronic display at the Job Center in the Marriott's Marriott Hall for an up-to-date list of searches collecting c.v.’s and conducting interviews at the annual meeting.

Forms

Reservation forms (in Rich Text Format) for the 2010 Job Center are available now. Job Center tables are free. Job Center rooms cost $80 for each half day ($160 for two half days) or $140 for a full day.

You may send in one or all of the forms, depending on your institution's needs. Simply download the forms, save them to your computer, type them out, and then send them back as attachments to Liz Townsend. (Or you may print them, fill them out, and fax them to (202) 544-8307, but e-mail is preferred.) Please print or type clearly, and be sure all information has been checked carefully before sending in the forms.

Although the initial deadline has passed, we will continue to accept reservation forms. Tables and rooms are available during all days of the meeting. Information received before December 1 will be included in the Handout that will be distributed at the meeting

Please note that the reservation forms are only intended for search committees. Job candidates do not have to sign up for the Job Center in advance. Most of the jobs will be advertised in autumn issues of Perspectives on History, with late listings included in the Job Center Handout distributed at the annual meeting.

If you have any questions please contact Liz Townsend or David Darlington, phone: (202) 544-2422, ext. 120. Please include your name, institution name, and telephone number with all inquiries.

2010 Job Center Information

The American Historical Association’s annual Job Center (formerly known as the Job Register) provides institutions and candidates with facilities and administrative support for position interviewing during the AHA annual meeting. In accordance with AHA policy, which supports open listing of employment opportunities, the annual meeting Job Center facility will be open to all annual meeting participants. You must register for the annual meeting in order to participate in the Job Center, the Exhibit Hall, or any of the sessions or to use the AHA’s messaging system.

The meeting preregistration form and hotel reservation information can be found in the September issue of Perspectives on History, and in the annual meeting Program. All forms are also available from the AHA office and the AHA web site. Rates for preregistration: $152 members, $173 nonmembers, $74 student members, $84 student nonmembers, $74 unemployed, $37 precollegiate teachers (evidence of employment is required for this rate).

Job Center "How-to Guide for First Time Users" Video

This explanatory video is for all history job-seekers about to use the AHA's Job Center—which provides search committees and candidates with interviewing facilities at the AHA's annual meeting—for the first time.

Location

Free Job Center interviewing tables, the Information Booth, the C.V. Collection Booth, and the Electronic Search Committee Locator System will be in the San Diego Marriott, Marriott Hall. Job Center interview rooms, available for a fee, will be located in the San Diego Marriott and the Manchester Grand Hyatt. (Keys for rooms arranged through the Job Center may be picked up at the Information Booth. Do not ask hotel staff for room keys.) The Messaging and Internet Center will located in the San Diego Marriott, Marriott Hall.

Job Center Hours

Interview tables and c.v. collection will be open Thursday, January 7, 12:30–6:00 p.m. (prearranged interviews only); Friday and Saturday, January 8 and 9, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Sunday, January 10, 9:00 a.m.–noon. Rooms will be available Thursday, January 7, 1:00–5:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, January 8 and 9, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, January 10, 8:00 a.m.–noon.

Reserving Space at the Job Center

All interviewing institutions must have a search committee member complete the room or table reservation forms to reserve up to one table per search for the entire meeting and/or one room for one full day or two half days at the Job Center. If you need additional tables or rooms, you will be placed on a waiting list, and staff will notify you after the November 15 deadline if we can accommodate your request. Please be sure to complete all sections of the forms, particularly the section for address, contact person, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address (to which the reservation confirmation will be sent).

Please print or type clearly, and be sure all information has been checked carefully before sending in your reservation. You can download the forms, save them to your computer, type them out, and then send them back as attachments to Liz Townsend. (Or you may print them, fill them out, and fax them to (202) 544-8307, but e-mail is preferred.) Job Center rooms and tables are reserved on a first-come/first-served basis. Reservation requests received after the deadline of November 15, 2009, may not be considered. We recommend that interviewers overestimate the number of interview time slots they will need, as the rate of responses from job applicants tends to be higher than anticipated.

Collection of C.V.’s

If you wish the Job Center staff to collect c.v.’s for you, please indicate this on the reservation form and attach a copy of the job description(s) or indicate which month it appeared in Perspectives on History. It will be your responsibility to collect c.v.’s from your folder and schedule interviews with applicants via the messaging system. You may return c.v.’s of applicants you do not wish to interview to AHA staff, who will send a standard decline message to the applicant. If you are holding only prearranged interviews, you do not have to send a complete job description. However, please list the field and specialization so the position can be identified.

Interviews in Non-Job Center Facilities

The association urges all interviewing institutions to use the Job Center facilities for all interviews. It recognizes, however, that this is not always possible. When the Job Center facilities are not used, it is the responsibility of the interviewers to ensure a professional environment.

The AHA will assist these institutions by providing candidates with information given to the Job Center staff and, if requested, by collecting c.v.’s and including position listings in the Job Center Handout. Please fill out the form so staff can help all candidates find their interview locations.

Room Cancellations

Room reservations can be cancelled until December 15, 2009. Invoices will be mailed after that date, and no refunds will be given. Prepayment is NOT required.

Noninterviewing Vacancy Announcements and Late Notices

Send in a noninterviewing job announcement by November 15, 2009, and we will include it in the Job Center Handout. We will also have bulletin boards available for posting late-breaking notices. Bring four copies of each late-breaking job notice to the Job Center Information Booth for posting.

Electronic Search Committee Locator System

The Job Center features an electronic database system designed to aid job candidates in finding the locations of interviews in all interviewing facilities: at tables, in Job Center rooms, and in privately arranged suites. The system, located at the Information Booth in the San Diego Marriott, Marriott Hall, will use a large monitor to display a scrolling list of institutions and their interview locations, if known. The system will also indicate whether an institution is currently collecting c.v.’s for any position. All information regarding changes in interview locations, times, and c.v. collection status will be updated and appear on this monitor.

Bulletin boards, in the Marriott Hall, will display job descriptions for institutions that have decided to collect c.v.’s at the meeting, or who have posted new job descriptions. Please note: These billboards are intended for AHA Job Center information only. Any other material posted to the billboards will be removed.

Arranging Interviews

Institutions

Prearranged Interviews. After advertising their positions in Perspectives on History, most institutions will contact selected candidates to prearrange interviews at the Job Center.

Institutions must prearrange specific times with interviewees. Please do not simply tell interviewees to contact you at the meeting to set up a time. Although the messaging system facilitates communication between candidates and committees at the Job Center, it is generally less stressful for all concerned if interview times are set up and confirmed before the annual meeting.

Open Interviews. Institutions wishing to arrange some or all of their interviews at the meeting can request c.v. collection. Job Center staff WILL NOT sign up candidates for interviews. Staff will collect c.v.’s and place them in the appropriate folders. It will be the responsibility of the interviewers to contact the candidates and schedule interviews.

Although many institutions may find they are overwhelmed with responses to their job listing(s), the AHA strongly urges schools to acknowledge the receipt of all c.v.’s. Such an action demonstrates professional courtesy and recognizes the efforts of fellow historians in a tight job market. Institutions should use the messaging system to schedule appointments with applicants. Message forms for applicants whom institutions do not wish to interview should be returned to AHA staff, who will notify candidates.

Candidates

Prearranged Interviews. Candidates with prearranged interviews in a room may proceed directly to the specified room at the assigned time. If the prearranged interview is at a table, candidates will need to check in 15 minutes prior to their interview at the Candidate Check-In Booth in Marriott Hall and wait to be called. If the location is unknown, the Job Center Information Booth may have more information.

Open Interviews. Read the Job Center Handout for position openings. There will also be bulletin boards where late-breaking announcements will be posted. Candidates should review the positions for which they are qualified and determine when they are available for an interview.

Positions in the handout are organized by geographic area, then by state, then by institution, then by field or specialization. (Some departments announcing positions will not interview at the Job Center, but will provide an address for further inquiries from interested candidates.)

Candidates will then submit c.v.’s for positions of interest at the C.V. Collection Booth. Candidates should submit one c.v. with an attached message sheet (provided by the Job Center) for each position they would like to apply for.

Come prepared with a sufficient supply of c.v.’s, paper, and pens. Please do not rely on copying facilities at the hotels. The prices are often high and the lines can be quite long. Candidates should include their local telephone number (hotel room or other local lodging) or cell phone number on their message forms, as some schools will contact candidates by phone to set up interviews.

Institutions that have reviewed c.v.’s and wish to set up interviews will contact candidates directly through local phone numbers or the annual meeting messaging system, in the Messaging Center in Marriott Hall or online. Institutions not wishing to interview a candidate at the meeting will submit the response form to AHA staff, who will then send a standard decline message via the messaging system.

Candidates and interviewers alike should review the AHA’s Guidelines for the Hiring Process before the annual meeting. It sets out the rights and responsibilities of everyone involved in the job search to ensure fairness and prevent abuses.

 

Last Updated: December 17, 2009 11:41 AM