Hi guys

I wanted to throw out my situation to everyone to see if anyone has had a similar experience...

Basically a permanent lectureship been posted at my uni for a Sept 2013 start. It's exactly in my area (basically its expanding the department that I am in as a Phd student and a TA). I have just submitted my thesis and will have my viva in late Nov. I have had a written offer from the no.3 publishing house on my list to publish my thesis (I haven't contacted no.1 or 2 yet), I have a number of publications from my thesis, I am a board member of the national association in my area of research, I teach on the courses that this lecturer will teach on, I have numerous conference appearances under my belt etc etc etc.

My point is I'm wondering why my sup hasn't mentioned this job to me? Now let me say that I have been told that it is not normal to jump from phd to a job straight away (at least in my area in the humanities). I have even discussed postdocs and fellowships with my sup. I DO NOT EXPECT TO GET THE JOB. But surely he would have emailed me and said "LD have you heard about this post?" Even for me to practice applications, or even to use it as practice for interviews...

I'm just wondering how to take this? Could it be he might be on the panel? (He's a very senior member of staff? Would it be a conflict of interests? Should I take the hint and realise that they don't want a early career guy (although the other lecturers are all senior and profs)?

Maybe I'm over analysing this? But I don't want to contact him for him to say, in a nice way, "why are you wasting my time?"

Any thoughts? (Apart from "just email him LD FFS!"

I had been in a similar sort of a position. Just apply for the position if you are really interested. If they hire you, good for you, else a lost for univ. If you include your Supervisor’s name as referees, then you need to at least scribble an email to inform him. Cheers mate.

I've been in a similar position in that a post came up in my department and I went for it even though I knew I didn't have much of a chance (didn't get it but that's a different story). But I think my reasoning is, it can't do any harm to make some more enquiries about it - at the least it shows you're keen and signals that you want to contribute more to the department. Could it be that your sup isn't involved in the post, and maybe doesn't know much about it? It might be that he just hasn't paid it much attention and therefore didn't think to mention it to you. But anyway, yes just email him!!

Hi LD,

I can imagine how you're feeling. My initial thought was that perhaps he is aware that you could/should apply but, he most likely is involved in the interview process (unless it's a very large department) and so he may not want to seem like he is giving you false hope. Because, as you note, they may want someone with more experience, etc and the decision will be made by a large number of people. I would mention to him that you're thinking of applying, adding what you said about thinking it would be good experience, but making it clear that you don't assume you have an automatic advantage because you're in the department. Well, I think that's what I would do anyway. It's certainly not fun bringing these things up though.