======= Date Modified 18 16 2010 09:16:27 =======
I am in the final year of my PhD, due to submit in February 2011. I am reasonably on track so far. When I finish I (like most people), really want an academic job. I particularly want a teaching job. I currently tutor 103 third year students over three groups and have to mark all the essays. This is my second year doing this.

Since I have been doing my PhD there has been no vacancies advertised at my university in my area of research. Then today an email arrived advertising for a temporary teaching fellow to cover a staff absence. The only criteria is experience teaching at tertiary level, and an MA or PhD in the subject area. The course is already written, so it is just a case of delivering the lectures, administration and doing the marking.

I think this is a great opportunity to get a foot in the door. However part of me keeps saying 'you can't do this' and that I will get laughed at if I apply. My supervisor is the head of the department and I really don't want to embarrass her and myself by applying for something I am not ready for. I don't want to ask her about it either because I am worried this might be seen as trying to get an advantage or something.

So should I just get a grip and put in an application to see what happens?

You're qualified, go for it! No one will laugh at you (that's just the old imposter syndrome talking), the worst case scenario is simply that you don't get it. But far better to have applied than sit there wondering. With jobs this rare I'd apply for anything you're eligible for.

I agree with Teek; just go for it! Don't sit and analyse it too much, just get your application in and see how it goes. You've have lost nothing and nobody will laugh at you - you have relevant experience, so it's not like you're trying to apply for something you're not qualified for.

I would also add - definitely don't be afraid to ask your supervisor about it. There would be absolutely no 'moral' reason why not - people get in touch with prospective employers all the time to ask informal queries about their suitability for posts - and moreover, getting jobs is (for better or worse) all about having the advantage. The more you can know about the job and who else might be thinking of applying for it the better. Also, if you ask her and she says you're not experienced enough/not close enough to completion/etc, surely that is less potentially embarassing than putting in an application without saying anything and then having an awkward conversation in the corridor if they don't give you it?

Definitely go for it, like others have said you are qualified for it, being familiar with the department should also help with your application. They already know you, as you have a lot of teaching responsibility at the moment they can obviously trust you, and you know what you are letting yourself in for. Good luck and keep us informed!

I don't see why you shouldn't ask your supervisor informally about it, in fact I think you should. she should be in a good position to know what sort of applicant they're looking for, and hopefully will give you a fair and honest opinion about whether you're eligible.

Also I tend to feel you might as well apply for everything that interests you (within reason) and that you're at all eligible for, the worst that can happen is you don't get the position, and while that would obviously be disappointing I don't think it's anything you or anyone else would need to feel embarrassed about. These things are competitive and plenty of smart, well-qualified people get rejected. But if you don't apply, you definitely won't get it!