Combination of cultural-studies approaches and more traditional methodologies have served many of our students well. While all of this argues strongly for forethought, range, and flexibility as central to success in the American-studies job market, it is also important to encourage students to keep one eye, but not both , on job prospects as they proceed through graduate school. To try to predict the hot subfield, for example, may be fruitless. The strong and healthy current emphasis on placing American studies in a global context may find its way into the choices of search committees this year, or five years from now. Jobs for which students feel sure that they are most qualified will fall through the cracks while others will improbably yield offers.
Prediction is bound to be imprecise.
To persevere through the hard work of dissertation writing and the uncertainties of job searches thus requires more than a shrewd read of the job market. The confidence born of doing research that is exciting to the student matters greatly in the long run. So too does the experience of working alongside fellow students who are seen as colleagues, rather than as competitors for jobs. David Roediger is chairman of the American studies program and teaches history at University of Minnesota. How to list job openings on this service How to search Sign up to receive notification by e-mail that we have new jobs in your field.