The French Department is committed to helping graduates secure employment and it provides support and preparation in a variety of ways. Throughout the year the Chair and Head Graduate Advisor host a series of job market meetings, which are intended to demystify the job-search process. Meeting topics include: how to prepare for the market over the summer; an overview of the job search process; writing a job letter; crafting a writing sample; preparing a syllabus; composing a curriculum vitae (CV); what to expect at MLA and on-campus interviews; negotiating a job offer. Faculty (even those not on your dissertation committee) will, at your request, review and comment on drafts of job letters, CVs, teaching statements, and writing samples. Copies of these materials from recent graduates are also available in the French Graduate Office, so students can see what an effective cover letter, CV, teaching statement, etc. look like.

Students also prepare for the job market by participating in mock interviews, mock job talks, and dissertation panels. These panels are intended to help job-seekers practice and refine the very short version (5-10 minutes maximum) of their dissertation description, which they need to have at the ready as they proceed through the job-search process. The panelists’ aim is to clearly articulate the What and the Why, i.e. what their dissertation argues and why it is significant (not just significant to scholars in their area of specialty, but to scholars in the field of French literature generally). The Department’s works-in-progress series also gives advanced students the opportunity to present their research in more detail.

GSI Teaching and Resource Center
This Center provides pedagogical support for Graduate Student Instructors, including workshops and individual consultations on composing a teaching statement and teaching portfolio, items that are increasingly required in one’s job application materials. The Center also offers workshops on syllabus and course design, a wide variety of teaching issues, and the academic job search.

Summer Institute for Preparing Future Faculty
Each year the Graduate Division sponsors this institute, which is designed to enable graduate students to excel in all aspects of academic life as they pursue an advanced degree at Berkeley and transition from graduate school to future academic careers. Courses include “From Graduate Study to Faculty Member”; ‘Editing, Academic Writing, and Academic Editing”; and “Developing a Teaching Portfolio.”