Job Register General Information

The following is intended only to provide general information on the goals and functioning of the Job Register organized at the annual meetings of the AHA. Information that is specific to a particular meeting will be made available in the October issue of Perspectives, on the web site, and through other media. Job candidates and search committees should consult the specific notices when they are published and should use the following only for general guidance.

The American Historical Association’s annual 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 Register facility will be open to all annual meeting participants.

You must register for the annual meeting in order to participate in the Job Register, the Book Exhibit, or any of the sessions. A preregistration form will be published in the September issue of Perspectives and will also be included in the Annual Meeting Program. Hotel reservation information will also be available in the September Perspectives. All forms can also be obtained from the AHA office and the AHA web site.

Location

The Job Register, the interviewing tables, and Job Register interview rooms will be in one or more of the meeting hotels.

Job Register Hours

Normally, the Job Register will operate 12:30–6:00 p.m. on the Thursday the meeting opens for prearranged interviews only. On Friday and Saturday, the Register will be open 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., and on Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. As these times may change, the specific notices must be consulted.

Reserving Space at the Job Register

Reservation forms will normally be available on the AHA web page in mid-October.

All interviewing institutions must have a search committee member complete the room or table reservation forms to reserve up to one table per search and/or one room for one day at the Job Register. If you need additional tables or rooms, you will be placed on a waiting list, and staff will notify you in mid-November 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).

Job Register rooms and tables are reserved on a first-come/first-served basis. Reservation requests received after the deadline (usually in mid-November) 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.

Room Reservations

Rooms are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis in half-day increments from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. for a fee. Institutions that request more than one full day or two half days will be placed on a waiting list. The additional requests will be filled if possible after the reservation deadline. Institutions reserving a full day need not vacate the room during the lunch hour. The rooms are normally small and conference-style, ideal for interviewing.

Prepayment is not required. Rooms can be cancelled until mid-December, after which invoices will be mailed and no refunds will be given.

If you wish the Job Register staff to collect c.v.’s for you, please indicate this on the room reservation form and attach a copy of the job description(s). 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.

Keys for rooms may be picked up at the Job Register Information Booth. Do not ask hotel staff for room keys.

Table Reservations

Up to two tables may be reserved at no cost for each day of the Job Register. Additional tables can be reserved after the deadline if space is still available. If you wish the Job Register staff to collect c.v.’s for you, please indicate this on the table reservation form and attach a copy of the job description(s). 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.

Noninterviewing Positions and Late Notices

Noninterviewing job announcements sent in by a specified date will be included in the Job Register handout. Bulletin boards will also be available for posting late-breaking notices on the site. Bring four copies of each late-breaking job notice to the Job Register information table for posting.

Arranging Interviews

Institutions

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

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 two-way messaging system facilitates communication between candidates and committees at the Job Register, 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 Register 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 two-way 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 with the Table Monitors at the Job Register about 10 minutes before their prearranged time. If the location is unknown, the Job Register Information Booth may have more information.

Open Interviews. Read the Job Register 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 Register, 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 Register) for each position for which they would like to interview.

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 the two-way messaging system. 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 two-way messaging system.

Electronic Search Committee Locator System

The Job Register features an electronic database system designed to aid job candidates in finding the locations of interviews in all interviewing facilities: at tables, in Job Register rooms, and in privately arranged suites. The system, located at the Job Register Information Booth, uses a large monitor to display a scrolling list of institutions and their interview locations, if known. The system also indicates 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 these monitors.

Bulletin boards 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 Register information only. Any other material posted to the billboards will be removed.

Interviews in Non-Job Register Facilities

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

The AHA will assist these institutions by collecting c.v.’s, including position listings in the Job Register Handout, and providing candidates with information given to the Job Register staff. Please fill out the form included in the Job Register Reservation Packet so staff can help all candidates find their interview locations. If you won’t know the specific location until you arrive at the annual meeting, make sure to notify staff at the Job Register Information Booth as soon as possible after your arrival.

The AHA will only provide this information to participants registered for the annual meeting. Please inform your interviewees that they must show their registration badge to the Job Register staff to receive information about schools conducting interviews in non-Job Register facilities. The AHA accepts no responsibility for the misuse of this information by candidates.

Guidelines and Recommendations for Interviews in Non-Job Register Facilities

If it is necessary for an institution to conduct interviews in a regular hotel room, the AHA strongly encourages interviewing institutions to ensure:

A. that the interviewing committee has both genders represented;

B. that there is proper seating for job candidates and all interviewers. No one should be seated on a bed. It is the institution’s responsibility to contact the hotel in advance of the meeting to arrange for extra seating; it is the AHA’s responsibility to notify hotels that institutions will request banquet chairs and that they should be provided gratis; and

C. that candidates and the Job Register staff are advised where the interviews will be held.

See also the AHA's hiring guidelines; job advertising policy; and the AHA statement on spousal hiring.

Institutions are particularly urged to:

  • Pay careful attention to interview space, whether parlor/suite or bedroom is used.
  • Advise the hotel when the reservation is made that additional seating will be needed.
  • Ask the hotel’s housekeeping department to clean the room before interviewing begins.
  • Ensure that all interviews and candidates have proper seating and that no one sits on a bed.
  • Keep Job Register personnel informed where interviews are taking place.

Because of its size, the AHA Job Register can be confusing and stressful. To make the process as smooth as possible, we strongly recommend that institutions and candidates prearrange most interviews before the annual meeting.

Candidates may wish to consult the many excellent articles on interviewing at the Job Register, including

Last Updated: March 11, 2008 3:42 PM