A philosophy graduate student writese:
[W]e all know that the academic job market is very tough these days, and while there are some very talented and respected philosophers working in my department, it is not highly ranked. I think it is understandable if people in my position are thinking about backup plans, and I may have a better opportunity than most. You see, my wife-to-be comes from a respected and influential family in a "third world" country, and has told me that, should I fail to find an academic job in North America, it would not be difficult for me to acquire such a post in a university in her country. North American PhDs are highly valued there, but it is almost impossible for someone to go and get a job there without having some connection to the place, as I will have through my wife. However, this strikes me as a temporary option at best: I am not prepared to live in this country for the rest of my life, but I would be willing to do so temporarily, if all else fails. My question is this: For those who have experience on hiring committees, how would you look at a candidate who had spent a few years teaching in such a place, all other criteria being equal? Is such experience better than no experience a few years out of the PhD? Or would you feel there was something “off” about it? It seems a good temporary option, but it won’t be worth it if it’s going to undermine my chances at North American schools. Any thoughts you and your readers might have on this question would be very helpful.
My guess is a lot would depend on where one publishes during the time teaching abroad, but I'm opening comments for insight/opinions from others.
