A Job Search or an Information Search?
A job search is what you do when you're ready to apply for jobs, whereas an information search involves investigation and inquiries for information (including some probing of your own priorities) about employment at a particular institution and/or location to help you best prepare for your application and hopefully your interview.
We recommend starting as early as possible and doing a thorough, unrushed information search, but we realize that this is not always possible. Even if you are ready to apply for a specific advertised job, though, doing an information search will help you to tailor your application package as fully as possible to highlight how your education, experience, and interests fit with the employer's position and program.
In other words, it's never too late to begin your job/information search, but it's never too early, either.
Links & Resources for Job and Information Searches at a glance
TiPPS Handouts on job and information searches
Books that talk about job and information searches
Job and information search strategies
Case studies about job and information searches
TIPPS HANDOUTS ON JOB AND INFORMATION SEARCHES
Some Things To Consider When Choosing A Place To Work (PDF file)
The Do's and Don'ts of Job Searches (PDF file)
Using the Computer to Help Your Job-Search (PDF file) (mainly ESL-related)(You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF documents. Click here to download it for free)
BOOKS THAT TALK ABOUT JOB AND INFORMATION SEARCHES
Formo, D.M. & Reed, C. (1999). Job search in academe: Strategic rhetorics for faculty job candidates. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, Inc.
Heiberger, M.M. & Vick, J.M. (2001). The Academic Job Search Handbook. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Kennedy, J.L. (1995). Hook up, get hired!: The internet job search revolution. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
JOB AND INFORMATION SEARCH STRATEGIES
Chronicle Careers, from The Chronicle of Higher Education. http://chronicle.com/jobs/
This site is perhaps the best place to look for academic jobs of all types in the U.S. and contains articles and forums related to career and job search related issues.
General Links About Academic Jobs, from Chronicle Careers. http://chronicle.com/jobs/general_resources.htm
An annotated list of links related to job searches. A number of these links have academic and other professional job listings, and others have advice for job seekers (most of the latter are for fields other than languages, but some have useful advice that is relevant across any field).
Japan REsearch Career Information Network (JREC-IN). http://jrecin.jst.go.jp/
If you are looking for a job in a country outside of the United States, it would be good to check for job-related websites there. This website, for example, is somewhat of a Japanese equivalent of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
National Foreign Language Resource Center - Useful Links section. http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/resources.cfm
Professional language teaching organizations and associations often have job listings, either on their website or through their member publications. The NFLRC website has a comprehensive list of these various national organizations in its Useful Links section. Click on the "Professional associations & organizations" link.
American Association for Applied Linguistics. http://www.aaal.org/
Apart from their own Job Register, the AAAL site lists links to various applied linguistics organizations which also have job listings.
Work at UH, University of Hawaii System. http://workatuh.hawaii.edu/
If you are interested in teaching at the postsecondary level and have a particular university or community college in mind, visit their website and find their section for job opportunities (it could be listed under "jobs," "human resources," "personnel," etc.). The University of Hawaii, for example, has a specific website for jobs at all levels (graduate assistants, faculty, staff, researchers, administrators, etc.) for the entire UH system (2-year community colleges and 4-year universities).
Job Opportunities, Hawaii Department of Education. http://doe.k12.hi.us/personnel/index.htm
If you are interested in teaching at the K-12 level and have a particular state, city, or area in mind, visit its Department of Education or school district website to find out what type of jobs are currently available and the general requirements for teaching K-12 there. The link above, for example, is the job opportunities page for the Hawaii Department of Education.
Carnegie-Melon University Career Center's "Career Briefs" on academic job searches. http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/CareerBriefs/index.html
This site contains a variety of useful resources and tips for those planning to conduct a job search.
Career Center, College of William and Mary, on job searches. http://www.wm.edu/career/JobSearch/JobSearchIndex.cfm
This site also contains a variety of useful resources and tips for those planning to conduct a job search.
About.com's links to articles about job searches in academia. http://gradschool.about.com/cs/academicsearch/index.htm
Another annotated list of links related to academic job searches. Many have advice about other TiPPS topics, such as CVs, cover letters, and interviews, as well.
Conducting a Job Search Campaign, from Monster.com. http://static.monstertrak.com/careerguide/article_search.html
A very thorough, though general, look at job searches, by Dr. James L. McBride, Jr., University Director, University Career Services, University of Virginia
Using the Web in Your Job Search, from Monster.com. http://static.monstertrak.com/careerguide/article_web.html
Another thorough, general, guide from Monster.com. Written by Pamela Piliero, Computer Services Administrator, Department of Career Services, University of Tennessee
CASE STUDIES ABOUT JOB AND INFORMATION SEARCHES
Landing your first job. The Chronicle of Higher Education Career Network. http://chronicle.com/jobs/archive/firstjob.htm
Many of the "first person" links are articles about people's job search experiences -- read the annotations to see what each is about.