2010 Employment Center Applicant Information

Applicants: Please read before registering

Making the decision to participate

How does the Employment Center work?
This year, all forms will be submitted and accessed electronically on the web. In addition, registered attendees will be able to utilize a basic scheduling tool in advance on the web. The same applicant and job information available on the Employment Center/EIMS website during the months preceding the event in San Francisco will be accessible during the JMM on computer terminals available at the Employment Center. There will be no printed books or paper forms. Also, there will be no paper message center since the new electronic system allows for interview arrangements. As of 2009, the on-site computer-scheduling program was discontinued. The new electronic system represents a significant enhancement of the Employment Center. Read more in the Overview.

Should I participate?
For those who are currently on the job market, the Employment Center is a central meeting place for employers and applicants who are attending the Joint Mathematics Meetings. Interviews are arranged in advance via an electronic scheduling system. The Employment Center is a great resource not only for interviewing purposes, but also for finding out what jobs are available in the mathematical community, meeting other applicants, and making a personal connection with employers not possible on paper. However, there is no guarantee of interviews, and in fact some qualified applicants may find themselves with no interviews at all.

What kind of employers are there?
Many of the employers are academic mathematical sciences departments. There are a few nonacademic employers each year. There will ordinarily be no research-oriented postdoctoral positions listed or discussed at the Employment Center. Attention generally goes to versatile candidates who are well suited for teaching positions at bachelor's-granting colleges. Many appointments will go to applicants who applied for jobs in the fall and are now being sought out by the institutions for in person meetings during the Joint Mathematics Meetings.

A list of LAST YEAR's employers is available; and the website can be checked throughout the Fall for the list of this year's registered employers.

Applicants should note that while most employers will appear on the web list at eims.ams.org, a few employers will reserve a table but choose not to make their presence generally known, since they are only interviewing a pre-determined short list of applicants.  If you have an appointment with an employer who does not appear on any list, most likely the employer rented a table there but is using no other Employment Center services.  Applicants can check on such registrations in person at the Employment Center desk in San Francisco.

What are my chances of getting interviews?
Applicants should understand that the Employment Center provides no guarantees of interviews or jobs. It is simply a convenient meeting place for candidates and employers who are attending the Joint Meetings. Last year, those who responded to a follow-up survey reported an average of one to three interviews in the Employment Center.

Data from recent Employment Centers show that women represent about half of the most sought-after applicants, although they make up less than half of the total Employment Center applicant pool. Those without permanent authorization to work in the United States will find themselves far less requested than U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Newer Ph.D.s tend to be invited for more interviews than those who have been working longer. Most jobs listed require a doctorate. Most of the applicants reported that the majority of appointments had been arranged in advance of the meetings.

Will I get a job?

Keep in mind that interviews held at the Employment Center represent only an initial contact with the employers and that hiring decisions are not made during or immediately following such interviews. A good outcome, in the following weeks or months, would be an invitation for a campus visit. In a recent survey, 45 percent of applicants responding reported being invited for at least one on-campus visit to an employer they had interviewed with during the Employment Center; 30 percent reported receiving at least one job offer in the months following the Employment Center.

REGISTER before November 2, 2009. This is a suggested deadline for electronic forms submission to allow for advanced scheduling.

Applicants will be registered when they have completed the following 2 steps:

1. Register for the Employment Center at http://eims.ams.org. There is no cost for this step.  If you have questions about this step, read the pdf instructions or call the AMS at 800-321-4267, ext. 4113. 
   
2. All applicants planning to enter the Employment Center even just for one interview must present a 2010 Joint Meeting Registration badge or they will be denied admittance. This is not a new policy, but it will now be strictly enforced. Meeting badges are obtained by registering for the Joint Mathematics Meetings. See registration instructions and rates on the Joint Meetings registration form and pay the appropriate fee.

There is no fee for applicants to use the Employment Center. However, there is a cost to register for the JMM and receive a meeting badge. December 22, 2009 is the advanced registration deadline for the JMM to receive a meeting badge. After this date, meeting registration fees go up and meeting registration can only happen on site in San Francisco. 

Registering on Site
Registering on site is possible, however there will be little to no opportunity to attract the interest of employers on site. Through the new software, the Employment Center intends to become increasingly arranged in advance, predictable, and calm.

Applicants who need to register on site for the Employment Center must go to the Joint Meetings registration desk and pay to receive a badge. After this, the applicant needs to come to the Employment Center so a staff member can help the applicant get started.

Getting ready

What do I do in advance to prepare for the Employment Center? After submitting information and a limited number of documents on the Employment Center/EIMS website, applicants will review the jobs ads marked Employment Center and, if desirable, mark a box indicating interest. They will also mark hours of availability on their personal schedule screen. Employers may, at any time, respond by filling in an interview slot on the applicant's schedule. All information is available on the website in advance, and now that this electronic service is in place, there is no other messaging conducted on paper. The only difference between information available in advance, and what is available onsite would be the addition of possible on-site employer registrations and any last minute scheduling done by employers. 

What should I bring to the Employment Center? Pack suitable clothing for job interviews; these could occur over a period of 3 - 4 days.

What is the Joint Meetings Message Board? The Message Board is a separate service that is offered at the Joint Meetings and is completely unrelated to the Employment Center.

What should I do after the Employment Center?

• formally apply for jobs you may be interested in
• thank interviewers if desired

Return to Employment Center page

Questions about AMS employment services should be directed to emp-info@ams.org