Applicant  FAQ's  (Frequently Asked Questions)
Questions about:
      Reference Letters

Can I extend the expiration dates on my reference letters?

No. Your reference writer is the only person who can upload a reference letter.

Did my reference letters get submitted to MathJobs?

To find out whether your reference letters have been submitted to MathJobs, go to the Applications Status screen and click on the name of the department, which will bring up your application to that department. You will be able to see which reference letters have been received for your application.

The reference names you submitted are listed in the References section, about 2/3 of the way down the page. To the right of each reference is Date Received, where a date will be listed only if the reference letter has been received. This Date Received item will be your indication as to whether the department has received a reference letter from this listed reference.

What happens if my reference writer refuses to use MathJobs?

In that case, give your reference writer information about sending in the letter via regular mail. You can also indicate this on your AMS cover sheet in the References section, where there is a checkbox advising that a reference writer has requested to send the letter by postal mail that alerts the department to expect the letter via mail.

Will MathJobs notify my reference writers that they need to submit their reference letters?

Sending the automated emails is controlled by each applicant. On your AMS cover sheet in the References section, you can check the box, email or email again, which will send instructions to your reference writer.

How can I submit more reference letters than the school requires?

First, enter all reference names on your AMS cover sheet, then on the Job Application page choose as many references as you wish for that particular job.

Can you tell me how to specify who my reference writers are on the MathJobs site without automated emails being sent to them requesting references?

List your references on your cover sheet and do not check the box that says, email notify on submit.

 
      Applicant Portfolio

I have created a new portfolio by using a new email address, how do I delete my old portfolio?

If you wish to continue using the new portfolio, the old portfolio will be automatically deleted 12 (twelve) months after the last log in.

If you wish to use the old portfolio and you have not applied for any jobs using the new portfolio, you can log into the new account and use the Caution... Delete my account right now option on the AMS cover sheet. After completing this step, log into the old account (using old email login). Then go to the cover sheet page, change your email address and click on the Submit button.

How do I go about deleting my portfolio from MathJobs completely?

Your portfolio will automatically be deleted 12 months after your last login.

Alternatively, on your cover sheet, where it says, Remove my account and all files once all the jobs I've applied for are finished, you may check this box if you wish to remove all your data from the system (essentially "deleting yourself").

This will cause your files to be deleted 3 months after all the jobs you've applied for are marked "finished" by the employer. Because you have applied for jobs, the employer "owns" the application documents and has a right to access them for a certain period of time. For applicants who never apply for any jobs, checking this box will cause an account to be deleted after 6 months.

How long does my portfolio stay on MathJobs?

Old applicant accounts will automatically be deleted 6 months after all jobs applied for are finished.

An account is deleted after 3 months if it is marked to be removed once the applicant's jobs are finished (see previous question above) — or if it is marked as "off market" by the applicant.

If an applicant hasn't tried to login for 12 months, the account will be deleted at that point.

I am having trouble uploading documents to my portfolio. Are there special formats?

Yes, here is a list of the acceptable formats: PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, WP, Office, OpenOffice, Postscript, DVI, GIF, JPEG, PNG, LaTex, Tex, RTF, URL, XML, HTML, TEXT (use the URL format with caution). If you still continue to have problems, then contact mathjobs@ams.org for help.

Which files from my portfolio do employers have access to when I apply for a particular job?

Employers only have access to the files that you select when applying for that particular job, plus they can see the basic data on your coversheet. However employers have no way of seeing the rest of your materials; e.g., extra documents or other pending applications.

How long will my files that have been uploaded into my portfolio be available for my use?

The system will automatically purge old files which are over 2 years old and that are not used in any current applications in order to keep database size under control.
      Password Issues

I am setting up a new account, but MathJobs keeps rejecting my chosen password?

An acceptable password should contain at least 6 characters from two or more different character groups such as lowercase letters and uppercase letters,numbers and other special characters.

I cannot remember my password. How do I get a new one?

Go to the Login page and click the link, Forgot your password?. This will take you to a new screen where you can provide your email address. After you click Submit, MathJobs will send you an email with a new password.

What is the procedure to change the password that was given to me?

Go to the Login page, enter your email address and your current password, then where it says, new password... if you want to change, enter a new password of your choice. — See instructions above
      AMS Cover Sheet

Can my cover sheet be seen by anyone?

If you check the box next to List me in the "Job Wanted" (or "Free Agent") list (located near the bottom) when you create your AMS cover sheet, your cover sheet can only be seen by participating MathJobs employers. If you do not check that box, your cover sheet can be seen only by employers to whom you have made an application.

After I have applied for a job, will the employer see a change that I subsequently made to my cover sheet?

The new information will be viewable to the employer — however, you have no way of knowing when an employer might visit the screen. Therefore you may wish to notify the employer that you have updated the file.
Creating a New Account with MathJobs

How do I open an account with MathJobs?

Go to the Logging In, Getting Started page for MathJobs applicants and follow the instructions to create a new account.

What is a "login token"?

After you complete the initial login, you will automatically receive an email from MathJobs with your login token. The login token is a special password that will allow you to complete the creation of your account. Once you have received it, come back to the applicant login screen and cut and paste the token login into the text field to create a new account.

      Applying for Jobs

Can an application be submitted by email to mathjobs@ams.org?

No, MathJobs is an automated job system. You will need to register for an account. Once you have registered, you may then apply for a job using the MathJobs system.

Can I receive emails about new job postings?

Yes. Go to the "Search" page and search for the jobs that you are interested in, or just click Submit for all the jobs. You can then save the search by giving it a name and check the daily email of new jobs whenever they are available? checkbox to get the email when anything new fits the search. You can save as many searches as you like.

The search can only be saved for up to 6 months. It is automatically deleted after that.

Some employers request material that is not on the list of items I am automatically asked to submit. How do I include extra items that are not on that list?

You must contact the school directly.

How can I withdraw an application either during the active application period, or after jobs have finished?

During the active application period, go to your "Status" screen and select the job title of the school for which you have applied. At the bottom of that screen, use the withdraw button. To withdraw ALL current applications at once, an applicant should use the "Off the Market" button at the bottom of the coversheet (from the "Portfolio" screen).

Until a job is marked as finished by the employer, you are not able to withdraw your application. Mathjobs give employers the right to access records of completed job searches.

How can I delete the list of old job applications that I see on my status screen?

You cannot delete the list.  However, the old job applications will disappear after the employer marks the jobs as finished or deleted and 6 months have passed. 

 

go back MathJobs.Org Home