More on FMA

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm at the national meeting for finance professors - the Financial Management Association (or FMA) meeting.

So far, it's been good - lots of catching up with friends from other schools and former grad school classmates. And I'm also doing a bit of interviewing with two schools that are much closer to my and the Unknown Wife's families. The first one went well, and the second is today.

For those of you not in academic finance, interviewing at conferences is pretty strange. In the finance field, there are between 200 and 250 positions open each year, and about 200-250 candidates. When you first hit the job market coming out of grad school, it's not uncommon to have 20 interviews with different schools over 2 1/2 days (half-hour to full hour). The typical school talks to 15-20 candidates.

But, since I already have a job, I can be a bit more selective. I sent out four packets, and will likely end up with three interviews. It helps to know who you are and where you fit, and it's always easier to get a job when you already have one.

If I make the cut at these schools, the next step will be to visit the campuses (they typically bring in 3 candidates) for full-day (and sometimes two-day) visits where I'll meet with faculty, present a paper, and schmooze with the dean of the school of business. If the schools are on the ball, this should take place in November for a job that will start next fall.

Ah well, time to go to another interview...