Thinking+about+job+descriptions

On Job Descriptions
In applying for jobs, you should opt for posts for which you are fundamentally qualified. That is, you ought not seek posts for which you are clearly not qualified; in the words of the old joke, "There's no point in trying to teach a pig to sing: it wastes your time and annoys the pig." However, you should not be put off of job postings for which you have some but not all the requested qualifications. If you believe that you can provide the primary and secondary services called for in the posting, and in the absence of clear disqualifications, you should consider yourself a viable candidate. It is not uncommon that a posting will ask for a wide and/or long range of skills--to an extent that can seem either unfeasible or unrealistic: in excess of both the typical candidate's range and even in excess of the range of the person being replaced. Not uncommonly (at least in terms of teaching posts), the committee makes an extensive and sometimes unrealistic "wish list" that not only fits the given position but also includes many other skills/attributes. The rationale is "well, why don't we at least *ask* for the moon, sun, and stars? That way, maybe we'll get the moon and stars anyway."

It can be useful, in the event of a posting in which you are interested, to visit the institution's website and make a quick scan to see if you can identify the person or post being replaced. This can help you know those duties which the committee //must// hire for (you should of course have a good grasp of the department's offerings, range, degrees granted, and disciplinary foci). The committee never knows when an even-more-ideal candidate will appear out of nowhere, and they *will* consider that new candidate seriously.

The important thing to keep in mind is that *your* task stays the same whether there is or is not an internal candidate: to be maximally qualified, organized, professional, effective, and a good interview. That's the part of the equation you can control--so that's the part to focus upon. Hone your CV and your cover letter, elicit editorial commentary from mentors you trust, practice your interview skills (up to and including "mock interviews", etc), and keep thinking good thoughts: there //is// a job for which you are the right candidate.