A reader writes:
I was wondering about your own perceptions of job market etiquette, specifically a couple of issues:
1. Should a PhD candidate accept an invitation to fly out if he has absolutely no intention of ever accepting an offer that is made? It is one thing to do multiple flyouts to have some bargaining power, but presumably one has a nonzero probability of accepting any offer.
2. Should a PhD candidate hold a grudge for not being invited for a flyout because he is too good, i.e., the department does not think he would accept an offer?
This stuff has come up and it seems not everyone thinks the same way…
My responses:
- There is something to be said for seeing the job market as a debutante’s ball. It’s the only time in your life you will have so many opportunities to present and get feedback, so you should take them. But there is also something to be said for not leading employers on, because it’s a small world. Which side of the trade-off you land on depends on your preferences. I know someone who was encouraged by her advisor to keep going on flyouts even after she had already accepted a job, because her advisor had a “debutante’s ball” view of the job market. I personally think it is unethical to go on a flyout if you have no intention of ever accepting an offer from the department flying you out.
- No. No one should ever expect anything from anybody else, least of all a flyout from anywhere. Reasons for not flying a candidate out are many–the most important being the opportunity cost. Using one of three flyout slots on someone who is very unlikely to accept an offer is wasteful. If a PhD candidate does not understand that logic and holds a grudge, that’s a signal you did not want that person as a colleague to begin with.