Overview for Employers

Latest! Please read "Mathjobs: Job Application Database" (PDF, 28K), which is an article from the September issue of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society.

Academic employers are encouraged to utilize MathJobs.Org if they are interested in reaching more mathematicians and receiving job applications electronically. Registration may be made by choosing New Employer and following instructions for setting up the payment and choosing a password. Only one registration per academic department is required; the rest of the department's staff and faculty can be given access to the system by the original registrant, without additional cost.

Registered employers can utilize the following options:

  • Search for potential applicants. You can access all applicants who have applied for at least one of your open positions. You may view all of the publicly available applicants on the Job Wanted list. The list can be sorted in several ways by clicking the heading name at the top of a column, for instance, by primary MR code, highest degree, or date of system entry.

  • Employers may choose, when registering, Advertising only if they do NOT wish to receive applications electronically on the Mathjobs system. This shortens the forms necessary for job posting.

  • Post open positions using the NewJob screen (Most group manager functions are grouped under the Admin menu). For each job, a few basic questions are asked, and the job description itself can be pasted in. Employers are able to create additional questions for the applicants. They also choose which materials will be required, and can designate that particular materials should be sent online or by mail. Employers can set a deadline and, later, update each listing as withdrawn, filled or finished. This is done by choosing edit on the Jobs screen. (Finished will make the list of applicants for that job disappear, but the job listing itself will remain viewable within the department.)

  • Employers review applications received for each job by regularly consulting their List of applicants. They can mark each applicant as complete when processed. This will not change anything else about that application on the system. Applicants can be sorted by clicking on a column heading to sort based on that field. For instance, sorting by Last Updated will put applicants in order by the last time they updated their application materials. The Search screen allows searching among all current applicants. For instance, once faculty enter ratings for applicants, a search can be done to produce a list of all who received a certain rating, or, all applicants for a certain job can be sorted according to the rating. Applicants can also be looked up by certain details such as a reference writer's or advisor's name, or by degree institution. A search can also be done based on answers to a special question asked by the employer. For instance, if you ask a question (using the Config screen, or the NewJob screen) about which faculty an applicant would like to work with, a search can be made on the answers.

  • Examine or print each application by clicking on the name in the List or after a Search. On the screen that comes up, you can access different versions of all materials received, and also the reference letters received. To print out a full application, choose the PDF or All links in a box near the top next to the address field. There are boxes to mark that application Processed or Complete. Reference letters or other materials can be marked as received if they came in on paper, and, after resubmitting the form with an item marked as received, the opportunity will appear to upload a scanned or other version of that document from your desktop, if desired. When faculty members log in and read an application, there will be boxes on the screen for submitting a rating or comments, if desired. When staff members log in and examine applications, there will be a log field.

  • To make the candidate selection process more electronic, employers will want to utilize several key features in the system.

    • Config is where you add other faculty and staff members to your group registration, giving them access to the applications. You can also edit the information you entered about your department, for instance, the Any Info About Your Dept/univ field which will appear adjacent to your job ads on the screens viewable by the applicants. To add faculty or staff, type the email address : password. To change a password, type the new one in at the end of the line following the second colon. Config also is where employers list extra questions to be asked for every job, such as asking for names of faculty contacts in the department.

    • NewApp allows employers to enter the name and email address of those applicants whose materials came in on paper. Checking the Email? box there will generate an automatic email invitation to that applicant suggesting that they enter the system and need to fill out the coversheet form, and also apply there for your position (this is the way to get them onto your List.) There are no fees for applicants. You can view all those you've added to your NewApp list by choosing NoCover. Once the applicant enters the system and applies for your position, the name will appear on your master List.

    • Download data onto your own computer in two ways:
      • Labels is where you select fields for downloading onto your own computer, for use in producing labels, lists or merge letters from your own software.

      • Snaps allows you to download, in one zip file, all current application materials. You can store this large file on your own computer system for safekeeping or viewing. It's best to do a snapshot when the hiring is done and you need to store a record of the applications for a few years. The screen will tell you when previous snapshots were taken.

    • The EEO screen shows you a summary report based on the EEO questions you may have added to all applications on the Config screen. Only summary results are available, individual responses are not available.

    • Mail helps you send emails to a select group of applicants at one time. Selecting from the various criteria presented on the screen will fill in the Recipients field. At the bottom of the screen, your previous group messages are listed.

    • News lets you post announcements for particular sets of users within your group or your applicants which will appear on their main screens when they log in. For instance, you can tell all faculty when the deadline for turning in ratings is.

The User Guide displays instructions and commonly asked questions.

The Demo Server accessible from the main MathJobs.Org screen can be utilized by the general public, and offers all the same functions as the real server. Try out all the features of MathJobs.Org system by logging in as different users (see the main page there for login info), but please do not enter any real data there.

Questions and comments can be sent through the Contact Us page or to mathjobs@ams.org. You may also call the AMS at: 1-800-321-4267, ext. 4105.

Adherence to institutional recruitment standards

Please note that each MathJobs account is operated independently by the staff of the employing institution. Staff at the employing institution are responsible for setting up all job descriptions, questions, forms and access according to the needs of their department and the recruiting standards of their institution under the guidance of their institution's employment officers. The AMS recommends that, at least annually, the person in charge of hiring should review each account for compliance with such standards and guidance. Technical questions about using the system are welcome and may be sent to mathjobs@ams.org, or call the AMS at 401-455-4000.