Getting a job in the top 30

[rejectedloser]

How does job recruitment work exactly? Is it more important where you graduate from or who your faculty adviser is? For example, assuming someone is relatively successful in grad school (85th percentile), and if they get into a top 60 school but work with somebody extremely well known, who just happens to be there (e.g. for geographic reasons), how good are their chances of getting a job in the top 30? Any ideas... (assume no post-doc)

Anyone know what an average starting salary at a top 30 is?

[ewurgler]

You apply to schools (with letters of rec included). If they like you enough, they interview you, you give a job talk (basically a presentation on your research). You aren't really "recruited" right out of grad school, from my understanding. That happens after you are more established and a school really really wants you. I don't know how the judge who you work with vs. where you went, but if you look at who works at top schools, they all come from other top schools (rarely their own). It is extremely hard for those who did get a PhD from a top school to get a TT position at a top school, especially right out of school. Non top PhD will be an uphill battle. Too many PhDs for too few jobs.

Average salary for TT position Assistant Prof 1 at top 30, I would say around 60-70k for publics, depending on the state. I have no clue what privates are. UCs tend to be lower, like 55k I think.

This is all based on speaking with fresh PhDs who are looking for jobs and a professor I know who is on a search committee this year.