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• Thread: 357 Goods vs 153 No Goods

1. Economist
   cf93
   

   - Claim to want to answer a policy question in a specific setting. Write down a model that looks nothing like the setting in question and focus on one technical aspect.

   We had a theory flyout with the candidate's JMP being exactly this. Moreover, the model he had written down wasn't even describing the thing he set out to do in his introduction but for whatever reasons (trying very hard not to be cynical here) he was apparently oblivious to this, even after a couple not-so-friendly comments at his talk.

   This is just a job candidate overselling their jmp in the hopes of catching a broad audience. Every candidate does this to some degree but theorist are the most guilty due to the thinnest of their market.

   2 months ago # QUOTE 3 Volod 0 Vlad !

2. Economist
   627d
   

   - Claim to want to answer a policy question in a specific setting. Write down a model that looks nothing like the setting in question and focus on one technical aspect.

   We had a theory flyout with the candidate's JMP being exactly this. Moreover, the model he had written down wasn't even describing the thing he set out to do in his introduction but for whatever reasons (trying very hard not to be cynical here) he was apparently oblivious to this, even after a couple not-so-friendly comments at his talk.

   this year?

   Yes.

   2 months ago # QUOTE 0 Volod 0 Vlad !

3. Economist
   5f64
   

   - Claim to want to answer a policy question in a specific setting. Write down a model that looks nothing like the setting in question and focus on one technical aspect.

   We had a theory flyout with the candidate's JMP being exactly this. Moreover, the model he had written down wasn't even describing the thing he set out to do in his introduction but for whatever reasons (trying very hard not to be cynical here) he was apparently oblivious to this, even after a couple not-so-friendly comments at his talk.

   this year?

   Yes.
   

   The likely explanation is that he wrote down a general model that captures the equilibrium incentives or dynamics in the particular model he referred to in the introduction. It is likely well-known that the specific case in the introduction reduces to his model. Why he did not give this answer in his talk is another story, but this is a common issue among theorists. Theorists will push them to make the model as general as possible, while applied economists will push them on applications or why it is useful. If I was giving a talk to applied economists, I would focus on the former but also anticipate your questions.

   2 months ago # QUOTE 1 Volod 0 Vlad !

4. Economist
   5f64
   

   I was on the market around 2010 and cannot believe how far the market has dropped off. I would not do theory if entering a PhD program today, it's just too darn risky.

   2 months ago # QUOTE 5 Volod 0 Vlad !

5. Economist
   6bdc
   

   I am so fed up with applied audience that neither understands nor engages with the subject of s theory talk. The only questions they are able to utter (and then don't even have the decency to ask questions in a friendly way) is to meticulously point out which potential real-world aspects are ''missing'' in the model to disqualify the entire analysis. This is the problem with most faculty nowadays. They are unable to listen to, read, understand theory, and make every talk insufferable for both the speaker and the audience in terms of inane questions. It's a real issue that the applied world---even so-called applied theorists---have entirely detached from being able to discuss on a theory level.

   - Claim to want to answer a policy question in a specific setting. Write down a model that looks nothing like the setting in question and focus on one technical aspect.

   We had a theory flyout with the candidate's JMP being exactly this. Moreover, the model he had written down wasn't even describing the thing he set out to do in his introduction but for whatever reasons (trying very hard not to be cynical here) he was apparently oblivious to this, even after a couple not-so-friendly comments at his talk.

   2 months ago # QUOTE 6 Volod 1 Vlad !

6. Economist
   5e29
   

   Has any theory candidate from a non-top 10 program landed a US tenure track job in the last five years?

   2 months ago # QUOTE 1 Volod 1 Vlad !

7. Economist
   5f64
   

   Has any theory candidate from a non-top 10 program landed a US tenure track job in the last five years?

   Woah! Things are bad, but they are not that bad! About 2-3 candidates outside the top ten will get a top 50 US job each year.

   2 months ago # QUOTE 1 Volod 2 Vlad !

8. Economist
   3fb3
   

   Has any theory candidate from a non-top 10 program landed a US tenure track job in the last five years?

   Yes, just last year there were at least two: PC (Georgetown PhD -> Caltech AP), XL (Penn State PhD -> Penn AP). And these are top TT AP jobs, very likely there were more who got TT AP jobs outside top-20/30...

   2 months ago # QUOTE 1 Volod 0 Vlad !

9. Economist
   5f64
   

   - Claim to want to answer a policy question in a specific setting. Write down a model that looks nothing like the setting in question and focus on one technical aspect.

   We had a theory flyout with the candidate's JMP being exactly this. Moreover, the model he had written down wasn't even describing the thing he set out to do in his introduction but for whatever reasons (trying very hard not to be cynical here) he was apparently oblivious to this, even after a couple not-so-friendly comments at his talk.

   this year?

   Yes.

   I'm guessing you didn't hire him? Also unless you are at Chicago or it was a theorist asking the questions then the questions should have been framed in a more productive manner.

   2 months ago # QUOTE 0 Volod 0 Vlad !

10. Economist
    992f
    

    Has any theory candidate from a non-top 10 program landed a US tenure track job in the last five years?

    Yes, just last year there were at least two: PC (Georgetown PhD -> Caltech AP), XL (Penn State PhD -> Penn AP). And these are top TT AP jobs, very likely there were more who got TT AP jobs outside top-20/30...

    ERM (UofA) -> UC Boulder this year

    2 months ago # QUOTE 0 Volod 0 Vlad !

11. Economist
    1bc1
    

    Theory market is great for females. Just saying.

    2 months ago # QUOTE 1 Volod 1 Vlad !

12. Economist
    9abc
    

    Has any theory candidate from a non-top 10 program landed a US tenure track job in the last five years?

    UCSD had placements to Vanderbilt, OSU and Stanford (if you count behavioral as theory)

    Georgetown had placement to Stanford as well

    2 months ago # QUOTE 0 Volod 1 Vlad !

13. Economist
    dda4
    

    Has any theory candidate from a non-top 10 program landed a US tenure track job in the last five years?

    UCSD had placements to Vanderbilt, OSU and Stanford (if you count behavioral as theory)
    Georgetown had placement to Stanford as well

    wtf? who are these stanford placements you just made up?

    2 months ago # QUOTE 1 Volod 0 Vlad !

14. Economist
    dda4
    

    Has any theory candidate from a non-top 10 program landed a US tenure track job in the last five years?

    UCSD had placements to Vanderbilt, OSU and Stanford (if you count behavioral as theory)
    Georgetown had placement to Stanford as well

    wtf? who are these stanford placements you just made up?

    ok, not in the last five years (Sprenger)

    2 months ago # QUOTE 1 Volod 0 Vlad !

15. Economist
    a03a
    

    I have an LRM PhD and I placed in a school not that far outside the Top 50 within the last five years (not mentioned in this thread). The HRM strivers who post about other HRMs on this board don’t know anything about what’s going on in other parts of the profession.

    2 months ago # QUOTE 0 Volod 2 Vlad !

16. Economist
    78f3
    

    Sorry to break it to you all, but OP is right: if you didn't make it to a top-10 (actually, more like 30), you're not smart enough to do theory work that pushes the field forward.

    I've spoken with so many theory PhD candidates from LRM schools over the years who either ask mundane questions, or (worse) tackle big questions and don't even see that they don't understand what they are doing wrong.

    2 months ago # QUOTE 3 Volod 1 Vlad !

17. Economist
    d822
    

    This thread is so dumb. UCSD was, and probably still is, top 10 in theory. (PS1: Penn State is as well.) The fact that people got jobs in the past five years outside of top ten does not imply the market is not tight. Moreover, pre-COVID market may be very different from post-COVID, so five years ago may be irrelevant. If you think you are the next PC (Caltech) or XL (UPenn), then don't let anyone stop you, but these are outliers. PS2: Both their advisors were faculty at UCSD if you think the first claim was outlandish.

    2 months ago # QUOTE 3 Volod 1 Vlad !

18. Economist
    ae7e
    

    How about JC(Cornell) to UNC last year? Cornell is not a top 10 place for theory. His advisors are semi-retired and don’t have HRM connections

    2 months ago # QUOTE 0 Volod 1 Vlad !

19. Economist
    fb0d
    

    I have an LRM PhD and I placed in a school not that far outside the Top 50 within the last five years (not mentioned in this thread). The HRM strivers who post about other HRMs on this board don’t know anything about what’s going on in other parts of the profession.

    Congratulations on your miracle

    2 months ago # QUOTE 2 Volod 0 Vlad !

20. Economist
    d822
    

    How about JC(Cornell) to UNC last year? Cornell is not a top 10 place for theory. His advisors are semi-retired and don’t have HRM connections

    Sure man, LB and DE with more than 18,000 citations each are true outsiders and TD is not a rockstar with three top 5s in a year. Cornell's theory group may have seen better days, but they still have a fantastic theory group. But just to reiterate... people getting jobs doesn't mean it's not incredibly competitive. The advice people are giving here is solid: if you are not an outlier, don't do theory. A few people getting jobs outside the top ten is like arguing you should buy lottery tickets because people win the lottery every day.

    2 months ago # QUOTE 3 Volod 0 Vlad !

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