JoULAB Secretary

Applications Open: Monday, 1st May, 2023

Deadline: Sunday, 7th May, 29:59 BST (UTC+1)

Invitations to Final Round of Applications: Monday, 8th May to Tuesday, 9th May, 2023

Interviews to Take Place: Wednesday, 10th May to Sunday, 14th May, 2023

Decisions by: Monday, 15th May, 2023

The Journal of the Undergraduate Linguistics Association of Britain is looking to recruit a new Secretary on a voluntary basis to join its Editorial Committee for a period of 12 months. For the Journal’s Editorial Committee of 2022-23, the role of Secretary will include full oversight of JoULAB’s communications. This is split in two areas: formal email correspondence and informal social media engagement.

As the role of Secretary has quite broad scope, the successful candidate will demonstrate both an exceptional eye for detail with written English and the creativity to produce interesting and engaging (academic-themed) social media content. For the former, the Secretary will be responsible for liaising on and responding to reviewer and author queries in a professional and timely fashion. For the latter, the Secretary will think creatively to produce social media content across a range of platforms (primarily Twitter) according to a pre-planned schedule they organise on a monthly basis. The Journal’s social media presence is one of the most crucial parts of our operation, and the next Secretary has the chance to really make the role their own. 

While reporting their day-to-day activities to the Editor and the rest of the Committee, the Secretary will be expected to take the initiative and work independently to uphold the Journal’s high regard. The best candidate will demonstrate their ability to perform their duties without prompting, to hold the highest standards for themselves, and to care about the Journal’s successful operation. They will also be expected to be a good team-player, getting involved in projects outside their immediate remit and lend a helping hand wherever it might be needed (for example, in data management or publication).

This is a very exciting opportunity to play an influential part in a groundbreaking project. JoULAB is very proud that it is the world’s only undergraduate journal accepting submissions in any area of linguistics, and as such seeks enthusiastic, attentive, and organised individuals to fill its open Committee positions.

To apply, please use the form in-built on the ULAB website (here). You will need to provide a 500-word cover letter explaining why you wish to apply for this role, the specific experiences you have that make you qualified to succeed in it, and what you would hope to accomplish if your application is successful.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a final round of applications, which may include attending a brief interview or completing a short role-specific task to assess aptitude. The best applicants will be able to prove that their academic, extracurricular, or personal experiences make them suitable for the position, that they have the time and flexibility to prioritise their work for JoULAB, and that they possess excellent skills relevant to the role for which they have applied.

While no two positions may be held by the same individual, should the Editorial Committee see fit in a particular instance, applicants unsuccessful in the role for which they applied may be recommended for a different open position on our team. In this instance, the applicant would not be required to reapply altogether; instead, the Committee would reach out to suggest the applicant consider the alternate role in question and, should they accept, they would continue within the application process at whatever stage they were previously.