What must a PhD student accomplish to be competitive?

This is hard to answer because it really depends on the field. I've had friends hired with nothing but a book contract (and no publications) and I've had friends not hired with ten first authored publications. There's no easy cut-and-dry answer.

Talk to your advisor. Talk to other people in your field. Do not try to rush something out the door in your first year if it's not ready. You very much can get a reputation for low quality, high volume as a student and it usually doesn't play well. In my own field, a well-positioned PhD graduate will have something like 1-3 sole or first authored articles, 2-3 multi-authored articles, a couple grant/awards, and having taught 1 or more classes. Folks in that position usually find jobs.

But, I'm not in your field, so take that advice with a grain of salt.

/r/AskAcademia Thread