Preparing for the Academic Job Search

1. Preparing for the Academic Job Search Reading the Job Ad and writing the CV, cover letter and research statement ---- Science and Engineering Jamie K. Alan KPA meeting November 30, 2012

2. Where do you find jobs? • Online, in science (http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org), National postdoc association, chronicles of higher education, higher ed jobs, on individual universities’ websites • Job search engines-Academic Keys, LinkedIn, etc • NETWORK!

3. How to apply • Usually, you need to include a CV, cover letter, statement of research and statement of teaching philosophy (min requirements) • The job ad will usually give instructions regarding the application process • The majority of this is done online.

4. From a position announcement for an Assistant Professor: • Applicants should send a detailed curriculum vitae, a statement of their interest in teaching and planned research and the names of at least three references. Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

5. From a position announcement for an Assistant Professor: • Applicants should submit a letter of application, a curriculum vita, a statement of research plan and teaching interests, and a list of at least three references to: Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

6. From a position announcement for an Assistant Professor: • Application packet must include: 1) curriculum vita, including a list of publications, 2) complete set of official transcripts, 3) statement of teaching experience, interests and philosophy, 4) statement of research interests and plans, and 5) at least three letters of reference. Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

7. From a position announcement for a Tenure-Track Professor: • Applicants should include in their response a clear statement of their teaching and research interests, a curriculum vitae summarizing their educational and professional backgrounds together with a list of published works, and the names of at least four persons who may be contacted regarding the candidate's qualifications Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

8. Sample Job Ad • Position Title (Discipline and Rank) • Basic Science Faculty (12 month, Assistant/Associate/Full Professor)   • Home Department • Medicine, College of   • Employee Group • Click the link to view eligible benefits. • Regular Faculty - 12 month   • Staff Pay Level: • Starting Salary • N/A   • Employment Status • No Response   • Position Type • 12 month   • Position Begin Date: • Position End Date (if applicable) • Type of Recruitment • Definition of Internal • External  

9. Sample Job Ad-2 • Position Summary: • The Central Michigan University College of Medicine (CMED) is seeking highly qualified faculty for multiple tenure-track and fixed term positions in the basic science discipline. Successful candidates will assume a role in the development and implementation of a highly integrated, cross disciplinary, clinical presentation and inquiry-based medical school curriculum. Additional duties will include classroom teaching, sustained scholarly activity, serving as course director, and committee service. -want people who will spend time in the classroom, but also people who are leaders and in charge. • Positions will be at Assistant/Associate/Full Professor rank, depending on credentials, and are available immediately. Start dates are negotiable. Applications are being sought for teaching expertise in all disciplines of the basic sciences with immediate needs in Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Microbiology.   • Required Qualifications • Doctoral degree, strong commitment to innovative approaches to education and learning, ability or commitment to facilitate interactive learning in large and small group settings; experience with independent design and conduct of research consistent with discipline(s);   • strong collaborative and communication skills; • and a demonstrated commitment to diversity. • Wrote you own fellowship applications, developed own projects.

10. Sample Job Ad-3 • Preferred Qualifications: • Teaching - experience with cross disciplinary teaching; • documented experience in patient and/or problem-based medical education; • experience with, or a strong knowledge of, pedagogical approaches such as team based learning. • Research - while all areas of research will be considered, collaborative opportunities in basic research exist in neuroscience, mitochondrial biology, and cancer vaccines. • Additional desired areas of research include: education, comparative effectiveness, health services, and clinical trials and outcomes. • Required Documents to Attach • Resume/CV • Letter of Interest • Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness • Statement of Teaching Philosophy • Statement of Research • List of References   • Optional Documents to Attach • Other Document  

11. Sample Job Ad-4 • Posting Begins • 02-20-2012   • Posting Ends • Open Until Filled • Message to Applicants • Review of applications begins immediately and continues until filled. Electronically attach a letter of application, curriculum vitae, evidence of teaching ability, statement of teaching philosophy, statement of research/scholarly interest, and a list of three professional references, including phone numbers and email addresses. Questions can be directed to Rebecca Messing, Search Committee Coordinator, Spenc1rl@cmich.edu, 989-774-7862.   • About the Department: • The CMU College of Medicine will welcome its inaugural class in the summer of 2013. The innovative medical school curriculum is being designed to prepare students for practice in mid- to northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, with particular attention to primary care needs in the region. The program is housed in a new facility with advanced technology for teaching. For more information, visit www.cmich.edu/med.  

12. Sample Job Ad-5 • About CMU • Established in 1892, Central Michigan University is one of the nation's 100 largest public universities and the fourth largest in Michigan, with more than 21,000 students on its Mount Pleasant campus and another 7,000 enrolled online and at more than 60 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. CMU offers more than 200 academic programs at the undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral levels, including nationally recognized programs in entrepreneurship, journalism, music, audiology, teacher education, psychology and physician assistant. CMU also has established a College of Medicine, anticipated to open in 2013.   • EEO Statement • CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate in employment against persons based on age, color, disability, gender, gender identity/gender expression, genetic information, familial status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight (see http://www.cmich.edu/aaeo.)  

13. Writing a cover letter From the chronicles of higher education: “Most applicants write poor cover letters that bear no relationship to what goes on in a particular department or school. They are word-processed form letters, and search committees can spot them right away.” Take your time and tailor! “Find out enough about the college to which you are applying to show the connection between what you have to sell and what the college wants to buy.” Most guides say 1 page, however up to 2 pages is acceptable if all the content is relevant.

14. Writing a cover letter Parts of a cover letter • Salutation- Be formal (Dr., Professor, etc) and specific Make sure the spell the name(s) correctly and use the correct salutation! • Body- should consist of one or two paragraphs that highlight your interest in the position, your strongest attributes and your strong qualifications. Use this opportunity to elaborate upon the distinctive strengths and qualifications you would bring to the position and attempt to persuade the search committee that you are a highly qualified candidate deserving additional consideration. • Modesty is not rewarded in the job search, and you may be the only voice articulating your qualifications to the search committee.

15. Writing a cover letter Parts of a cover letter • Specifics- If you are applying to a research institute, highlight why you are qualified. Similarly, if you are applying to a teaching institute, highlight your teaching experience. • Address any other requirements that the job posting requests, as well as any other qualifications or experiences that you possess. If any information on your CV is confusing or may cause questions among the search committee, address these topics in the cover letter. • Conclusion- reinforce your interest in the position and in obtaining an interview. Indicate the other materials you are enclosing in your application packet and whether any other materials are being sent under separate cover.

16. CV Writing • 1. Education. Always. No exceptions.  List by degree, not by institution.  Give department, institution, and year of completion.   • 2. Professional Appointments/Employment. This must go immediately under education, assuming that you have/had these.  These are contract positions only– tenure track or adjunct.  Postdoctoral positions also go here.  Give institution, department, title, and dates (year only) of employment. • 3. Publications. Subheadings: Books, Edited Volumes, Refereed Journal Articles, Book Chapters, Conference Proceedings, Book Reviews, Manuscripts in Submission (give journal title), Manuscripts in Preparation, Web-Based Publications, Other Publications (this section can include non-academic publications, within reason).  

17. CV Writing • 4. Awards and Honors. Give name of award and institutional location. • 5. Grants and Fellowships (if you are in a field where these differ categorically from Awards and Honors). Give funder, institutional location in which received/utilized, year span. • 6. Invited Talks. Give title, institutional location, and date. Year only. • 7. Conference Activity/Participation. Name of paper, name of conference, date. Year (Year only) on left as noted above. Month and date-range of conference in the entry itself (ie, March 22-25).

18. CV Writing • 8. Teaching Experience. Subdivide either by area/field of teaching or by institutional location, or by Graduate/Undergraduate, or some combination of these as appropriate to your particular case • 9.  Research Experience. RA experience goes here, as well as lab experience.  This is one location where slight elaboration is possible, if the research was a team effort on a complex, multi-year theme.  One detailed sentence should suffice.   • 10. Service To Profession. Include journal manuscript review work (with journal titles), leadership of professional organizations, etc. Some people put panel organizing under service; check conventions in your field.

19. CV Writing • 11. Departmental/University Service. Include search committees and other committee work, appointments to Faculty Senate, etc.   • 12.  Related Professional Skills. [Optional.] Can include training in GIS and other technical skills relevant to the discipline. • 13. Non-Academic Work. [Optional—VERY optional!] Include only if relevant to your overall academic qualifications. • 14. Languages. • 15. Professional Memberships/Affiliations. All professional organizations of which you are a member listed vertically. • 26. References. Usually these are provided in a separate document

20. Purpose of Research Statementor Research Summary It is expected that you will have begun to think coherently about research beyond your dissertation and/or postdoc work. • The research statement tells • what you have been doing recently and currently, • in what direction you hope to go, • how your research contributes to your field. • Along with your CV, cover letter and letters of recommendation, it helps hiring committees assess your • areas of specialty, • potential to get grants, • academic ability, • compatibility with the department or school.

21. Writing the Research Statement • Give a context for your research interests • Why does it matter? • Communicate a sense that your research will follow logically from what you have done and that it will be different, important, and innovative • Communicate that these projects are yours and your mentor has given you permission to take them with you. Career Services, University of Pensylvania

22. Parts of the Research Statement • A "Research Summary" combines features of both the statement of achievements and current work, and the proposal for upcoming research because it includes current aims and findings AND future goals. Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

23. Future Goals or Research Plans Include: • Major problem(s) you wish to attack. • The problem’s relevance to the field. • Your specific goals for a 3-5 year period, including potential outcomes. • If you know what a particular funding agency funds, you can name the agency and briefly outline a proposal. This might convince the reader that you are on the way to getting a project funded. • At the same time, you should have research goals that have broad enough goals so that if one topic doesn't get funded there are other areas on which you can work.

24. How to Make it Effective -- Format • Use headings (and subheadings), bullets, and white space. • Avoid page-long paragraphs. • It should be1-2 pages long; 3 pages at the most. • Get feedback. • Proofread!!!

25. How to Make it Effective -- Content • Write as clearly and concisely as you can. • What excites you about your research? Sound fresh. • Where appropriate, acknowledge the work of others. • Use language that shows you’ve begun to think of yourself as an independent researcher • If you've identified funding organizations likely to support your research plans, indicate that. • Tailor tailor tailor!!!!

26. Preparing for the Interview • Consider preparing a longer version (5-15 pages) to bring along to the on site interview. [Check with your advisor to see if this is necessary.] • Candidates may be asked to describe research plans and budget in detail at the campus interview. Be prepared. • Include laboratory needs (how much budget you need for equipment, how many grad assistants needed, etc.) to start up the research. Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

27. General Tips • Have a discussion with your mentor. Mention your plans and hash out what you can and cannot take with you • PROOFREAD! This is very important! • Have others read you application packet, preferable someone familiar w/ that sort of position. • If you struggle with English, get a native English speaker to edit you packet. • Read the job ad very carefully. Literally check off the parts you have addressed.