Academic Job Search – My experience

1. Academic Job Search – My experience Bodhisattva Sen Columbia University 27 January 2010

2. 1-2 years before graduating • Some thoughts about direction of your research – your interests, goals • Type of departments – Stat, BioStat, Med School, Business School • Interdisciplinary research interests sell well • Theoretical interests need to be supplemented with applications

3. Contd… • Big question – What do I bring to the table that others do not? • Look at websites for new job candidates, department seminar websites • View the profile of new job candidates • Track them

4. Job websites • http://www.imstat.org/jobs/usa_bydate.htm • http://jobs.amstat.org/search/results/ • http://www.stat.purdue.edu/resources/jobs/jobs.cgi?type=1 • http://www.stat.ufl.edu/vlib/jobs.html • Go to department websites

5. October ‘10 • So you are applying for academic job… • Where are you applying? • Post-Doc/Tenure track/Visiting – pros and cons • Selective/All out • Get the names of the dept.; deadlines • Talk to your advisors/faculty members about your/their choices

6. Documents to prepare • CV • Research Statement • Teaching Statement • Your web-site

7. November ‘10 • Finalize the list • Find recommenders – at least three • How to choose recommenders? • Get addresses of dept. • Online/Offline application • Deadlines start from November • Send out the applications

8. Job Interview • 4-7 interviews per position • Usually one whole day, sometimes 2 days • Talk – 50 mins • Meeting – 30 mins with about 10-15 faculty members • Schedule them early, and no more than 2 per week • 8:30 am – 8:30 pm (quite hectic!)

9. Tips • Your attitude/personality matters • Be friendly, polite; enjoy the process • Show interest in others works • Show your breadth of knowledge • Show your interest in the department and place • Do your homework • Importance: • How do you handle questions after talk • Talk • Personal Meetings

10. Homework • Be aware of the faculty members research interests/ areas • More intensive focus on their recent work • Read some papers; at least the abstracts • Connections to your work/interests • Know about the department, its history • Practice your job talk; fine tune the talk • The more time you devote, the better!

11. Job Talk • Express your enthusiasm/interest • Explain the problem and why it is interesting • Highlight your contribution • Give the broader picture • Do not make any statement that you are not absolutely sure about • Need not give detailed proofs • Motivate your results, explain intuitively • What are they looking for • Whether you know your subject • How clearly/easily you can communicate • Will you be a good researcher in the future

12. Individual meetings • Let the discussion take its own shape • Show your enthusiasm in your research as well as in the other persons research • Homework comes in handy • Make connections with your own research • Show your breadth of knowledge • Be an interested listener • Common questions • Other research experience comes in handy!

13. Miscellaneous • Do not ask about your salary, performance of other job candidates • You may write a thank you e-mail after the interview • In lunch/dinner • Focus less on food, and more on others • Politics, Sports, your department, other interest • Remember they also want a good colleague

14. General • Do not open any weak corners • Enjoy the experience; meeting so many new people can be tiring • I think they will remember you – put up a good impression • Even the e-mail’s you write to them count, so be serious • Dress code?