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This is a talk I gave in the Graduate Student Math Colloquium at the University of Arizona in the spring of 2006. It is a bit rough around the edges; it was written during my last semester of graduate school when I was applying and interviewing for jobs all over the U.S., finishing my thesis, and getting married. Also, the information may be somewhat dated. I do not intend to keep this information current. Proceed at your own risk, your mileage may vary, etc.
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Why Is Applying For A Job … A Full Time Job!?
Or, what I probably still wouldn’t have done even if I
had known better.
Outline
● Before your last year● CV, Research S.,
Teaching S.● Where to apply● Cover Letters
● Mass Mailing● Joint Meetings● Phone Interviews● Campus visits● Negoiations
Before your last year -- Research
● You’re doing it. Good job.● Find an area you enjoy working in● Find a problem you can complete in a
reasonable time● Get a supportive advisor who’s well connected.● Give talks often.● Talk to other faculty about your work. You need
a committee, and people to write research letters of recommendation. *
Before your last year -- Teaching
● Teach a variety of courses● Get some supervisors who are active, full time
faculty● Ask their advice often (even if you don't think
you need it), and take it most of the time● Try new instructional methods (group work,
ConcepTests, semester projects, computer lab assignments, etc.), and talk to your supervisor about it regularly
● Make sure your supervisor knows you are going to be asking them for a letter, and give them copies of HW, tests, special activities, etc.
Before your last year – Other
● Outreach (HS visit, HS workshops, HS tutoring, New Start)
● Service (Grad Colloq coordinator, grad rep, COS rep, anything that has grad students on their committee)
● Research Experience for Undergraduates (Robert Indik)
● Internships (NSA, gov't labs, etc.)
August – September● Decide what range of places
to apply to● Get CV, Research Statement,
and Teaching Statement● Solicit at least 3 solid letters
of rec. (at least one teaching), possibly 5-7 if you're applying for different types of jobs, and keep after them! *
● Gather and sift through job ads
● Get your website squared away! * (If a place is at all serious about hiring you, they will look at your website, and they will Google you)
Aug. – Sept.: Types of JobsFrom heavier research to heavier teaching
● NSF Post-doc (actually, if you're shooting for this, you should start in the spring before your last year)
● University Research Post-doc● Teaching Post-doc● University – Tenure track● Liberal Arts – Tenure track● Comprehensive University● Top Tier High Schools● Industry, Gov’t Labs, etc.
Aug. – Sept.: CV
● Education● Teaching Experience● Research Experience (UG research, orals
project, dissertation + committee members)● Service & Outreach● Talks (Invited Talks?)● Computer Experience● Awards, Memberships
Aug.—Sept.: CV● Goal: present your best selling points in such a
way that they are easily and quickly found● There lots of different styles, look at many and
find one you like● http://www.chronicle.com/ has helpful articles
Aug. – Sept.: Research Statement
● Two to three pages● Readable by a general mathematical
audience (some specialized stuff)● Mention lots of applications or
connections with other areas of mathematics
● Read other people’s research statements *
● Work with your advisor on this
Aug. – Sept.: Teaching Statement
● This one’s a mother● Read others’ teaching statements (not
other people in this dpt. on the job search!)
● Spend some time on this, don’t leave it til the last minute! It’s harder than you think (we're not used to writing this way, and about this stuff)
● It should sound like you, just the best, most competent you possible
Aug. – Sept.: Job Ads
● http://www.ams.org/eims/ weekly emails● Sign up for this early, and start reading
them early! Many dozens of ads/week● Start a database with all the jobs you’re
potentially interested in * (headings should include: full name of school, deadline, post-doc/tenure-track, how many letters of rec, complete address, excerpts from job ad, teaching load ... the goal is to save precious time by never needing to look back at their job ad or website when writing their cover letter and assembling their application packet)
Aug. – Sept.: How to decide● Job Ad (R/T emphasis,
teaching load, etc.)● US News & World
Report ranking● Advisor recommendation● Geographic area● Website * (look at where
their current faculty came from, how long they’ve been there, how many papers they’ve published, how well known they are)
1st Deadlines are Mid-October!Application Packet
Ingredients● Cover Letter● AMS cover sheet● Research Statement● Teaching Statement● 3 (or 4) letters mailed
separately● Evidence of excellent
teaching (student evals, innovative class activities, etc.)
● List of publications & invited talks
● Other stuff?
● Strike a balance between personalization and sanity!
● Perhaps 2 or 3 research and teaching statements (one for research-heavy places, one for industry, one for teaching focused)
● Cover letters should be HIGHLY specific to the employer (or at least they must appear so!)
October – Cover letters● These were the biggest pain in the TeX● There’s a TeX program that can help● MS Word (Open Office) can perform a similar
function, and better
● Paragraphs: Intro, Research summary, Teaching experience, Specific (addressing mission statement, suggesting possible collaborators), Closing (I’ll be at the joint meeting!)
● Have what they’re looking for in your database so you can address it in your cover letter *
October – Mailing rulesWith apologies to Monty Python
● Meet all deadlines!● Be very neat and precise● Meet all deadlines!● Give them what they ask for (a little extra
is ok)● Meet all deadlines!● There is no Rule 6● Meet all deadlines!
October – Joint Meeting
● Register for the joint meeting, and the employment center
● Arrange lodging, share if possible (there’s a roommate board)
● Arrange travel: start looking for good rates early
Employment Center● Computer scheduled & self-scheduled
November● Majority of deadlines are in November and
December● By this time, you should have sent your first
applications out and realized what a royal pain it is● This should motivate you do develop a reasonable
system for writing personalized (or faux-personalized) cover letters and assembling application packets for institutions with varying requirements
● Also, make sure all joint meeting stuff is in order
December
● By now, you’re really in the deadline crunch● You’re teaching (finals week), writing your
thesis, furiously doing research to make sure you have enough results to graduate, and applying for a job has become a full-time job
● In other words, at this point, you’re really hating life
December● Then your first request for an interview comes,
and the self-esteem boost is life-saving● Many institutions conduct preliminary interviews
at the joint meeting● Look at the joint meeting program, and make a
schedule, and allow lots of time for meetings
● Post-docs, you have to wait. Institutions generally don't do interviews for post-doc positions at the joint meeting. Sorry.
January – Joint Meeting
● Finalize preliminary meeting arrangements
● Get suits/outfits cleaned/pressed (this is a professional interview, take it seriously)
● Have many copies of your CV available● Have a few copies of your complete
application packet● Have your materials available by website
so you can print out more if necessary● Oh, keep sending out applications
January – Joint Meeting● Do practice interviews● Have answers to standard questions down pat● Have questions for them (some job/school
specific) *● Be yourself and be professional
● Also see some talks, especially those related to your research, and those given by people at places you’re interviewing with! (and bring it up in conversation)
● Don’t go too crazy, you’re always interviewing
Feb. – April● Keep Applying● Scratch that, you’re probably beyond sick of it
by now● Besides, you’ve got a thesis to write.
● Phone interviews○ Have data sheet handy○ Practice answers to standard questions○ Have good questions for them, some specific to that
institution * (“Do you have any questions for us?” is one of the most important interview questions; have ready enough questions for them to fill ½ hour)
The Campus Visit
● Have a fact sheet and list of questions (it's ok to look at your notes and to take notes in these meetings – it's professional)
● Meetings○ Faculty○ Dept. Head○ Dean○ Provost○ Students (UG and/or grad)
The Campus Visit
● Math Talk○ Find out the audience level *○ Practice it!
● Teaching Demo○ Get subject, book, background○ Make it good, not just lecture
Negotiating an Offer● Elements of an offer
○ Salary○ Computer and Software○ Start-up fund (research mainly)○ Moving expenses○ Time to respond (1-2 weeks)
● You can ask for anything reasonable – ask for stuff, the worst they’ll do is say no, they won’t rescind the offer.
● Don’t accept it right then & there! (at the very least, they may reconsider some of your previously denied requests)
Negotiating an Offer● Call others on the top
of your list○ Ask if they’re still
seriously considering you
○ Let them know they’re in your top few choices
○ Tell them you need to respond in x-2 days to the other place
● Things to consider○ Collaborators, or near
other schools○ Housing/Apt. costs○ Near stuff to do○ Near major airport○ Future salary range http:
//www.chronicle.com
What if an offer doesn’t come?
● Visiting positions● Job Ads are still coming● Keep talking with your advisor
Resources
● US News & World Report○ Good for overall data and reputation of schools
● http://www.ams.org/eims/○ Get weekly emails by August
● http://www.chronicle.com/○ Good academia CV tips (some science
specific)○ Salary Ranges for professors at virtually all
universities and colleges
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