Launching the Successful Job Search Colleen Cosgrove Hegg Michigan State University

Dual-career job search ~ 80% of academics have partners who are working professionals almost half of these partners are academics Intense competition to hire the best faculty has forced institutions to assist dual-career couples in finding suitable employment for the accompanying partner The Two Body Problem - Lisa B. Wolf-Wendel, Susan Twombly, and Suzanne Rice *

Succeeding in the job search requires: Luck favors the prepared – Albert Einstein (?) In science, fortune favors the prepared mind – Louis Pasteur The harder I work, the more luck I seem to have – Thomas Jefferson Knowledge of self Knowledge of audience (search committee, department) Knowledge of process

Early (Graduate Student) Late (Post-doc) Knowledge of self Self assessment Do you possess the skills required to be successful? How competitive are you? What are your long-term career goals? What are your requirements for personal and professional satisfaction? What is your work style? Exploration What’s out there? What options do I have? What jobs fit my skills? What careers and industries can use them? Focusing Which organizations are a good fit? What is the size and type of institution at which you would like to teach? What do I need to do to be competitive? What topics do you feel comfortable teaching? Do you have dual-career considerations? Will there be lifestyle and personal issues that influence your search? Mid Launching your job search On the Market

Dual-career considerations Knowledge of self If you are in very similar fields, will you both apply for the same jobs? How are you going to feel if you end up competing against each other? How far apart from each other are you willing to live? Should you live apart a few years and pursue your careers separately? If you are willing to live apart, can you afford to maintain two households? What will you do if you receive jobs on opposite sides of the country? Should one of you give up the offer for the sake of staying together? And if you want to stay together, which offer is better? Whose career should take precedence? Comic strip from March 21, 2007

The institution’s point of view Filling a vacated academic position is not routinely granted –Departments have to lobby the dean to obtain a replacement, and compete with other departments wishing to expand The advertised position can describe –Need to replace a faculty member with a particular area of expertise –Long-range plan to build up a particular area –A fishing expedition to see who is out there Search committees –May include all faculty members in a small department –May be a subset of the department (4-6 members) –May provide a recommendation to the departmental chair, who has the ultimate decision –Have to read hundreds of applications in order to identify potential candidates Knowledge of audience

Academic Job Search Materials Application elements requested Curriculum Vitae (30) Letter of application / cover letter (30) Description of future research plans/interests (21) Letters of reference (17) List of references (12) Statement of teaching philosophy (8) Representative reprints (7) Description of research accomplishments (5) Transcripts (4) Descriptions of possible courses (2) Summary of career/professional goals (2) Survey of 30 life science-related faculty postings from Science Magazine and the Chronicles of Higher Education Knowledge of process >50%

Application Materials Cover letter –Know the institution, the department, the position (See also TAC 2008 Symp.) Curriculum Vitae –You have the ability to control the first impression with the CV –Formatting, order of sections, size of sections Research Statements –Know the institution, the department, the position –Resource: “Toolkit: writing a research plan” by Jim Austin ( –“…a readable, compelling agenda that fits well with the needs, facilities and goals of the department and answers the question, ‘why must this work be done?’” (See also TAC 2008 Symp.) References –Keep your references informed of where you have applied, whether a letter needs to be sent, and deadlines for receipt of the letters Knowledge of process

Academic job search calendar Make choices on types of positions and institutions to pursue Assemble application materials Update CV and reference list, have them proofed Request letters of recommendation Look for postings weekly Begin to apply Continue to apply Prepare for telephone/screening interviews Prepare for job talks Campus interview visits Negotiate offers Look for new job advertisements during the “echo” season Knowledge of process Before Sept. Sept. - Nov. Nov. - Jan. Feb. - May April - Sept.

Where can you find jobs? Internet – – – – –Publications – C&EN, Society publications Professional conferences Network Knowledge of process

Determining where to apply Taking into consideration your preferences of: –Institutional characteristics –Departmental characteristics –Geographical considerations Apply to all jobs that –Are in your specialty area –Are close to your specialty area The only job you are guaranteed not to get is the one to which you do not apply Knowledge of self, process

The Job Search Phenomenon Knowledge of process Figure 2 from Matt Anderson- “So You Want to Be a Professor!” Physics Today.org, April 2001, page 50

When to reveal the two-body “problem” Cover letter Phone call inviting you to the interview Interview After you have received the offer There are advantages and disadvantages

Job search strategy Knowledge of process Not a viable option for our search – either because of fit or location A good possibility Example- Spreadsheet for September job advertisements

Other resources Academic job search The Academic Job Search Handbook – Mary Morris Heiberger & Julia Miller Vick. Univ. Pennsylvania Press. 3 rd edition. Dual-career job search _issues/articles/2240/solving_the_two_body_problemhttp://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/previous _issues/articles/2240/solving_the_two_body_problem Other career resources MentorNet Your institution’s career center, other institutions career centers Conference workshops Google – you’ll find plenty of resources and advice – just be cognizant of the source