Finding Your Dream Job Leah Findlater University of Maryland, College Park Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited) Jaeyeon Jung Microsoft Research Redmond 10/2/2013

CRA-W Computer Research Association Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research Mission increase the participation and success of women in computing research

What does CRA-W do? Individual & Group Research Mentoring Graduate Students Undergraduates Academic careers Industry/government Undergrads: Undergraduate Research Experiences Undergrads: Distinguished lecture role models Grad Cohort: group mentoring of grad students Grad Students: Discipline Specific Research workshops PhD Researchers: group mentoring of early & mid CMW, CAPP, Hopper & Tapia 600+ students and PhD researchers a year

About Leah Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

About Jaeyeon Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

What about you? What do you value? Teaching? Research? Salary? Work-life balance? Something else? Community outreach? Turing awards? Life style? Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

What do employers value? Research University & Industry Labs Papers in top conferences Great letters Spark Teaching College Papers in conferences Teaching experience/enthusiasm Advanced R&D in Software Companies Coding skills; relevant experience & skills Algorithmic understanding

The Application Process Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited) Typical Academic Timeline Job! Early fall Prepare materials Recruit letter writers Sept-Dec Apply Jan-April Interview Negotiate offers

#1. Find job postings

Other specialized lists

ACM Jobs and SIGCSE mailing lists

Department websites

#2. Send out applications

Compile an application packet What’s in a job packet? Research statement Teaching statement Cover letters Recommendation letters How do I know if I’m doing it right? Get examples Serve as a student rep on a search committee Have experts and non-experts read your materials

Polish your webpage # unique visits Job Sept-Dec Apply Jan-April Interview July Leah's webpage

Manage the process Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited) Did your letter writers submit? Have you heard?

Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited) The truth? MANY factors are out of your control ✕ ✕ ? ?

What can you do? Take care of yourself! Sleep, eat, exercise Be prepared to feel uneasy There will be times when you feel nervous, anxious, and scared. It’s normal. Avoid comparisons and gossiping with your peers. You won’t feel any better. Seriously. Focus on what you CAN control Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Congrats! You got an interview! Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

#3. Rock interviews

The Interview Process Phone interview Site visit: individual interactions Site visit: Presentatio ns Before, during, after: all the other stuff Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited) One person or a group Use a landline! Faculty of varying ranks Administrators Students HR Meals Thank you notes Interactions w/ staff Research talk Teaching demo maybe

The Talk l: Convince the audience you are smart and a good teacher/researcher Assume a smart but general audience but don’t dumb down the talk Clearly state problem and your contributions Show that you have ideas about what you will do when you step foot in the door Practice, practice, practice Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

One-on-One :A two-way evaluation Show interviewers that you’d be the kind of person they’d want down the hall. Don’t let them do all the talking. THEY NEED TO REMEMBER YOU. Prior investigation on interviewers is helpful Read/skim their papers Check out their websites Look up recent NSF awards Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Questions to ask about teaching How Much What's the pre/post tenure teaching load? What courses would I teach? Do faculty ever “buy out” of courses? Freedom and Flexibility How much control would I have over course content? Can I create new courses? Support and Evaluation In what cases would I have TA support? What resources are available for improving teaching skills? How is teaching evaluated? Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Questions to ask about research Tenure What are the expectations for tenure? How many people were denied/granted tenure in recent years? Research Culture What does it take to be successful here? Who do you work with in the department? Do you work with other university faculty? Grants What are the expectations about grant submission? What types of funding to faculty typically seek? What assistance is available for grant submission? How are research assistants supported within the department? Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Offer! Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

#4. Negotiate the offer

Negotiations Starting date & time till tenure A January start may buy you extra time on the tenure clock Pre-tenure sabbatical? Teaching Course releases Which courses Money Salary (and summer support) Travel allotments, consulting, startup, etc. Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited) Get EVERYTHING in writing

Money: Salary Amount Pay raises Summer salary Benefits Subsidized housing Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Money: Funding Startup and ongoing Research equipment Travel Students Books and memberships Class/lab equipment Intellectual property rights Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Negotiation Rules If you never hear “no”, you're not asking for enough. But know when not to apply this rule. Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Other Research Job Opportunities Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Postdocs Find job postings Additionally contact individual professors that you want to work with Apply professors & industry labs Interview Negotiate offers Probably not much wriggle room

Research Faculty Find job postings At the discretion of each department since it’s a soft money position Apply Often same as tenure track positions Interview Find more about grant opportunities Negotiate offers Some departments offer to pick up first N years of salary until you bring grant $

Researchers at Industry Labs Find job postings Most labs have a standard “career” section on their web page Apply Online to their system and let your contact know Interview Negotiate offers Typically a lot more wriggle room (sign on bonus, stocks, etc.)

Other Tips Two body opportunity If they like you, they will try to help your partner at least get an interview Interview at many places (even if you have an offer already) Opportunities to meet great people, to advertise your work, and to get free airline mileage Put you in an advantageous position to negotiate

Dream jobs can take iteration. "Dream job" can change. “So I stopped working on yet-another-grant I didn't care about and started writing what my ideal job was. Since the job did not exist, I also listed the job requirements and how I could get those requirements in the next five years. As I worked through the requirements for my ideal job, I started publishing, getting funding, working with innovative students, and (most importantly) enjoying myself.” – recent job seeker Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Good luck! Leah Findlater | Jaeyeon Jung | Feedback:

What if things don’t go as you expect? Advice from recent job seekers: –“Search for both your dream job and a good enough job at the same time. Dream jobs can take more than one iteration” –“Remember: You will be competing against your peers. Don’t let the job market get in the way of your friendships.” Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Where to apply? Finding job postings CRA, Chronicle, specialized lists Teaching CS schools may not have budget for ad placement. Subscribe to SIGCSE mailing list Where to apply? How many to apply to? CS only? ECE? Informatics? Communications? When to apply? Communications/Information departments may have earlier deadlines & conference interviews

Learning about the Culture (Indirectly) Collegiality & Culture –Who do you collaborate with? –What did you do yesterday? –What do you do for fun? –What does it take to be successful here? –What do you like best about your job? The least? –What do you wish you could change about your department/university? Students –Where are last year’s PhD graduates working? –What are the typical (undergraduate, graduate) students like? –How are graduate students typically supported? The college/university –Why is this position available? –How does the dept make important decisions? –How does the Dean view the department? –When was the last department review? What happened? –What is the financial condition of the college? –What is the vision for the college direction and growth? Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)