DIACES 2002 Job Search Strategies and Tips

By the DIACES 2002 Working Group on Successful Job Searches.

Contributors: D. Conde, A. Ferrara, S. Gerken, M. Julius, J. Martin, C. Natunewicz, D. Nemerson, E. Parnell, J. Warren, and D. Zawada

Purpose: This document is the collected wisdom of some of the participants of the 2002 DIACES symposium. While much of the advice is directed toward those seeking academic positions, there is useful information for those seeking careers in industry, government, non-profits, or other organizations.

The nuggets of advice are divided into the following categories:

How to find available
Before you apply
The Application
The Interview
The Offer
Misc. Stuff
Web Resources
Interview questions asked of and by you

Good luck with your search!

How to find available jobs

ASK people/presenters/speakers/vendors at conferences, meetings, etc.
Check job web sites regularly (see the Web Resources section). Pick a time and every week or two go through the new job postings.
Visit schools that you are interested in working at and talk to people to get an idea of when a job opening may occur.
Use your personal contacts (friends, classmates, alums, professors)
Schmooze every chance you can.

Before you apply

Decide what you want to do. Applied research vs. basic research vs. teach ? Different places will let you do different things. You can be adjunct faculty and work at a non-academic position. Working at a research I university may not make you as happy as at a small liberal arts college (or maybe it would).
Call the person who posted the job to find out whether you 'fit' the job description if you're unsure after reading the ad.
Call other people who went to school there, work there, used to work there, etc. to decide if this is the place for you.
Basic and applied research positions are available in the commercial sector. Company web sites and annual shareholder reports are good places to start.
Familiarize yourself with the school/lab/company (what they do, who are the people in charge). Visit the school.
Try to direct inquiries to a specific person. Make human contact with somebody outside of the Human Resources department.
Apply to jobs that are not your 'perfect job'. This will be good practice when the right job comes along.

The Application

Submit on time and provide everything that they ask for in the ad. Double check that it's addressed to the right person/school. Sending a cover letter 'Weiler State' that is addressed to 'University of Weiler' is a good way to not get an interview.
The research statement: discuss what is DIFFERENT about your work, why it is IMPORTANT, and how it FITS at this particular school/company.
Get copies of other folks research and teaching philosophy statements (online, recent alums, friends) to get an idea of what to include.
Write your research/teaching statements in a way that they are easily customized for different types of schools. Or have two statements: one for large, research-oriented positions and another for smaller, teaching-oriented positions.
Contact your reference/recommendation writers and give them plenty of notice of the deadlines. Have a reserve person to send in a letter with little notice.
If this is your dream job, let your references know. They may kick it up a notch.
Thank your references afterward. School sweatshirts are very useful here.
For government applications, include as much information as possible. Don't leave anything out that may be remotely related to the job you are applying for.
If you have any questions while you are filling out the application, call the Human Resources/Office of Personnel Management/Search Director. Often the HR or OPM office is the first hurdle you must clear - they decide which applications are forwarded and which are rejected.

The Interview

Be confident and friendly. Personality and attitude are evaluated during the interview.
Find out (before you arrive) what is expected of you for the interview. Who (undergrads, grad students, faculty) will be at your talk ? How long should it be ? What do they want you to talk about (current research, future research) ?
You may be asked to teach a class. Don't panic, prepare, and have fun.
If unclear about dress code, ask. If still in doubt, pick the nicer outfit.
Study names, faces, projects, grants beforehand. Use the web to get this info! Think of potential collaborations with everyone that you'll meet.
Prepare your questions for the school/interviewer beforehand (see Interview questions section). Have a list of them that you can refer to during the interview. Ask questions of them.
Get the 'real' scoop from recent hires.
Let people talk (babble) about their own work without interrupting them.
Know what agencies you'll write grant proposals to. What projects will they fund?
React rather than lead during the interview. Follow the train of thought and direction of the interviewer.

The Offer

Bargain. Be prepared to negotiate almost every and anything (teaching load, class size, # of sections, lab space, salary, start-up money). Some times it works, some times it won't. But remember, they'll never offer you more than what you ask for.
Determine what your needs are (ideal case and absolute minimum) in terms of money, equipment, lab space and time (i.e. teaching load). The more specific you can be, the better.
Keep talking to current, young faculty. Find out if they or the college have any equipment that you could share.
Find out what others (classmates, recent hires) have gotten (ballpark estimates). Check what starting salaries are for comparable schools (see Web Resources section).
You'll be hard pressed to write much in the way of grant proposals your first year, so don't assume that you'll be able to supplement the start-up money from the school.
Get everything in writing.

Misc. Stuff

There's a time lag between hiring and starting. Don't wait until the last month of a post-doc to apply for a permanent job.
Many schools begin job searches in the fall with November or December application deadlines, with interviews in January.
Be honest with yourself about what you really want to do. You (not your adviser, committee, boss) are the one who needs to happy with your career.
Stay visible. Attend meetings, give presentations, mentor students.
Be tactfully tenacious with respect to positions that you really want. It's ok to touch base every few weeks to inquire about when you'll receive an answer. Let them know how things are going. Try to make the call as social as possible, as opposed to just asking if they have made a decision.
Don't be afraid to use the phone. Cold-calling is ok.
Be prepared to be overwhelmed (i.e. freaked-out) during your first year.You'll probably feel more comfortable as time goes by.
Be prepared (financially) in case you miss the first pay cycle. If you are hired in the middle of the year (this may happen anytime) you may be entered into the system after checks are cut for the current pay period.
'Tomorrow's Professor' is a mailing list (and a book) run by Rick Reis. It's chock full of useful tips for those beginning academic careers. More information is available at Tomorrow's Professor .

Web Resources

Chronicle of Higher Education . Job ads, career advice
Professional Society Web Pages such as ASLO , AGU , ERF , etc.
Average salaries of professors at different institutions (data from AAUP). Useful during negotiations.
Environmental Jobs and Careers. Wide variety of jobs listed including - education, non-profit organizations, government - US and Canada, laboratory.
American Fisheries Society. Look under "Job Center". Many other employment web-pages under "Employment Resource Links".
US government jobs.
Society for Conservation Biology. Look under "Resources".
The Plankton Net. Job listings are under 'Research Opportunities'.
Science Magazines Careers page .
Biotechnology Oriented jobs.
Ocean.US. 'Bulletin board' has job opportunities.
Human Resources and employment pages for specific schools, organizations, companies that you are interested in.

Interview questions asked of and by you

Questions asked of you. Have answers to these questions in mind.

Why do you want this job ? OR Why did you apply for this job?
How will you fit into and what will you contribute to the department as an instructor and researcher?
Where do you think your field of research is going in the next 10 years, 20 years? How do you see yourself and your work contributing to the body of knowledge in your field? In the next 10 or 20 years?
What is the importance of your research area in the field ?
Tell us about your past research experiences ?
Which agencies will you apply to for research funds?
Can you give examples of potential (under)graduate research projects ?
Can you accomplish your research goals with undergraduates?
What do you see as the ideal makeup of your group?
Are you willing to work as part of a research or teaching team?
What kind of collaborations do you foresee (within/outside the dept.)?
How do you feel you would integrate with other programs on campus?
I (the interviewer) have $ 100k to spend on new, innovative research. What project would you propose to get this funding ?
What type of teaching experience do you have ?
What skills did you learn when you were teaching ?
What skills/lessons did you learn ? Why did you go to grad school ?
Why are you post-docing/working at XXXX currently ?
What kind of adviser would you be ?
What classes do you think you could teach? Both existing classes (undergrad and grad) at the school and new classes that you would create.
What is your educational philosophy?
Do you like to teach? Have you had experience teaching?
How much space do you need? How much start-up do you need?
Will you be happy living where the job is located ?

Questions asked by you

What is the teaching load for the first year ? What is the normal teaching load ?
What classes am I expected to teach this Fall/Spring ? How many students are typically in each class ? How many labs/sections ?
Do you need to teach every semester, or can you stack your classes ?
When do classes start ? What is the academic calendar ?
How does the promotion/tenure process work ? What is the criteria and what is the typical time line ?
What is the tenure rate in recent years ? Are sabbaticals offered ?
What do you like best about the college ? What are the strengths and weaknesses ?
Why is this position open ? Why have people left positions here ?
How many committees do faculty typically serve on ? How many students would I be advising ?
Is the salary 12 or 9 months ? If 9, how do most faculty raise the other 3 months ? How are raises determined ?
What are the benefits: health, dental, retirement.
Are school facilities available for my (family) use: gym, health center, parking
What research facilities are shared in the department/school ?
Is there access to the ocean/lake/estuary ? Are boats available (time/cost) ?
How much money is available for start-up funds/supplies/equipment? Is it a one-time deal, or can I use the money over several years ?
Is there departmental/organizational money available for: conference/meeting attendance, books, society memberships ?
How much do student research workers cost ? Does this change between summer and during the school year (i.e. give them credit vs. paying). Is funding available for a technician ? for student stipends over January/Summer ?
Does the college provide a computer, desk, chair, printer, phone, voice mail, email account ?
When could I show up and move into my office or lab ?
Will the college provide moving expenses ? Will the college pay for a 2nd visit so I can find housing ?
Can I see a typical office/lab ? Where will my office/lab be located ?
Who has the power (deans, department chairs, etc.) ?
How much interaction between faculty (within departments, within the school, within greater area or the community) is there ? Where does this department fit in the school / community ? Where is the college/dept. going ?
How expensive is the cost of living (housing) in the area ? Do faculty live in the area or commute ? Is there assistance in finding/affording housing ?

C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.
Biology Department
Tel: 509-527-5948
Whitman College
Fax: 509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
[email protected]