This document provides guidance for job applicants on preparing for and participating in the academic job application and interview process. It discusses assembling a strong application package including a cover letter, research statement, teaching statement, and CV. It emphasizes highlighting accomplishments, motivating research problems, and showing how one's work fits into a larger context. The document also offers tips for phone and on-site interviews, including common questions, having questions prepared for the interviewers, and researching the hiring department and faculty. The overall message is to clearly communicate one's strengths and fit for the position.

1. Preparing
for
Today's
Academic
Job
Market:
Lessons
from
the
Trenches
Emad
Shihab
emads@cs.queensu.ca
Queen’s
University

2. Caveats
The
presenter
is
not
an
expert
We
will
not
discuss
• Academia
vs.
Industry
• Why
do
a
PhD
• Perks
of
Academia
• Funding
2

3. What
We
Will
Talk
About…
Preparing
you
applicaDon
package
Interviewing
–
Phone
and
On-­‐site
Post
Interview
Staying
sane,
being
realisDc,
etc.
3

4. ApplicaDon
Package
4

5. ApplicaDon
Packages
Come
in
Packs
of
Four
+
1
Cover
leJer
Research
statement
Teaching
statement
Curriculum
Vitae
+1:
Website
5

6. Cover
LeOer
Should
state:
1. What
posiSon
you
are
applying
for
2. The
highlights
of
your
awesomeness
• Research
accomplishments
• Teaching
accomplishments
• Funding
accomplishments
• Anything
else
that
is
unique
to
you
3. Why
you
are
interested
in
this
job
4. What
else
you
are
aJaching
to
the
applicaSon
6

7. Research
Statement
Probably
the
longest
document
in
your
package…
…make
it
an
easy
read!
Give
it
to
a
non-­‐expert
and
make
sure
they
are
impressed
7

8. Research
Statement
-­‐
Content
MoDvate
your
problem
Discuss
what
you
did
• Highlight
(at
least)
one
important
finding
• Put
your
research
achievements
in
context
• Don’t
be
shy!
Discuss
the
future
• Make
it
short
and
to
the
point
• It
should
be
an
evoluSon…not
a
revoluSon
8

9. Research
Statement
–
General
Advice
Sell
what
you
are
good
at,
even
if
it
is
making
lemonade
Show
a
big
picture,
and
most
importantly,
that
your
problem
is
worth
invesDng
in
9

10. Teaching
Statement
Level
of
importance
depends
on
the
University
you
apply
to
I
found
it
to
be
the
most
difficult
to
write,
since:
1. It
is
hard
to
not
be
cheesy
2. I
had
very
liJle
experience
with
teaching
3. It
is
hard
to
quanSfy
good
teaching,
i.e.,
the
results
secSon
of
the
paper
is
missing
;)
10

11. Teaching
Statement
-­‐
Content
Why
you
got
into
this
business
in
the
first
place
Share
some
of
your
teaching
experience
Why
you
think
you
are
a
good
teacher
Discuss
grad
teaching/supervision
List
what
courses
you
are
comfortable
teaching
(make
sure
you
show
breadth)
11

12. Curriculum
Vitae
Basically,
who
you
are
(academically)
• Research
Interests
• EducaSon
• PublicaSons
• Industrial
experience
• Teaching
experience
• Awards
• Professional
service
• References
12

13. Curriculum
Vitae
Research
Interests
• Make
them
as
wide
as
possible
PublicaDons
• Show
quality
and
quanSty
• Show
your
submissions,
especially
if
they
are
quality
pubs
• Show
collaboraSon
Industrial
experience
• Make
sure
to
list
what
you
achieved
• Who
you
worked
with
13

14. Curriculum
Vitae
Teaching
experience
• List
class
sizes,
topics
taught
• YOUR
responsibility
Awards
and
Grants
• Show
your
research
&
presentaSon
excellence
• Show
them
you
can
make
money!
• Show
them
you
can
make
money!
References
• Choose
them
carefully,
very
carefully
• The
bigger,
and
more
diverse,
the
beJer
14

15. Interviews
15

16. Phone
Interviews
Generally
conducted
with
the
search
commiJee
• 15
–
30
minutes
long
Typical
quesDons
• Tell
us
about
your
research?
• Why
our
department?
• What
courses
do
you
want
to
teach?
• Where
do
you
plan
to
get
funding
from?
• When
do
you
plan
to
finish?
Expect
any
type
of
quesDon!
16

17. Phone
Interviews
Towards
the
end,
a
common
quesSon
is
…
• Do
you
have
any
quesDons
for
us?
Feel
free
to
ask,
but
what
you
should
know
by
the
end
of
the
conversaSon
is:
• Why
they
are
hiring?
• What
is
the
teaching
load?
• What
is
unique
about
the
university?
Most
importantly,
let
them
know
you
are
a
good
fit!
17

18. On-­‐site
Interview
Prep
Research
the
department
• Why
would
you
be
a
good
fit
• How
do
you
see
yourself
contribuSng
• How
are
young
professors
doing
Research
the
faculty
• What
are
their
research
interests
• What
do
they
teach
• What
was
a
recent
good
publicaSon
Research
possible
funding
sources
• Show
that
you
are
thinking
like
a
faculty
18

19. Typical
On-­‐site
Interview
IDnerary
Day
1
9:00
AM
Get
picked
up
by
faculty
9:30
AM
Meet
with
department
chair
10:00
-­‐
11:30
Job
talk
11:30
–
12:45
Lunch
with
faculty/students
1:00
–
1:45
Meet
with
students
2:00
–
2:30
Meet
with
Vice
Provost
2:30
–
4:30
Meet
with
faculty
members
5:30
–
8:00
Dinner
Day
2
8:30
AM
Get
picked
up
by
faculty
9:00
–
9:30
Undergrad
program
director
9:30
–
10:00
Meet
with
Dean
10:00
–
11:30
Grad
program
director
11:30
–
12:00
Meet
with
lecturers
12:00
–
12:45
Lunch
with
faculty/students
19
1:00
–
2:00
Wrap
up
with
dept.
chair

20. Job
Talk
PotenDally,
the
most
important
talk
of
your
life
Should
cover:
• Who
you
are?
• Research
interests
• MoSvate
problem
and
show
importance
• Provide
context
and
big
picture
• Give
a
summarized
version
of
your
main
work
• Show
achievements
• Provide
future
direcSons
The
talk
should
REALLY
impress
a
non-­‐expert!
20

21. MeeDng
with
Faculty
Mood
will
vary
based
on
faculty
member
The
most
asked
quesDon
• Do
you
have
any
quesSons
for
me?
What
you
want
to
convey
• You
are
working
on
important
problems
• You
can
get
money
for
your
projects
• You
are
excited
about
collaboraSon
• You
want
THIS
job,
not
any
job!
Most
faculty
are
super
nice,
enjoy
the
discussions
–
I
did!
21

22. MeeDng
with
Lecturers
Your
toughest
criScs,
at
least
for
me
…
Most
will
ask
you
about
your
teaching
experience
• How
you
handle
different
situaSons
• Why
this
school
or
department
• What
your
expectaSons
are
• What
you
are
interested
in
teaching
InteresSngly,
not
so
interested
in
student
teaching
evaluaSons
22

23. MeeDng
with
Deans
Mostly
interested
in
your
personality
and
your
fit
Some
asked
quesSons
related
to
my
research
All
Deans
asked:
What
quesDons
do
you
have
for
me?
….
all
Deans!
Be
careful,
most
Deans
have
veto
power!
23

24. Lunch/
Dinner
MeeDngs
The
most
volaDle
Dme
of
the
interview
Your
personality
has
to
really
show
Most
discussions
were
about
non-­‐funcDonal
aspects:
• Living
in
the
area
• Children
• Funding,
or
lack
of
Just
like
ge_ng
arrested,
everything
you
say
can
and
will
be
used
against
you!
24

25. Interviews
–
Final
Remarks
Interviews
can
be
mentally,
physically
and
emoDonally
draining
–
you’ve
been
warned!
Be
at
your
best
behavior,
but
be
yourself
Be
prepared
for
all
kinds
of
quesSons/feedback
Take
notes
• What
would
living
here
be
like?
• Will
I
enjoy
being
here
for
the
next
30
years?
• Are
people
running
away
from
this
place?
• Are
junior/senior
faculty
happy?
25

26. Post
Interview
26

27. Post
Interview
Send
thank
you
notes,
if
you
see
fit
Get
advice
from
others
based
on
your
observaSons
Be
paSent
…
outcome
can
take
2
weeks
–
3
months
27

28. Post
Interview
-­‐
Outcome
You
get
an
offer,
congratulaSons!
Let
the
negoSaSons
begin…
• Salary
• Student
support
• Startup
money
• Travel
money
• Lab
space
• Teaching
load
• Moving
expenses,
start
date,
etc..
Be
careful,
it
is
a
buyer’s
market!
28

29. Post
Interview
-­‐
Outcome
You
get
an
email
thanking
you
for
your
Sme
Lick
your
wounds
and
understand…
• You
will
get
something
else
• Making
it
to
the
interview
is
an
accomplishment
on
its
own
• You
will
only
get
beJer
with
Sme
Leverage
your
advisor
and
family
for
support
and
encouragement
29

30. General
Stats
According
to
Taulbee
survey,
124
PhDs
got
hired
to
a
tenure-­‐track
posiSon
in
2011
Although
it
is
difficult,
it
is
not
impossible
The
harder
you
work,
the
beJer
your
chances
are
30

31. General
Stats
31
Source:
hJp://www.cccblog.org/2012/05/07/surge-­‐in-­‐postdocs-­‐conSnues-­‐according-­‐to-­‐latest-­‐survey-­‐data/

32. Timeline
May
–
August:
Prepare
applicaSon
materials
September
–
January:
ApplicaSon
season
January
–
May:
Interview
season
May
–
June:
Hear
back
32

33. Where
to
Find
Job
PosDngs
CRA:
hJp://cra.org/ads/
The
Chronicle
of
HD:
hJp://chronicle.com/
University
Affairs:
hJp://oraweb.aucc.ca/pls/ua/ua_re
AcademicKeys:
hJp://www.academickeys.com/
33

34. Warning!
The
views
presented
here
are
based
on
the
presenter’s
experiences
34

35. Happy
Job
HunDng!
35