Strategies for Applying for a Job in Academia

Strategies for Applying
for a Job in Academia
Nicole D. Jackson, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Yanfen Li, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Rebecca M. Reck, Ph.D., Kettering University
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this presentation are based on the experiences and research of the speakers.

Agenda
● Introductions (5 min)
● Brief overview of an academic job search (10 min)
● Flipped session (15 min)
○ Cover letter
○ CV
○ Research Statement
○ Teaching Philosophy Statement
○ Other Statements/Artifacts
● 2 unconference break out sessions (15 min each)
Copyright 2019, Nicole D. Jackson, Yanfen Li, and Rebecca M. Reck

Nicole Jackson, Ph.D.
● Background
○ B.S. in Civil Engineering, 2005
○ M.S. in Engineering Mechanics, 2008
○ M.S. in Materials Science & Engineering, 2012
○ US EPA, 2014-2016
○ Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, 2019
○ Postdoctoral Appointee, Sandia National Lab starting 11/11/2019
● Contact Info:
○ Email: jackson.nicole.d@gmail.com
○ Twitter: @JacksonNicoleD
1. Be honest with yourself
2. Involve your mentors in your
search

Yanfen Li, Ph.D.
● Background
○ B.S. in Bioengineering, 2012
○ Ph.D. in Bioengineering, 2018
○ Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell 2018-
Present
● Contact Info:
○ Email: yanfen_li@uml.edu
○ Twitter: @YanfenLi
○ Website: Yanfen.Li
1. Start earlier than you think and know the
timeline
2. Don’t talk yourself out of negotiating

Rebecca Reck, Ph.D.
● Background
○ B.S. in Electrical Engineering, 2005
○ Systems Engineer at Rockwell Collins (now
Collins Aerospace) 2005-2013
○ M.S. in Electrical Engineering, 2010
○ Ph.D. in Systems Engineering, 2016
○ Assistant Professor of Mechanical
Engineering at Kettering University, 2016 -
Present
● Contact Info:
○ Email: rebecca@rebeccaee.com
○ Twitter: @rebeccaee
○ Website: www.rebeccaee.com
1. Don’t judge a school by its website
2. Keep your options open

Academic Job
Search

Types of positions
● Tenure track faculty
● Teaching track faculty
● Non-tenure track faculty
● Lecturer/Instructor
● Visiting faculty
● Adjunct faculty
● Administration
● Post-doc
● Lab/Center Director

General Timeline for Tenure Track
Fall
Applications &
Conferences
Submit application documents
and network at conferences
Phone Interviews
Short interviews via phone or
video conference
Duration 20 min. - 1 hour
Nov.
-
Feb.
Campus Interviews
In-person interviews
Early
Spring
Offer and Negotiation
Schools send official offer letters
and then there will be
negotiations
Late
Spring

General Timeline for Non-Tenure Track
Applications &
Conferences
Submit application documents
and network at conferences
Phone Interviews
Short interviews via phone or
video conference
Duration 20 min. - 1 hour
Campus Interviews
In-person interviews
Offer and Negotiation
Schools send official offer letters
and then there will be
negotiations

General Timeline for Everything else
● Post Doc
● Other academic positions

Before You Apply
● Know what type of institution you’re interested in
○ Research specific institutions
● Know where to find job ads (e.g., Chronicle Vitae, HigherEdJobs, Academic
Keys, professional societies, indeed)
● Culture your relationships
○ 3-10 references
○ Heads up on positions
○ Attend future faculty poster session in the National level conference in your field
○ GradSWE/WIA Networking Sessions at SWE conferences
○ Let people know you are on the job market!
● Find a way to organize your materials and keep track of deadlines

Faculty Application Package
● Cover letter
● CV
● Teaching Statement
● Research Statement
● 3-10 references (some schools ask for up to 10 references)
● Diversity Statement
● Postdoc proposal (some position combines postdoc training and faculty
position together)
● Teaching portfolio or writing samples (Evidence of Teaching Statement)
Read the job post carefully for exact requirements and length

Word cloud of required materials for 16 academic jobs

Phone Interview
● Prepare short (~2 min) and long (~5-7 min) version of answers
● Prepare answers for questions regarding
○ Research experience (novelty)
○ Proposal writing experience
○ 3-5 year plan of your lab
○ Teaching experience
○ Courses you can teach and develop
○ Ideas to promote diversity and inclusion
○ Ways to contribute to the university or profession beyond teaching and research
○ Why did you apply to that institution

On Site Interview
● Whole day process (and possibly the night before)!
● Multiple faculty and dean interviews
● Tours
● Meet students
● Deliver seminar and/or Sample lecture
● Chalk talk of future research ideas
● Meals
● (Sometimes there are two on-sites!)
● You’re interviewing them too!

Negotiating
Things you can negotiate:
● Salary (annual and summer)
● Start up package (money, equipment,
students, etc)
● Start date
● Lab space
● Teaching load
● Professional development funds
● 2-Body (Urban schools not as likely)
Tips for success:
● Read HR website and your contract
● You can find salaries online for public
universities
● Don’t be afraid to compare packages

Flipped
Discussion
Job Application Materials
Staying Organized
https://qrgo.page.link/4rhRv
Prepared topics:
● Top Tips
● Resources
● Job Application Requirements
● Cover Letter
● Research Statement
● Teaching Statement
● CV
● Diversity Statement
● Other materials
● Staying organized
● Support networks

Top Tips*
1. Find a writing buddy (or buddies)
2. Start early and ask for feedback
3. Proofread
4. Customize the package for each institution
5. Don’t plagiarize
6. Google yourself
7. Update your online profiles
8. Do your homework
9. Network
10. Practice your answers
*in no particular order

Resources
● Career center, graduate office, or teaching and learning center at your school
● Sessions at conferences
● Graduate student groups on campus
● Advisors/mentors
● Books
○ The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide To Turning Your Ph.D. Into A Job by Karen Kelsky,
Ph.D.
○ The Academic Job Search Handbook by Jennifer S. Furlong and Julia Miller Vick
● Websites
○ Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle, Interfolio

Cover Letter
● Using letterhead, be formal
● Intro paragraph that ends with a strong statement
showing your connection
● Each body paragraph is trying to connect to one
note of the job ad
● Closing paragraph: tie things together, say
something about their engagement/commitment
level
● Specifics matter; topic sentences matter
● Be straight forward!
● Add statements such as “please see my CV,
research statement, teaching statement, etc. for
more details!”
● “I am very interested in this position because my
education, research, and teaching experience
make me a good fit” — BORING
● Don’t put anything factual that doesn’t WOW
● But facts can really make an impact
● Don’t save the best for last
● Don’t make them search for important
details/bury interesting details
● Keep the last paragraph short and sweet–> leave
on a high note!

Research Statement
● Document should stand alone
● Be concise
● Focus on what you have done and plan to
do
● Use active voice
● Do not make your plan sound like you are
extending or adding to your dissertation
● Show a trajectory of publications
● Be clear with expected outcomes
● Include potential funding sources
General Outline
● A brief intro with the overarching
theme/topic
● A summary of your research plan and any
early findings
● A summary of current research (if you have
anything other than your dissertation)
● A summary of previous research and the
major findings
● A conclusion that summarizes your
research and the broader impacts
● References

Teaching Philosophy Statement
● 1-2 Pages
● Goals for teaching
● Describe what you do in the classroom
● Supported by evidence
● Avoid cliches
● Connect to accepted practice for your discipline
● Include courses you can teach
● Consider institution type
● Write it yourself

Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Sections:
● Education
● Teaching
● Research
● Grants*
● Awards*
● Publications (journal, conference)
● Presentations*
● Outreach*
● Skills*
● Service
● Associations*
● Rearrange based on where you
are applying
● Make it easy to read
● Put your most impressive points
at the beginning– draw then in!
● Don’t be afraid to use bold,
italics, and underlining to draw
attention to different things
● Separate longer sections to
highlight different points (awards,
publications, etc.)

Diversity Statement
● Read the prompt carefully
● Demonstrate your awareness of diversity of underrepresented and
disadvantaged groups in higher education
● Explain how you work with different kinds of people
● Describe steps you take to avoid bias in the classroom
● Include examples of how you make your classroom/lab/research group
inclusive
● Mention how your background and experiences have influenced your
approaches
● Explain how you will prepare your students to work in a diverse/global industry

Other Materials
● Writing samples or papers
● Post-doc proposal - research plan if a rotation program
● Teaching portfolio - evaluations, example assignments, syllabi, etc.
● Lab budget
● Service statement - what will/have you contributed to the university,
profession, and/or community

Staying Organized
● Trello
○ Cards for each institution
○ Reminders of deadlines
○ Checklist for required materials
● Google Drive
○ Generic documents
○ Folder for each institution
● Have a database of plain text info for application forms
● Save usernames/passwords

Support Networks
Benefits
● Proofreading
● Idea generation
● Sharing resources
● Obtaining information that is not in the job
post
● Heads up on positions
Finding a network
● Department cohort
● Labmates
● Recent alumni
● Formal programs at your university
● Student groups
● Professional organizations like SWE
● Conferences
● Advisors, committee members

What is iFEAT?
Program Purpose
The purpose of iFEAT is to help female graduate students and postdoctoral students in various STEM fields prepare faculty
application materials with the end goal of applying for an academic position. They also learn more about the application
process itself and other best practices.
Program Structure
A combination of seminars and peer review sessions allow for the participants to write and rewrite their personal application
materials, better preparing them for the faculty application process. It also gives a unique platform for engineering education
research involving women in STEM fields preparing for academia.

Break Out Session 1
Law of 2 Feet - If you aren’t getting what you
need, get up and use your 2 feet so that you are
1. Teaching Track
2. Tenure Track
3. Post Doc

Break Out Session 2
Law of 2 Feet - If you aren’t getting what you
need, get up and use your 2 feet so that you are
1. Organizing a program like iFEAT
2. Organizing your process
3. ???

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