________________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 1: 1) Optimizing your vita. 2) The selection process. 3) Academic offers. 4) The job: a) Establishing yourself as a researcher. b) Establishing a deparmental presence. c) Teaching. d) Real life. ___________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 2: What's A Good Vita? Factors recruitment committees will look at: + What school do you come from? + What is your area? + How famous is your advisor? + How good is your thesis? + How many and what quality are your publications? + Do you have any awards or special fellowships? + (Are you a target of opportunity?) The academic recruiting process: 1) Application 2) Letters 3) Interview 4) Discussion 5) Offer ___________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 3: The Interview A Typical Day: Breakfast with host Meetings with faculty, dean, students, or staff (30-60 minutes each) Lunch with a group of faculty from the department Meetings Your talk Meetings Dinner with group from the department + Practice your talk at least 3 times in front of an audience. + Read up on the department and your potential col- leagues. Have an idea of where your work could fit in. + Have a 5 minute description of your research and its impact. Ditto for what you plan to do after you finish your dissertation. + Be prepared to talk with faculty, grad and/or undergrad students, the Dean, systems staff and secretaries. + Ask about daycare, jobs for your partner, etc. at the right time. + Know what equipment you'd like. + Look like you're interested. + Get the Systers summary on Interviews and read it. ______________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 4: The Offer You may be able to negotiate for: + Salary + Rank + Initial reduced teaching load + Initial reduced committee work + RA support + Equipment + Discretionary budget + Travel funds + Summer salary + Moving expenses + Home Loan Assistance + Assistance with the "two-body" problem etc. ________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 5: Once You're There 1) Establishing yourself as a researcher 2) Establishing a departmental presence 3) Teaching 4) Real life. ________________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 6: Establishing Yourself as a Researcher 1) Write grant proposals. 2) Teach a course in your research area. 3) Start or participate in a seminar in your research area. 4) Write up the papers from your dissertation. 5) Attract students. 6) Go to conferences in your research area. 7) Start developing a network of colleagues. _______________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 7: Establishing Yourself in the Department 1) Observe the political power structure of the department before you jump in. 2) Find local mentor(s). 3) Be nice to staff and systems people. 4) Be collegial. 5) Volunteer sparingly. _____________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 8: Teaching 1) Do the best job you can. 2) Treat the students with respect. 3) Don't bake cookies. 4) Have a realistic view of the role of teaching at your institution. __________________________________________________________ BERMAN SLIDE 9: Real Life 1) Have a real life. 2) Be discrete about outside activities. 3) Have friends who aren't computer scientists. 4) Have friends who aren't academics. ___________________________________________________________________ MESIROV SLIDE 1: Industry vs. Academia: The Choice is yours Jill P. Mesirov Thinking Machines Corporation --------------------------------------- MESIROV SLIDE 2: Opportunities in Industry Research Development Marketing and Sales Wide spectrum in between Research and Development R&D and M&S --------------------------------------- MESIROV SLIDE 3: Development: Product driven Schedules are tight Can yield big payoffs $$ Advancement Work fairly well defined , often by someone else Satisfaction of utility and finished product ------------------------------------------ MESIROV SLIDE 4: Research: Very few basic research jobs in industry Many applied research jobs often interdisciplinary need good communication skills written and verbal Worry about bottom line good times vs. bad times Important to understand company's long term goals and how you are placed with respect to them. ------------------------------------------ MESIROV SLIDE 5: Some issues involved: Industry Academia Flexibility: wider range of opportunities schedule more flexible more positions available summers and sabbaticals geographic research agenda Security: short term long term Teaching: no students students Keeping current: make concious effort part of the job Attitude towards women: about the same tougher in R&D than in M&S ------------------------------------------ MESIROV SLIDE 6: Why did I do it? Flexibility Two body problem Am I glad? For me it was the right decision. ----------------------------------------------- MESIROV SLIDE 7: What to look for in job hunt: Applied vs. undirected research Who sets program/directs the research? What are the career paths? How flexible is it in terms of *publications (company confidential?) *professional community service *travel to meetings, give talks, collaborate What are the salary scales? What are the company's goals and strategies? Are there other women around? What is your "boss" like? How does she view the group's goals? Do people work as individuals? in groups? What criteria will she use to evaluate your work? What hardware/software will she provide you with? ------------------------------------------------- MESIROV SLIDE 8: What's the group/company like to work in? Talk to people who know people who work there. Get the real scoop Have an informal meeting with colleagues to catch the tone Know something about the company and its product before you get there. Don't say you'd do anything they want if you won't! They'll be unhappy later and so will you!!! ------------------------------------------------- MESIROV SLIDE 9: How to survive: Do great work See what needs to be done, and do it Don't get distracted by side issues and projects Pick mentors wisely Listen! Keep up external contacts and collaborations Know your strengths Take care mixing work and play, sigh! ______________________________________________________________ TAYLOR SLIDE 1: My Interview Experiences *Visited 6 universities *Considered: +Start-up package +Teaching load +Environment +Class size & TA support +Salary ------------------------------------------------------------- TAYLOR SLIDE 2: Setting Up Your Research Lab *Negotiate for: +Desk space +Student support & equipment +No teaching during first term *Replicate your grad school environment *Be selective when taking on grad students *Have one research project of your own --------------------------------------------------------------- TAYLOR SLIDE 3: Balancing Your Load *Be honest with your time *Delegate as much as possible *Don't take on too many students *Be very selective about activities and committees *Be aware of hidden time sinks *Take time for yourself