How to Get an Academic Job

Dr. Katie Hinde of the University of California at Davis organized a very successful lunchtime workshop for students and new investigators at ASP. The subject was how to get an academic job after finishing the PhD, with emphases on postdocs and tenure-track professorships. Two of the panel members (Paul Garber and Dorothy Cheney)had much experience as members of search committees and one of their key points was that ABD's and newly-minted PhD's have not yet come to a full realization of the significance of their dissertation research, making it difficult for them to sell to search committees where they plan to go in the future. Search committees might be initially seduced by your kickass dissertation research, but ultimately they want to know if will you be a good colleague in the FUTURE. So, what are your plans in the short- AND long-term? How do you plan on building your current project into a research program or how do you see it forming a foundation for your teaching and mentorship? You won't be granted tenure on your dissertation work alone, so it's never too early to at least practice taking a few steps back and framing your dissertation work in a larger context.

Katie put together some great tips and resources for the job search, and with a new season getting ready to gear up in the fall, take this time to start preparing and educating yourself.