So you want to be an academic?

HANDOUT VERSION
Josh D. Neufeld
University of Waterloo
MODIFIED FROM THE VERSION
PRESENTED OCTOBER 21, 2014

Today’s workshop
What is it like to be an academic?
Plan A versus Plans B-Z
Career building towards academia
Applying for an academic position
The interview process
Landing the job
Resources

Least stressful jobs 2014 (CareerCast)

Forbes.com
The public face of a
typical professor is
restricted to class time
This doesn’t seem like
a lot to most people!
Must look behind the
scenes…

Typical
expectations:
“publication record
indicative of…”
“..independent
externally funded
research program…”
“…contribute to
teaching…”

Postdoctoral fellow
Source: Matt Van Der Meer

Professor
Source: Matt Van Der Meer

Often very rewarding. You are able to pursue research and study in a
field that interests you.
Academic freedom. You are less bound by commercial
considerations or social norms while pursuing your research.
Job security. When professors achieve tenure, they enjoy enhanced
job security.
Flexible hours. You work the hours required to get the job done.
No dress code.
Teaching. Academia gives you the chance to share your interests
with others and expand the field of knowledge.
Leadership opportunities. You hold a position of stature and get to
make a difference in your community.
No boss. The people you work with are your colleagues.
Source: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/graduate-pathways-success/getting-academic-job

PhD student opinions of job attractiveness
Sauermann and Roach (2012) PLOS ONE

What is Plan A?
Assistant professor (untenured), Associate
professor (tenured), Full Professor
•  Teaching faculty
•  Research faculty
•  Both teaching and research

Questions to consider for Plan A (academia):
Do you really want an academic position?
Are you fascinated by research and new ideas?
Do you like being on your own (i.e., independent)?
Are you self directed?
Are you a work-a-holic?
Are you a good communicator? Personable?
Do you enjoy teaching?
Are you comfortable in a mentorship role?
Are you willing to work evenings and weekends?
Are you comfortable not being paid a good hourly rate?
Would you still go to work if unpaid?

Faculty positions are relatively rare.
•  More job seekers than jobs
•  ~14% of PhD graduates have a faculty position
within 5-6 years post graduation in the biological
sciences (NSF 2006 survey).
Advertised positions typically receive >100
applications.
There is a bright side.

Publications are critical.
•  Quantity (more is good, not always better)
•  Quality (higher impact is important)
•  Story (diversity, direction, depth)
Other considerations
•  Teaching experience
•  Industry work experience
•  Science outreach
•  Awards

Research productivity can take many forms (e.g., 2
high-impact publications versus 8 solid
contributions)
Now: develop a research identity, a coherent and
recognizable path that equips you with a set of
projects that are realistic, interesting, and “yours”.
Become recognized in your ﬁeld – go to
conferences and participate.
No substitute for hard work and long hours on your
primary projects, but don’t forget about the soft
skills…
Be passionate about what you do!

Be aware of available positions; start doing this
during graduate school.
Subscribe to University Aﬀairs. Many journals
(Nature, Science) and societies have job postings.
Join academic societies (e.g., Canadian Society for
Microbiology).
Attend conferences whenever possible; network!
Contact senior colleagues familiar with your work to
let them know you are looking.
Make sure your advisor knows you are interested in
an academic job.

Publications (~1 per year is typical in my field)
Build network with peers (future colleagues and collaborators)
at different institutions: summer schools, conferences
Meet at least a few senior figures in the field (visiting speakers,
at conferences, by e-mail, your dept seminar series!)
Apply for own funding (PhD and post-doc)
Review some papers (typically together with advisor)
Take advantage of opportunities to develop soft skills:
presentation workshops, “Preparing Future Faculty” type
courses, this workshop!
Align your expectations and career plans with your advisor’s
plans and the lab’s capabilities.
Do all of this in moderation: #1 is still research productivity.
MSc and PhD students

Choose lab with pedigree if you can (possible exception:
working with a new faculty member).
Work on projects that set you up for a compelling
independent research proposal.
Continue to build network, take a more active role (e.g.,
proposing workshop topics).
Start applying for faculty jobs as soon as your ﬁrst
postdoc paper comes out.
Attend grant writing workshops, apply for independent
investigator grants if your position allows; ask to be
involved in your advisor’s grant writing.
Advisor should be promoting your work; ask to be
considered for invited talks.
Research always #1 priority.
Postdocs

Applying for a position
Cover letter
CV
Research plan
Teaching philosophy
References

Cover letter
•  Be brief (2-4 paragraphs).
•  Mention you are a citizen of country, if possible.
•  Demonstrate how you are a good ﬁt to the
described position and the Department.
•  Mention existing connections to location.
You want the letter to help convince the committee
that you would have a good career there, will
continue to be excellent, and want to live there for a
long time.

CV
•  Be brief (2-3 pages).
•  Publication list is key.
•  Grant proposal writing experience a plus.
•  Avoid mentioning manuscripts in preparation.
•  Seek example CVs from your supervisor.
•  Pay attention to design (ﬁrst impression).
•  Career Services can help you.

Research vision
•  Be brief (2-3 pages) and clear; committee has
broad backgrounds.
•  Include overarching research direction and short-
term research goals.
•  Be careful not to look like a copy of your current
lab’s projects, yet blending your past training and
with future research a plus. It’s a balance.
•  Convince committee that you have a realistic plan
and help them envision what your ﬁrst students
will do and what your lab will look like in 10 years.

Teaching vision
•  Teaching experience for entry position usually
limited among applicants – research is the focus.
•  Include overarching teaching direction and short-
term teaching interests.
•  Sound enthusiastic about teaching and use your
teaching experience to demonstrate how this has
shaped your approach to teaching.
•  Mention 1-2 courses in the department you could
teach if needed and 1-2 courses that you would be
interested in developing (this is the challenge).

References
•  Two of the three should be from your PhD and
postdoctoral supervisor. If not, this will be a red
ﬂag for you. IMPRESS YOUR SUPERVISOR NOW.
•  The third will ideally come from your MSc
supervisor (if applicable), or someone else at arm’s
length. Perhaps a committee member.
•  Letters should provide speciﬁc examples and be
extremely positive.
•  Letters are critical. People are consistent and track
records are the best judge of future success.

The Interview Process
Usually one day, the busiest day of your life. Dress well.
Ask in advance to meet with speciﬁc people of interest (not just
faculty, but also techs/managers), and tour key facilities.
If not given an agenda 1 week ahead of interview, ask the chair’s
secretary to send you one.
Meetings: the chair, the dean, one-on-ones with hiring
committee members, grad student(s), group meeting with
committee, lunch, dinner.
Presentation(s): 50 minute research talk.
Primary purpose is to sell yourself to the university, but be
prepared to explain what you need to be successful.

Sample questions you should be prepared to answer:
How will you start your research program?
Where do you expect to be in 1, 5, 10 years?
How will you attract students and trainees?
What is your strategy in applying for (more) external funding?
*What grants will you apply for first?
What specific projects do you have planned? First experiment?
How will you supervise and manage your lab?
What equipment/resources/facilities do you need?
What collaborations do you see here?
What courses can you teach? How will you approach this?
How big will your lab be ideally?
How do you resolve conflicts?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
The committee wants to know if you will be a “good fit”, both
professionally and personally. Smile.

Have your own relevant and speciﬁc questions ready, for each
and every meeting. Be prepared.
Questions show that you are curious and eager, and help avoid
interview awkwardness. The absence of questions is a red ﬂag.
Avoid asking questions that you should have known by looking
at websites for individual faculty members, the department, or
faculty. Instead, use online info to develop your questions.
General questions
Lab space (who allocates? renovation budget?)
Start-up funds?
Teaching reduction for new faculty members?
How is the graduate program and funding implemented?
What administrative or technical support is available?
Tenure success rate?
Teaching load?

The Black Book
(bring it with you)

and every meeting.
Chair meeting (as appropriate)
How long have you been Chair?
Why did you choose to come to this university?
How collegial is the department?
Sharing of equipment common?
Does this department have a core facility for equipment?
Are grants reviewed internally in this department?
What will be expected of me teaching-wise in the ﬁrst year?
Will lab space be ready when I am expected to start?
What start-up funding is available for this position?
Will I be allocated CFI dollars for equipment?
How does this position ﬁt with the department’s vision?
How much does a graduate student cost?
Does this department have a strategic plan? Could I see it?

and every meeting.
One-on-one faculty meetings
How long have you been at this university?
How collegial is the department?
Where do most of your graduate students come from?
How supportive is the chair and dean?
How rapidly has lab space been renovated for recent hires?
Who is the department’s most recent hire?
Where do you live in relation to the university?
Do you like living here?
Are you happy with the schools in this area?
What was the tenure process like for you?
What is your teaching load?

and every meeting.
Hiring committee meeting (as appropriate)
How does this position ﬁt with the direction of the department?
Does this department have a core facility for equipment?
Are grants reviewed internally in this department?
What will be expected of me teaching-wise in the ﬁrst year?
Will lab space be ready when I am expected to start?
Can I see the lab space allocated to this position?
Will renovations be possible for this lab?
What start-up funding is available for this position?
Will I be allocated CFI dollars for equipment?
Does this department have a strategic plan? Can I see it?
***“I plan to explore the area tomorrow, what places should I see
and do you have any neighborhoods to recommend I look as an
idea of where I could live?”

and every meeting.
Grad student meetings
What type of stipend do graduate students receive?
Are there speciﬁc awards available for grad students?
Is the an active grad student association?
Do the grad students have a place to socialize on campus?
What is the social atmosphere like in this department?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this department?
Is this the kind of department you’d choose to work one day?
What could make a grad student’s life better in this dept?
How active is the seminar series? Good talks? Mandatory?
Is there a professional development course for all graduate
students? For credit? Would you like one?
Do you feel training for a career is part of this department’s
mentorship?

and every meeting.
Dean meeting
Do the departments in this faculty collaborate with one
another?
Do you have speciﬁc examples of highly successful new faculty
members to suggest that I might use as a model or mentor?
Does this faculty have a strategic plan? May I see it?
Are there plans for future buildings or space that may be
relevant as I consider this university as an academic home?
Is there additional support from the faculty for undergraduate
or graduate student stipends?
Is there teaching and research training available?
What is expected for tenure?
Are there teaching and research awards available for faculty
members?

and every meeting.
Meals
Ask about department collegiality, where people live, whether
they have children, whether the chair is supportive, whether the
faculty members interact socially.
How do these faculty members blend applied and basic
research?
What was the tenure process like?
Where do most students recruited from? Lots of choice?
Do not order the most expensive food. Avoid messy food. Check
the menu beforehand if restaurant on the agenda.
Sit with your back to the room to avoid distraction.
If others are having alcohol, allow yourself one drink.
Decide beforehand what personal information you are willing to
share – be careful.

Research (and teaching?) seminars
The goal is to show the breadth of your research. Give tastes of
research results and publications but avoid this talk being like all
other departmental seminars. It is not.
Show how the research you present has ideally positioned you
to begin an independent research career. Paint a picture of what
this research career will look like (match to your research vision
statement).
Mention possible collaborations with the Department.
Bring your own laser pointer. Have talk on USB and on your
computer. Smile and come out from behind the podium. Interact
with the screen.
The research talk is often used to provide an idea of teaching
quality as well.
If doing a teaching talk, make it the most interesting and
interactive lecture you can. Ask questions, be enthusiastic, look
at audience. Bring something to show. Come alive.

General Advice
Do not get into a salary negotiation now. Avoid the discussion. If
it comes up, “a salary commensurate with my experience and
comparable to other new faculty would seem reasonable”.
Be prepared with speciﬁc courses in mind you would develop.
Be prepared with outline of speciﬁc grants you would apply for.
Bring your black book with you everywhere. Take notes.
Make sure you have a good handshake. Ask for feedback
beforehand if unsure.
Make sure there are breaks in your agenda schedule. If not,
request a break, especially before your talk.
Consider slipping a thank-you card onto the Chair’s secretary
desk if he or she was particularly helpful in organizing your trip.

Landing the job
General Advice
After the interview, consider a thank-you email to each of those
you met with on interview day.
If they contact you with an offer, it means they very much want
you to come. Now is the time for negotiations.
Ask for what you need to be successful and back this up with a
detailed budget (ask advisor, recent new faculty for advice)
Two-body problem? Ask about spousal positions.
Do negotiate salary. Any increase pays off yearly, for life.
Get salary, start-up, space, teaching load, and other critical
components specified in writing.
Don’t overdo the negotiations. This should be a brief process.

Booklets from sciencecareers.sciencemag.org (AAAS)

http://sceomasincukraljevo.blog.com/ﬁles/2011/04/di-0356.pdf

http://www.inspiredleadership.org.uk/

Things I wish I had done earlier
Learned R
Learned Python
Learned the Adobe Creative Suite
•  Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

Parting advice
Serendipity a big part of the process. Some things
cannot be planned.
Be practical about career aspirations, be prepared for
Plans B-Z.
Make career choices that match your interests and
skills, not your idea of a perfect job. Be content for
life.
Ask: how am I uniquely qualiﬁed? What do I do well?
Use StrengthsFinder wisely.
Beware imposter syndrome (feeling like a fake,
attributing successes to luck, downplaying success).
Strategic plan (dept, faculty, university, you?)

Resources and sources
Many departments have a graduate “skills” course
(e.g., BIOL 690 – Scientiﬁc Communication)
Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
Co-operative Education & Career Action (CECA)
Dr. Matt van der Meer (Biology) workshop
presentation, used as template and some content
Dr. Mark MacLachlan (UBC)
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/graduate-pathways-success/getting-academic-job
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/graduate-pathways-success/sample-interview-questions

So you want to be an academic?

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