dubocovich-thedo and donts-030911
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Interviewing for a Faculty Position:The Dos and Don'ts
Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD
Professor EmeritaDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry
Northwestern UniversityChicago, Illinois 60611
Professor and ChairDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology
School of Medicine and Behavioral ScienceUniversity at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York 14241
Making the Right Moves:A Practical Guide to ScientifıcManagement for Postdocs and New Faculty
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Howard Hughes Medical Institutehttp://www.hhmi.org/resources/labmanagement/moves.html
[You make download the book or ask for a free copy to be sent to you]
Resources
Outline•How can you prepare and sell yourself?
•How is a search run?
•What happens before and during the interview?
•How do you negotiate the job offer?
Starting a Job Search: Challenging Questions
• What do I want and need from my job?
• How do I go about finding a job?
• How can I ensure that my achievements and capabilities will be recognized?
• How will I choose among the offers I receive?
• How can I ensure that the resources I need to launch my career are included in the job package?
Knowing What You WantPreferences• top‐rated institution• less intense atmosphere research, • combination research and teaching, • clinical practice • a particular area of the country • urban, rural, suburban location
Personal responsibilities• spouse’s or partner’s professional needs• desire to see patients if you are physician‐scientist• time to devote to research versus clinical practice
Learning What Is Out There• Job announcement letters sent to your department
• Announcements in major scientific journals (Cell, Science, Nature and in publications devoted to your subspecialty)
• Web sites of academic institutions
• Employment bulletins by professional associations
• Mail list servers for postdoctoral fellows
• Informal sources
• Measure each job opportunity against your list of priorities
• Find out about institution’s mission, values, political / social climate, quality(e.g., national or regional ranking)
• Department’s mission, research activities, curriculum, collegial atmosphere
• Parameters and expectations of the position, tenure track
• Faculty policies on parental leave and tenure clock extension
Don’t apply for a job that you are clearly not qualified for or that really does not interest you.
You don’t want to waste people’s time and perhaps damageyour own credibility.
Narrowing Your Search
THE JOB APPLICATIONMaking a Good First Impression
• Application is likely to be one of hundreds application
• Be concise and free of factual, grammatical, and spelling errors
• Get your application in on time
While a nicely prepared application will obviously not get you a job, a poorly prepared one makes a bad impression no matter howmany papers you have published.
—Johannes Walter, Harvard Medical
• Cover letter• C.V.• Names of references• Research Statement• Teaching Statement• Reprints
Components of a Job Application
The cover letter (Should be limited to one page)
Extremely important and should be written with great care. Provide quick but informative picture of your background and interests relevant to job
Include • Brief self‐introduction
• Specify position for which you are applying
• State your research accomplishments, novelty and significance of research
• Brief description of your research plans ‐ what is important or creative
• Brief description of your teaching (or clinical) experience, if require by position
• Any special circumstances you believe the committee should know about up front
Components of a Job Application
This career summary should contain:
• Your name and address• All higher education, with degrees obtained and dates• All professional positions held, with dates and brief descriptions of work performed• Awards and honors, including pre‐ and postdoctoral fellowships• Major sources of independent funding• Publications• Teaching experience, awards, and interests• References, including names, titles, and addresses and other contact information• Invited keynotes and presentations• Board certifications and eligibility for physician‐scientists
The Curriculum Vitae
The Research Proposal Many successful applicants write two (or possibly three) research proposals
Include the following items in your proposals:• Statement about the problem you intend to work on, key you will tackle. State how this research is expected to contribute to your general area.• A description of your research plans: three or four specific aims and background • A few figures (perhaps one per proposal). •A detailed description of your postdoctoral research. Make clear to the search committee that the work you are taking with you will not be in direct competition with your postdoc adviser.• References that includes your publications and manuscripts submittedor in press, as well as pertinent publications by others.• Reprints. Send along any important papers that are not yet published; otherwise, the committee will not have access to them.• Statement of teaching if appropriate. If the job has a teaching component, add a separate section describing your interest in and approach to teaching.
• Doctorate adviser
• Post‐doc adviser(s)
• People who can write with substance and make comparative statements[anticipate this need now ‐ network]
• Provide c.v., research statement, reprints, etc.
References
Question: What if I don’t get along with my adviser?
Answer: If you do not have a good relationship with your adviser and cannot ask for a letter of recommendation, make sure you explain why in your cover letter. Be completely candid about the situation.
Not having a recommendation from your adviser is a red flag to the search committee and will not be ignored.
The committee may even contact your adviser anyway.
A letter from another faculty member from the same institution may be critical in this case.
How is a search run?• Funding for the position
• Search Committee (chair, members)
• Reviews of candidates
• Request for references
• Selection of short list (3‐6 candidates)
• Extend invitations for first visit (phone, e‐mail)
• Preparation for first visit (seminar title, travel arrangements, hotel, etc)
• List of people you like to meet
• Itinerary before your arrival, seminar announcement
DEPARTMENT INVITATION
• Prepare your “job talk”• Read about the department/program/faculty• Read about their resources, grad programs,funding programs, etc.• Read latest paper by faculty, especially interviewers, dinner people, chair.• Keep aware of time• Job talk• Lunch with trainees (ask if not offered)• Faculty outside dept (ask if not offered)• Dinner /lunch with committee • Dress appropriately
Preparing for the Interview
• Breakfast with search committee chair
• One‐on‐ones with faculty– Bilateral interview– Engage their science– This is for life…
• Keep aware of time
• Job talk• Lunch with trainees (ask if not offered)
• Faculty outside dept (ask if not offered)• Dinner/lunch with committee
The Interview ‐ Day 1
When you’re talking to the faculty, it’s important to appear interested in everybody’s work. You don’t have to be an expert on the topic.
If you know something about it, it’s good to chime in with a suggestion or a question.
If you’re clueless, it’s fine to say, “This is really fascinating, but could you give me a bit more background?”
It’s also very important to give a dynamite seminar so that the people who didn’t get a chance to meet with you privately will have a chance to hear about your work, how you express yourself, and what kind of a context you put your research in.
—Thomas Cech, HHMI
•Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse and…Rehearse
•Tailor to the audience and search
•Biology and question paramount
•Overview to start ‐ summary before future plans
•Good intro
•Finish with future plans
•Listen to questions ‐ repeat or ask for clarification ‐“are you asking…?”
The Job Talk ‐ Substance
Some fraction of the audience is always asleep during any talk, no matter how exciting the subject. Find a few people who are listening attentively and give your talk to them.
—Johannes Walter, Harvard Medical School
• Breakfast with faculty• Dean?• More of all sorts• Chalk talk• Exit interview• Dinner (2nd or 3rd)• Fly out• Crash
The Interview ‐ Day 2
We always ask the administrative assistant how she was treated by the candidate, both on the phone prior to the visit and during the visit. This is always very illuminating. I think candidates need to pay attention to how they treat the staff.
Ann Brown, Duke University School of Medicine
SEMINAR ANNOUNCEMENT
FIRST VISIT ITINERARY
Ask if don’t already know:
• Space (should have seen it)• Teaching• Start up (official plus other in‐house)• Training programs (how run and how access)• Tenure system
Leave for now if not offered:
– Salary– Benefits– Spouse/partner
Exit interview
CANDIDATE EVALUATION
ASK to meet/see:• Cores• Grad program directors• Chair of possible secondary appointments• Other assistant professors• Internal awards• Access to students? • Tenure clock and requirements • Honor promises? Long honeymoon? • Who pays for what? Esprit?]• Other chairs
All the rules of first interview still apply:– Know whom you’re meeting– Prepare for them and ENGAGE
Second Visit ‐ Information Gathering
SECOND VISIT ITINERARY
•NOW, the partner, kids, housing, salary, benefits
•Ask to meet with housing office, benefits office
•Short and long term teaching, space, tenure
•Be clear: “we are definitely interested in making you an offer”“I am definitely interested in coming”“I definitely want to come”
Mean what you say! Be honest ….. Be direct
Second Visit ‐ Start of Negotiation
• Informal offer first, often• Formal provisional next• Formal can take a while
Get it in writing and in detail:• Space• Start up• Salary and benefits• Tenure• Teaching
The Offer Letter
• Where (room numbers)?
• Shared/exclusive?
• When ready to occupy?
• What renovations needed?
• Who pays for these?
• Common space policy and access?
• Future needs?
Space
• What can come out of it?• When must it be spent by?• What happens to balance?• What comes out of it/ what not?• Equipment
• Your 9 month salary• Your summer salary• Administrative assistance• Glassware washing• Phone, mail, photocopying
Start‐up money
• What and how are students paid (years 1‐6)?• Internal funds for students, post‐docs, research?• State monies?• Local awards for “junior” faculty?
Other Sources of Funds
• Salary: 9 vrs 12 month – Summer salary
• Base salary (on which benefits are determined)
• Benefits (esp. housing, childcare, retirement, pre‐tax plans, tuition, moving expenses, parental leave)
• Percent off grants expected vs. guaranteed
• Policy if cover more than this percent
• Sabbatical (how much, how often, who pays)
Salary and Benefits
• You are worth it! Quality comes at a price.
• You may be negotiating with Dean, not Chair or Provost !
• Counter‐offer with reasonable argument
• Confirm all conversations by email
“Thanks, I just want to confirm… please confirm that I understood correctly”
Negotiating Key Points
• Your power drops 99% the second you sign.
• A little trust and instinct ok after due diligence.
• Negotiate in good faith.
• Use other offers to negotiate where you really want to go(but don’t waste time of others)
• Say “no” to others when appropriate (when have a signed offer letter from # 2 or 3 choice)
• “If you could change one thing…”
Negotiating Key Points
It is important to start thinking about the tenure process at the point of interviewing and negotiating for the right job.
Ask what the rate of tenure is for the junior faculty at the institutions you are considering, what the general process is, pitfalls, and so on.
Remember that the purpose of being an assistant professor is to become an associate professor, so make sure you educate yourself about what to expect before you make your choice.
—Matthew Redinbo, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
• Do great science: Focus, focus, focus
• Understand local expectations
• Establish a portfolio of funding so never “dry”
• Think strategically (1st renewal should not be reviewed just before end of tenure clock)
• Establish independence from your old PI
• Nail an award or two…
• Don’t rush to fill space but don’t wait for God’s gift to science either…
• Collaborate with locals (faster, easier and build allies)
How to Get Tenure
• Develop local mentors and use them
• Establish an identity nationally and beyond
• Use your time wisely but travel is often worth it
• Some committees are actually useful
• Thesis committees are not “committees”!
• Find the right mix of quality and quantity in your publications
• Mentor responsibly
• Keep teaching evaluations and careful track of teaching/committee work
• Use the interim (three‐year) review wisely
How to Get Tenure