How to Land a Job in Academia Part II

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How to Land a Job in Academia (Part II)

• Patrick Crowley
• PFF Seminar
• 11/5/2004

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Process Timeline

• Jun Nov Identify schools
• Dec Jan Submit applications
• Feb Apr Interview
• May Jun Decide

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Process Timeline

• Jun Nov Identify schools
• Dec Jan Submit applications
• Jan Mar Interview Prep
• Feb Apr Interview
• Mar June Offers sent
• May Jun Decide

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How do they decide?

• Do they want someone like you?
• Area of expertise
• School
• Advisor
• Do they want you?
• Or someone else like you?

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Interview Prep First Order

• Prepare your talk
• Be clear
• Go deep at least once
• Do not run long
• Prepare for meetings
• Questions for the Chair
• Questions for the Dean
• Questions for individuals

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Interview Prep Second Order

• Know about other areas of CSE
• Organize a Hot Topics in CSE session
• Learn about the department
• What is it known for?
• Who are the big shots?
• Identify special relationships
• Former alums, co-citations, advisor contacts

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Process Timeline

• Jun Nov Identify schools
• Dec Jan Submit applications
• Jan Mar Interview Prep
• Feb Apr Interview
• Mar June Offers sent
• May Jun Decide

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Who decides?

• Dept Chairperson
• Faculty vote
• Subset of faculty (committee or area-specific)
• Dean

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How do they decide?

• Are you as good in person as on paper?
• Are you a good match technically?
• Are you a good match culturally

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Transfer of Leverage

• Department has it until an offer is made
• Candidate retains it until an offer is accepted
• Once hired, leverage is a function of your
  performance

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Process Timeline

• Jun Nov Identify schools
• Dec Jan Submit applications
• Jan Mar Interview Prep
• Feb Apr Interview
• Mar June Offers sent
• May Jun Decide

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How a Department Optimizes Offers

• Goal Make timely offers in priority order
• Top candidates
• Get multiple offers
• Give answers slowly
• Goal Keep all potential candidates happy
• Keep candidates informed and happy while waiting

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How a Candidate Optimizes Offers

• Goal Consider all options before making any
  decisions
• Keep all potential employers happy
• Goal Use multiple offers to negotiate terms of
  contract
• Use most lucrative offer to negotiate with top
  choice

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The Offer Optimization Game

• Offers typically come with deadlines
• Extensions are often requested
• Strong candidates (all terms relative)
• Strong department gives a weak deadline
• Weak department gives a firm deadline
• Department chairs often exchange notes
• Strong candidates often exchange notes

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Offer Content

• Salary (9 month) 70-75K
• Guaranteed summer support 2 years
• Guaranteed student support 2 student-years
• Startup funds wide range, 50K-150K
• Relocation package sometimes negotiable
• Also consider Office lab space, admin support

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Record Local Offer Data

• Start a tradition of anonymizing and recording
  offers made to graduates of this department
• Top 10 department, East Coast, Private, 80K
  salary, 2 students, 2 summers, 100K startup
• Faculty advisor or student group can maintain
  historical data

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Make Second Visits

• Once you have all of your offers, visit again
• Bring family, or significant other
• Only visit finalists
• At this point, you should reject offers from
  others (graciously)
• Visit the University, but also the surrounding
  area

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Negotiating Startup Packages

• Most terms are negotiable
• Salary and startup funds often change, but only
  slightly
• With multiple offers, negotiate up to most
  lucrative
• With a single offer, negotiation is rare
• Remember
• You lose your leverage when you accept
• You will spend 6 years with these people

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How do you decide?

• The right career choice?
• Good technical and cultural fit
• The right personal choice?
• Family, geographical preference, industry
  contacts
• Note It will be difficult to say no to finalists