The Advising Relationship

1
The Advising Relationship

• Getting the most out of it

2
Overview

• Finding an Advisor
• What an Advisor expects
• What you should expect
• Types of Advisors
• The Research Family
• Changing an Advisor
• Transitioning from an Advisor

3
Terminology

• Advisor Research Advisor
• Research Supervisor
• Faculty Advisor
• PhD Advisor

4
Finding an Advisor

• Some programs assign you to an Advisor upon
  arrival.
• Some programs have a rotation schedule to
  introduce you to possible Advisors - a mutual
  selection occurs at the end of the rotation
  period.
• Some programs require that you find an Advisor on
  your own let the hunt begin!

5
Finding an Advisor

• What makes you attractive
• Excellent undergrad GPA and High GRE scores
• Strong recommendations from undergrad faculty
  members
• Previous experience in lab or industry
• Publications
• An outstanding performance in the Advisors
  course

6
Finding an Advisor

• Be proactive do some homework and research
  potential advisors
• What are they doing?
• How productive are they?
• How successful are they at graduating Ph.D.s?
• How do they stand with the faculty?
• What do their students say about them?
• What do the neighboring students say about them?

7
Finding an Advisor

• Their students say -
• Well-funded
• Accessible and easy to talk to
• Not overly demanding
• Very supportive
• Neighboring students say
• Not the best funding in the department
• Never around travels a lot
• Not graduating students
• Not very influential in the department

8
Finding an Advisor

• Prepare a portfolio of yourself
• Resume or Curriculum Vita
• Undergrad Transcript
• Recommendation letters
• Publications
• A personal statement

9
Finding an Advisor

• Make an appointment to visit the potential
  Advisor in person
• Dress well this is an interview, but a suit is
  not recommended
• Give a copy of your portfolio to the potential
  Advisor
• Express your interest and knowledge of their work
• Leverage knowledge of common acquaintances or
  colleagues
• Request an opportunity to work with them
  volunteer if necessary

10
What an Advisor Expects

• A student dedicated to the process dependable
• A student that can pass the qualifier exam
• A student that learns quickly and produces
  quality work
• A student that can operate independently
• A student that works well with others

11
What an Advisor Expects

• A student that makes their job easier

12
What you should expect

• An advisor that can support you and your work
• An advisor that is available to you
• An advisor whos work is (or can be) recognized
• An advisor that can get you recognized
• An advisor that will advocate for you
• An advisor that will prepare you for the next
  stage of your career

13
What you should expect

• An advisor that can put you through the phases
  of the PhD process and beyond in a reasonable
  period of time
• ( typically 4-6 years)
• Theoretical lower range
• Experimental upper range

14
Types of Advisors

• High Profile / Unknown
• Tenured / Un-tenured
• Well-funded / Minimally-funded
• Accessible / Inaccessible
• Task Master / Laissez Faire
• Talker / Listener
• Likeable / Unlikeable
• Influential / Inconsequential

15
Types of Advisors

• In the Lab / Not in the Lab

16
Types of Advisors

• The established, prominent, well-funded advisor
  is not always enough
• You must gauge what is a good fit for you
• You must weigh what your options are

17
The Research Family

• The Advisor is essentially a parent to the lab
• The Rest of the Family
• Technicians
• Undergrads
• Grads (Masters and PhD)
• Post-Docs
• Visiting Professors

18
The Research Family

• What are the advantages and disadvantages?
• Super Families 20 and Up
• Big Families 6 to 19
• Small Families 5 or less

19
The Research Family

• The Advisor usually applies a standard operating
  procedure (SOP) for the family members
• Every student passes through the same template
• Variations in the process depend on the
  individual student
• A Students goals often drive the Advisors
  intentions make your goals known

20
The Changing Advisors

• What if you feel it is not working with your
  advisor?
• Look before you leap think about where you
  would go before you leave
• Talk to your Advisor and be as honest as you can
  be about your feelings leave on a positive note
  if possible
• Clear a path to your new situation be aware of
  possible political fallout from the move

21
Transitioning from an Advisor

• Preparing to leave the nest
• You must develop your own currency - publications
• You must develop your career plan the next five
  to ten year trajectory Post Doctoral position?
• You must Develop and practice grant writing
  learn how to get
• You must cut the umbilical cord become
  independent of your advisor

22
Last Words

• Act Like You Belong Here
• Because You Do!