Mentoring Workshop Job Market Research Productivity

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Mentoring WorkshopJob MarketResearch
Productivity

• Marcelle Chauvet
• Department of Economics
• University of California, Riverside

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Job Market
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Job Market Paper

• Decisions on topic
• Individual interest on the question
• Advisors interest on the question
• Assessment of future demand for the topic
• Top journals (field and general) in the last 2-3
  years
• Google Scholar (papers and citation)
• http//biblio.repec.org/
• http//www.nber.org/papersbyprog/
• www.ssrn.com

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Job Market Paper

• Has anyone worked (or is working) on this
  question?
• Is the paper feasible (given time constraint,
  existing methodologies)?
• Is the question addressed relevant and
  interesting (for at least a subgroup of
  researchers?)
• Are the assumptions made sounded? Are there any
  basic inconsistencies (model derivation, adequate
  methodology, etc.)

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Job Market Paper

• Should you target your paper to academia,
  government, or industry jobs?
• If you are sure about which kind of job you
  would like to have
• If you are not sure target academia
• Theoretical and empirical papers

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Job Market Paper

• A well structured paper is crucial
• Introduction should include a clear question and
  motivation
• English should be carefully revised

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Research Project and Introduction

• Step 1 Opening paragraph -discussion of the
  issue.
• Step 2 what is done in the paper
• Step 3 Why it is interesting - motivation and
  what others have done in the past that is related
  to this paper)
• Step 4 How will the paper improve on previous
  work, i.e. the contribution.

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Research Project and Introduction (cont.)

• Step 5 How the question is going to be answered
  methodology
• (Step 6 Description of the data, priors or
  calibration)
• Step 7 Preview of results
• Step 8 Structure of the paper

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Job Market Strategies

• Applying to Academic and Non-Academic
  Institutions
• Package cover letter, Job Market paper,
  abstracts of other papers, CV
• Number of applications
• Advisor and committees role letters of
  recommendation and personal recommendations

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Job Market Strategies - Interviews

• Dress Code
• Prepare, Prepare, and Prepare
• Warm-up
• Presentation 1-2 minutes rule
• Answering questions
• Asking questions (do your homework!)
• Illegal questions
• Follow up show interest

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Job Market Strategies Fly-out

• Contacting other schools
• One-to-one Interviews
• Presentation
• Structure
• Answering questions
• Clarification questions
• Off-base questions
• Difficult technical questions
• Testy vs. light sense of humor

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Job Market Strategies Negotiating Offer

• If you may have another offer
• If you have another offer
• If you do not have another offer

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Summing up

• Understand the rules of the game
• Be bold
• Be assertive
• Be prepared

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Research Productivity
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Research Productivity

• Motivation to do the paper
• Write a research project and Plan
• Divide tasks with co-author (if any)
• Establish deadlines (conference submission,
  presentations, etc.)

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Research Productivity

• Never enough time, and tasks always take much
  longer than planned
• Procrastination result of bad planning, and of
  being overwhelmed.
• What to do?
• Revise plan often, adjusting for more realistic
  goals and timing

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Research Productivity

• Plan amount of time allocated in each task
  beforehand
• research, correcting exams, writing referee
  reports, answering emails, personal tasks
• Revise plan
• Divide tasks in small steps
• Plan your day the day before
• Revise plan again give yourself some small
  awards
• Keep track of time and meeting goals established

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Balance of Tasks Research, Teaching, Service
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Research Payoff

• Tenure
• Motivation/interest
• Academic standing
• Opportunity cost of doing anything else than
  research
• Payoff generally not immediate for young
  economists, large as time passes by
• Hurdle referee reports and rejections

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Teaching Payoff

• Tenure
• Motivation/interest
• Working with students
• Teaching - Time on teaching is more predictable
• Cost and benefit of saying yes or no to extra
  teaching

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Service Payoff

• Tenure
• Motivation/interest
• Time on service is not predictable
• Types of Service committees, editorial board of
  journals, etc.
• Cost and benefit of saying yes or no to Service
• Opportunity cost

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Balance Personal and Professional Life
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Strategies

• Prioritize
• Plan ahead
• Allow time for unpredictable personal events
• Need for more productivity, and more efficient
  use of time
• Learn how to say no to service, extra teaching,
  and other demands on your time with low payoff

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Strategies

• Do not put your family in second plan
• Be more productive and strategic with your time
  instead!

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Strategies for women

• Children, job market, and tenure
• Timing
• Count even more on unpredictable time allocation
• More than ever, need for clear plans,
  productivity strategies
• Have projects set up, ready to go