Archive for the ‘Academic Jobs’ Category

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Academics do not just teach

Friday, December 11th, 2009

When some people outside academia ask about the role of a postdoctoral researcher, they expect that it is mainly a teaching job. It is surprising for them to find that many academic positions do not require any teaching. So what do these researchers who are not teaching actually doing? The answer is that research is a multidimensional activity which involves many responsibilities and skills:

  1. Researchers spend a lot of time reading. This includes reading latest research papers, classic works, surveys, theses etc.
  2. One also spends time thinking: formulating problems, analyzing previously known methods, considering alternative solutions, defining concepts, discussing problems, proving theorems etc. One may be more productive if one is thinking more than simply reading. However both activities complement each other.
  3. Presenting takes up some time. Presentations are made at conferences, meetings and workshops. Professional researchers pride themselves in being able to present their own work in a clear way. Presentations could also be informal such as explaining your work to a colleague.
  4. Grants are another important issue which researchers need to take care of. This includes writing applications to scientific organizations and funding institutes for research grants, academic fellowships, and travel scholarships etc.
  5. Another activity is serving the scientific community. This includes reviewing papers and rating research proposals, serving on organizing committees, working in program committees, editing  journals and books.
  6. Supervising  and managing is another important responsibility. The senior the position of an academic, the more significant is one’s supervising abilities. This can range from supervising a graduate student to take care of a huge institute.

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Quasi-academic jobs

Monday, October 19th, 2009

The Chronicle has an interview of Scott Keeter who after twenty-four years as university faculty member is now working in a think tank  The interview dwells on the similarities and differences between academic jobs and ‘quasi-academic jobs’. Quasi-academic jobs are not necessarily restricted to think tanks for political scientists. Many economics academics consult for governmental, non-governmental and commercial organizations. Mathematicians and computer scientists do foundational research in the IT industry where the big firms have big research and development departments.

Keeter makes many pertinent points which are applicable to any quasi-academic job. In order to make a better transition, Keeter mentions two aspects to keep in mind. Firstly, a graduate program may not give enough opportunities to work in teams and collaboration and team work has to be inculcated. Secondly, one may get used to speaking and writing to academic audiences. It is essential to get more training to write for nonacademic audiences. The interview also highlights the importance of being able to juggle many responsibilities at the same time. This is something which I feel academic do have good training in what with handling research, teaching, getting funding and administrative matters.

One aspect which is not really discussed is to have a better business sense of the research area even if one’s own research is more foundational in nature. This is because even if one is working in a research group within a company, business interests run supreme in many instances.

The interview suggests ways to get an entry into quasi academic jobs. It is helpful to intern in appropriate organizations during graduate study and also to keep in touch with one’s relevant professional association.

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Munich, here I come

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

It is final now. I will be starting a European Science Foundation research fellowship at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU- also known as University of Munich). I had been in touch with the concerned research group for some time. Although, I received the offer a while ago, I only got the residence permit this week.

I am really pleased because LMU is a powerhouse for scientific research. There are 36 Nobel laureates are associated with the university. The research group I will be joining has young and motivated people who I get along with quite well. I have met some of them on some of the conferences. The fact that my research interests converge with the group’s made my decision quite easy.

As I looked around for research jobs last year, I realized that there are so many PhD positions compared to post PhD research jobs. So there are only a limited number of research jobs for the recent PhD graduates. This means that even before applying, it very difficult to even identify research jobs which are interesting. From that point of view, it is great that I have an opportunity to research on problems that interest and excite me.

One challenge which I will feel is moving to a new country with a different language. However, some times one should get out of one’s comfort zone. The positive side of this challenge is that I will gain experience of a another country and also get a chance to see a fair bit of Europe.

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Choosing a research job

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Choosing a research job right after a PhD is tricky business. There are so many factors to take into account.

1. Country: One might have to stay in one country out of necessity (family requirements/immigration requirements etc.) or one may have a preference for a specific country (comfort level, already adjusted, language ease etc.)
2. City: Even, within a country people tend to be specific about which city they want to work for example Edinburgh in the UK or New York in the USA.
3. Role: The job role is one of the most important criteria. One wants a role which is matches one’s ambitions and skills and helps to further one’s career.
4. Prestige of the research group: Reputations count for a lot so it is good to be in a place which open further doors for you.
5. Industry versus Academia: One needs to decide whether one is seeking a research job in the industry or the academia. The difference between them is not to hard and fast and nowadays there is substantial to and fro movement between the two.
6. Facilities: One should ensure that the place in question provides the facilities needed for research.
7. Group dynamics and support: The quality of the group and atmosphere in the research group is highly important. A supportive, enthusiastic and challenging environment can be really helpful. A good percentage of ambitious team players is sign for good collaboration.
8. Duration: One might prefer a longer contract in a great place to shorter contract in a slightly better place. This way, one can concentrate on the research and good results rather than worrying about the next job.

There can be other factors which come in to play. One thing, one should be aware of is that there may not be a perfect job which satisfies all the criteria. For example, one role which I was seeking was available in a few places including Singapore. The main thing is to know what one what wants to do in the long term and decide accordingly what the best option is. Sometimes, one may have to get out of the comfort zone and find slightly different role or relocate. This is all part of furthering your career.

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Finding out about research job openings

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

Research job openings can occur at ‘random’ times and one has to be on one’s toes to find out. Sometimes, one finds out only too late or right before the deadline. So what is the best way to find out in time?

1. Keep in touch: Every one has their favourite researchers, personal top universities and research groups. It one’s research interests match with a specific group, it might be worth keeping in touch with the group.
2. Impress: If a specific research group rates you highly, they might be willing to take you or at least inform you about it.
3. Talk: Talking to more people with in the research community and it may be common knowledge which jobs are opening up.
4. Notifications: One can sign up to suitable email notification groups where particular research jobs are advertised. Most universities and research centres have vacancies mentioned on their websites.
5. Memberships: Research jobs are advertised to professional and learned societies. It may be helpful to become a member of the society most relevant to you.
6. Advertisements: Research jobs are also advertised in well known higher education publications and specialist science magazines and publications.
7. Follow the money trail: Research jobs open up as a result of research grants. Therefore it may be helpful to follow the money trail. If a research council has recently awarded a huge pot of money for a project to some university, then rest assured that the university will soon advertise new positions.

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