An expanded and updated version of this post can now be found in Chapter 25 of my new book, The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job. I am keeping a shortened version here, but for the complete discussion including … [Read more...] about The Weepy Teaching Statement: Just Say No
Teaching and Research Statements
Banish These Words
Do not use the words “unique” or “burgeoning” in any of your job documents. They are painfully overused. The first is just trite. The second is over-dramatic. That is all. … [Read more...] about Banish These Words
Damning Yourself With Faint Praise–Teaching Edition
For some reason people love to include undergraduate student feedback in the teaching paragraph of their job letters, and that feedback usually looks like this (from an actual letter): “Former students have consistently told me that I give helpful … [Read more...] about Damning Yourself With Faint Praise–Teaching Edition
What the Heck is “Assessment”? (A Guest Post)
Today's post is a Guest Post from a faithful reader and client on the tenure track, and also on the job market, who discovered some interesting points about "assessment" while she was at some interviews this year. More and more often, candidates … [Read more...] about What the Heck is “Assessment”? (A Guest Post)
How Would You Mentor Graduate Students? Another #Facepalm Fail
Today I was doing an interview bootcamp and came upon yet another #Facepalm Fail of the academic interview. The #Facepalm Fail is: “How would you mentor graduate students?” Actually, this might not rise to the level of a full-size #Facepalm Fail, … [Read more...] about How Would You Mentor Graduate Students? Another #Facepalm Fail
This Christmas, Don’t Be Cheap
Regular readers of The Professor Is In know that I espouse as the cardinal rule of job document writing the rule of Show, Don’t Tell. Job documents should not make claims about your feelings or your wants or your beliefs (“I am passionate about … [Read more...] about This Christmas, Don’t Be Cheap
The Golden Rule of the Research Statement
Today's post is short. It's about the Research Statement. There's undoubtedly a lot to say about Research Statements. But Dr. Karen doesn't have time today, because she's submerged in client work with looming deadlines. So this post is simply going … [Read more...] about The Golden Rule of the Research Statement
Do. Or Do Not. There Is No Try. (Academic Writing and The Force)
The best piece of advice about writing that I got as a graduate student came from my external Ph.D. committee member, a full professor in the English department. A poet and a romantic and undoubtedly a former or current pot smoker, he was much more … [Read more...] about Do. Or Do Not. There Is No Try. (Academic Writing and The Force)
What is Evidence of Teaching Excellence?
Today's post is a Special Request post for quite a few clients, who wanted to know what is meant when a job ad asks for “Evidence of Teaching Excellence.” I want to state at the outset that I have only a few thoughts to offer on this subject, and … [Read more...] about What is Evidence of Teaching Excellence?