We continue with our new column, featuring interviews with PhDs who have charted a course unrelated to the tenure track, putting academia squarely in the rearview mirror. Our hope is that seeing and hearing from a wide range of PhDs who are … [Read more...] about Ivory Tower in The Rearview Mirror: Dr. Rachel Horak
Postdoc Issues
Ivory Tower In the Rear-View Mirror – Dr. Ben Dumbauld
This month we introduce our new column, "Ivory Towers In The Rearview Mirror," featuring interviews with PhDs who have charted a course unrelated to the tenure track, putting academia squarely in the rearview mirror. It will go up every Tuesday. … [Read more...] about Ivory Tower In the Rear-View Mirror – Dr. Ben Dumbauld
Dispatches From the Front: Dealing with a Difficult Dean/Chair
Welcome to our inaugural Dispatches From the Frontlines - our new weekly advice post based on the crowdsourced wisdom of our wonderful readers! Each Monday, we crowdsource a question we get from a reader on Facebook and Twitter with a link to a … [Read more...] about Dispatches From the Front: Dealing with a Difficult Dean/Chair
Interview with Karen Kaplan, Senior Careers Editor at Nature
Karen Kaplan reached out to share thoughts on the academic job market. We had a great conversation and I learned a lot about STEM career paths which I am already bringing to clients and audiences. Then, she kindly allowed me to persuade her to do … [Read more...] about Interview with Karen Kaplan, Senior Careers Editor at Nature
Buy My Book!
Love the blog? Now get it in handy book form--only $11.40! Available for pre-order now--comes out August 4! Buy it at all these places! It also makes a great gift for all those struggling grad students in your life! For bulk orders for use … [Read more...] about Buy My Book!
Don’t State the Obvious
There is a kind of line in job documents that is technically blameless, but is so generic, so very much "stating the obvious" that it also completely pointless. This kind of line fills space while doing nothing to distinguish you in any way. The … [Read more...] about Don’t State the Obvious
Managing Your Postdoc Year(s): Avoid These Mistakes (A Guest Post)
A few months ago I wrote a column in Chronicle Vitae about managing your time for a postdoc; the main point being, get your writing done! A reader wrote to follow up and share her own story about failing to effectively manage her writing time on a … [Read more...] about Managing Your Postdoc Year(s): Avoid These Mistakes (A Guest Post)
The European Project-Based Postdoc
I've worked with a handful of clients applying to project-based postdocs in Europe. We've had some bumps in the road, as I had to learn the expectations of these postdocs. A successful reader recently gave me a few pointers, which are below. The … [Read more...] about The European Project-Based Postdoc
The Big Issue In Your Grant Proposal
In the Foolproof Grant Template I ask for an opening sentence or two that quickly engages the reader on the "big topic" of the research. My clients have a terrible time grasping what that opening should look like. They've been so disciplined through … [Read more...] about The Big Issue In Your Grant Proposal
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? Topic vs. Contribution
When writing job letters clients often struggle to understand the distinction between their dissertation TOPIC and their dissertation CONTRIBUTION. In the first dissertation paragraph you talk about the content of your dissertation--main argument, … [Read more...] about Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? Topic vs. Contribution