It may surprise you to hear that I edit Artist Statements, but I do. Not a ton, but enough that this post has become necessary. I want to urge everyone to read this excellent post on the subject by Ben Davis, which targets the kind of overblown, … [Read more...] about Dr. Karen’s (Partial) Rules for the Artist’s Statement
Stop.Acting.Like.A.Grad.Student
The Question Is Not The Question
Kellee and I were chatting the other day about her work in Interview Interventions over the past few months. She said to me, "What clients always need to understand is that the question is not the question! They always think the question is asking … [Read more...] about The Question Is Not The Question
An Inconvenient Truth (A Guest Post)
A reader got in touch to tell me about an infuriating experience at a recent conference. I asked her to write it up as a guest post, and here it is. Professors: stop the madness. Tell graduate students the goddamned truth. Dear Karen, I just … [Read more...] about An Inconvenient Truth (A Guest Post)
Stop Acting Like a Grad Student, Redux: “After My Defense, I Will…”
I am always telling clients to stop "sounding like a grad student." But the trouble is, clients don't understand all the ways that they do this. Some are obvious. "While a grad student in the English Ph.D. program, I....." is a sure giveaway. … [Read more...] about Stop Acting Like a Grad Student, Redux: “After My Defense, I Will…”
Banish These Words, 2014
Previously I told you to banish the words "unique" and "burgeoning." Here is a new set of painfully overused, excruciatingly tedious, annoyingly self-important, and frustratingly vacant words to be banished in 2014: Banish these … [Read more...] about Banish These Words, 2014
Grad Student Grandiosity
Grad students tend to veer between two extremes: I know nothing and I know everything. The latter position is an over-compensatory response to fear of the former. As you gain experience you find a middle ground of calm confidence. However, at the … [Read more...] about Grad Student Grandiosity
In Response to Popular Demand, More on the 5-Year Plan
This is a repost of an older post. It follows sequentially from last week's on the five-year plan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In response to the flood of inquiries about what, exactly, a 5-Year Plan should look like, following on last week's post, … [Read more...] about In Response to Popular Demand, More on the 5-Year Plan
Why You Need a 5-Year Plan
This is a re-post of a previously published post. In the wind-down weeks of Spring, we will focus on big-picture planning for your career trajectory in the immediate and longer term. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When I trained my own Ph.D. students, I … [Read more...] about Why You Need a 5-Year Plan
More on Negotiating–Thoughts from an R1 Department Head
Discussion of negotiating the tenure track offer continues apace. Last week I was included in an email exchange between Rebecca Schuman and Mike Tarr, Department Head of the Psychology department at Carnegie Mellon University. Mike got in touch … [Read more...] about More on Negotiating–Thoughts from an R1 Department Head
Dr Karen, Hamster Version
Click on this for the full comic (or scroll down): Thank you, marvelous reader Ainsley Seago, coleopterist and comic artist extraordinaire! … [Read more...] about Dr Karen, Hamster Version