“I purchased the Campus Visit and Interview Intervention webinars and both certainly prepared me to provide concise, sophisticated answers. My campus visit went so well and it was the preparation, as you well know, that set me up for success.”

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Currently Scheduled Webinars

All participants get access to a recording  —  even if you don’t attend the live event!  Just be sure and complete the full registration process on Go To Webinar, and you’ll automatically get the recording access the day after the event.

**To purchase the RECORDINGS of previous webinars, please visit the Prof Shop page. **

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Campus Visit Webinar

In this 90 minute webinar I walk you through the basic expectations and potential pitfalls of the dreaded Campus Visit (sometimes called a Fly-Out). We will cover all of the core elements, including:

• The three key criteria at play in a campus visit

• The single biggest pitfall for candidates

• The basic organization of a campus visit

• The initial arrangements and scheduling

• Preparing for the visit

• Meetings with faculty, Head, Dean, and graduate students

• The formal interview with the Search Committee

• The job talk and Q and A

• The teaching demo

• Handling meals gracefully

• Maintaining your stamina

• Evaluating campus climate

• What to wear, especially in cold weather

As always there will be time for Q and A at the end. You will have access to a recording of the webinar 24 hours after the event.

Campus visits are hard!  A little advance knowledge will save a world of hurt!

Tuesday 11/13 at 6 PM EST

Cost:   $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on your chosen day. 

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Job Talk Webinar

In this webinar we will delve into the challenges of the all-important job talk.

All participants get access to the recording of this webinar.

Tuesday 11/20 at  6 PM EST/23:00 GMT. 

Cost:   $50

After completing payment you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on your chosen day. 

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Past Webinars

 

**To purchase the RECORDINGS of previous webinars, please visit the Prof Shop page. **

 

Interview Intervention Webinar (past)

In this 90-minute webinar Karen Kelsky shows you how to interview effectively for an academic job. She covers the major questions asked most often, and their unspoken agendas.  She discusses the most common errors made by candidates, and how to organize and deliver concise, content-rich, non-desperate responses.

She will provide templates for responses to basic questions about your dissertation/current research, publishing, teaching, and fit, and abundant examples of both bad and good answers from actual client interviews.

In addition, we confront illegal/inappropriate questions, micro-aggressions, and the all important issue of overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and communicating confidence through verbal and non-verbal modes. And she spares a few words for how to dress, the best shoes for cold weather, and ideas for briefcases!

The material applies to skype, phone, and conference interviews, and the campus visit (although note that we have a whole separate webinar and recording available that is devoted to the campus visit!)

This webinar covers the same content, and addresses the same questions, as the live Skype Interview Intervention service ($250); it is an immediately available and cost-effective way to learn what to expect and how to prepare for all forms of academic job interview. Some clients do the webinar as preparation for a live Skype Intervention, if there are slots available.

As always there will be plenty of time for Q and A at the end.

You have access to a recording of the event afterward.

Tuesday 11/6 at 6 PM EST

Cost: $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on your chosen day.

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Hacking the Tenure Track Job Market  (past)

In this 90-minute webinar I walk you through the conditions of the current American job market, the most common mistakes made by job-seekers, and the ways you can maximize your chances of success while looking for a tenure-track job.

We’ll cover:

• The big-picture conditions of the U.S. tenure track job market
• How to think like a search committee
• The four core qualities of a successful tenure track job candidate
• The all-important 5-Year Plan
• The ethos of job market documents
• The most common mistakes made by job seekers
• The three keys to academic interviewing
• The non-academic option
  

We also examine the pervasive intangible pitfalls that can bedevil job documents and interviewing, including narcissism, excessive humility, and hyper-emotionalism.  You’ll leave with a broad understanding of the real (as opposed to fantasy) criteria of tenure track hiring, and how to tailor your record and application materials to maximize your chances of success.

Includes time for Q and A with Dr. Karen.  All participants get access to a free recording of the event.

Thursday 10/11 2 PM EST

Cost:   $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on the day. 

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Going Postac: Confronting the Non-Academic Job Search (past)

This webinar will show you how to prepare for a non-academic job, even if you’re still in graduate school.  We begin with the emotional struggle of letting go of the dream of the tenure track, and the social and academic challenges involved in the transition.

Then, we’ll look at the process of re-evaluation away from a single-minded focus on the tenure track. We confront the incorrect belief held by many Ph.D.s (especially in the arts and humanities) that you don’t have any skills for non-academic jobs. In fact, you have loads of skills, you just haven’t learned to identify and mobilize them for jobs outside the academy.

We’ll confront the incorrect belief held by many Ph.D.s (especially in the arts and humanities) that you don’t have any skills for non-academic jobs. In fact, you have loads of skills, you just haven’t learned to identify and mobilize them for jobs outside the academy.

We’ll cover:

• Confronting grief, sorrow, anger, and loss

• Why the non-academic job search matters

• What’s in a name?  Post-ac, non-ac, alt-ac, and out-ac

• How do I tell my advisor?

• Obstacles to imagining a non-academic career

• Identifying your translatable skills

• Managing the all-important “keywords”

• Tips for the non-academic cover letter and resume

• Common pitfalls and challenges for the Ph.D. job seeker in the “real world”

• Job-search strategies that work

• Resources for the job seeker

This workshop is appropriate for anyone on the Ph.D. track–from early/mid-stage graduate students to ABDs, new Ph.D.s, and postdocs.  It’s also good for any advisors who wish to learn more about advising for the non-academic career. Includes time for Q and A.

All participants get access to the recording of this webinar.

Tuesday 5/1 at 6 PM EST/23:00 GMT. 

Cost:   $50

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Women and the Academic Career: What Works, What Doesn’t (past)

In this 90 minute interactive webinar, I walk you through the main challenges for women in the academic career, and offer specific strategies for confronting and overcoming them.

We’ll discuss:

• The male-centric model of the academic career track

• The tenure track and the biological clock

• Issues for WOC

• The perils of “nice”

• Sexual and gender harassment

• Unconscious self-sabotaging habits

• Techniques of self-promotion

• Assertiveness in language and body language

• Pitfalls for women on the job market

• Interviewing strategies

• Negotiating effectively

• Children: the good and the bad

• Achieving work-life balance

 

30 minutes of Q and A at the end.

 

Thursday 4/26, 6 PM EST/23:00 GMT.

$50

 

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Managing Your Career Once You Have a Job (past)

Congratulations! You got a tenure track job! Now what?

This 90-minute webinar explains the basic organization of a successful academic career, and how to avoid the most common pitfalls besetting the new assistant professor. Focuses in particular on the crucial skill of time management, as well as charting your path to tenure, learning how to plan for your tenure case, and strategize potential tenure letter writers. With a clear sense of the obligations and challenges of the tenure track period you can improve your chances of achieving work-life balance and having a career that is satisfying and life-sustaining.

This newly updated webinar is based on the mentoring I did as a Department Head for the new assistant profs in my R1 department; I include SLAC-centric content as well.

We’ll cover:

The all-important skill of time management
Learning to say no
Learning when to say yes
Teaching well but not too much
Dealing with colleagues
Understanding departmental politics
Handling service obligations
Managing your image
Applying for leave
Carving out time for research and writing
Understanding tenure
Charting your tenure course
Cultivating tenure letter writers
Creating and maintaining your national reputation
Aiming for the next job
Work-life balance
Family and children
Challenges for women and faculty of color.

As always there will be time for Q and A at the end.
This webinar is appropriate for all fields, but has an emphasis on the humanities and social sciences. All participants get access to a recording afterward.

Thursday 4/19 at 7 PM EST/22:00 GMT.

Cost:   $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on the day. 

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How To Write a Winning Grant (past)

In this 90-minute Webinar I walk you through Dr. Karen’s Foolproof Grant Template–a template for grant-writing based on what I call the “Hero-Narrative of Grant-writing” [Here is a critical topic. Here is an unfortunate gap in the literature about it. But never fear – I am here to save the day! Here’s how, specifically.] Astoundingly successful, if used correctly. Which is harder than it looks, because applicants have trouble grasping what their critical topic is, and what a compelling rationale would be for studying it, in the minds of OTHER PEOPLE.

Thursday 4/12 at 6 PM EST/23:00 GMT

Cost:   $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on your chosen day. 

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How to Negotiate Your Academic Job Offer (past)

The rescinded offer is unfortunately more common than ever, and it is imperative that candidates understand when and how to appropriately negotiate an academic job offer. Negotiating IS still standard and expected for the vast majority of all tenure track offers, but it takes skill to do it correctly, asking for all you can while retaining good relations with the department.

This webinar breaks down the stages of the academic job offer negotiation process, explains the things that can and can’t be negotiated at different types of jobs (including postdocs and full time non-tenure track positions), and different ranks and types of institutions.  It provides examples of successful negotiating language as well as common negotiating errors and pitfalls.

Negotiating points we’ll examine include salary, teaching release, moving expenses, start-up funds, conference and travel funding, research leave/junior sabbatical, summer salary, and the spousal hire.

We’ll discuss how to evaluate the culture and expectations of the institution and calibrate requests to the institutional context. We will dispassionately examine the phenomenon of the rescinded offer.  I’ll give examples from successful and unsuccessful recent negotiations that I’ve worked on through my Negotiating Assistance service.

And we’ll consider special challenges for women and people from communities historically marginalized in the academy.

Includes 30 minutes of Q and A.  Participants also get $100 off the cost of individual Negotiating Assistance (normally $500 [ $600 for advanced/senior positions])

You will have access to a free download of the event will be available for one week after the date.

$50

Thursday 2/8 at 6 PM EST/23:00 GMT

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on your chosen day. 

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#MeTooPhd: Sexual Harassment in the Academy (past)

In this one-hour webinar inspired by the Sexual Harassment in the Academy Crowdsource Survey (now at over 2300 entries), I will share what I learned from the experience of conducting the survey, including thoughts on the range and scope of sexual harassment in academic settings (including departments, labs, research centers, campuses, academic conferences, etc.), patterns of predation, options for victims, and recommendations to institutions wishing to combat this scourge in the #MeTooPhD moment. I will discuss the profiles of predators, common patterns of protection/enabling/silencing of victims by colleagues and administrators, and particular vulnerabilities of women of color and queer/trans women in these contexts.

**This webinar does NOT include any specific stories, incidents, or information shared by any of the contributors to the survey.  The content is based on larger-scale patterns that emerged in the aggregate, and thoughts about ways to move forward that emerged from these larger-scale patterns.***

I will talk about why academia is so conducive to this form of harassment, and I will focus in particular on suggestions to help vulnerable populations recognize and confront harassment, in order to empower victims and potential victims to protect themselves, find both formal and informal support and make educated decisions about going public.

I’ll discuss some thoughts on the pros and cons of filing formal complaints, the current resources and limitations of Title IX policies, and immediate steps that departments and disciplinary associations can take to lessen the occurrence of harassment on campus and at conferences.

Includes 30 minutes of Q and A

All who register have access to a recording, even if they can’t attend the live event.

This event is free to all, but you do have to register at the link below:

2/22 at 6 PM EST

Free

Register Here

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Proper framing and tailoring

Examples of good and bad statements of purpose

We will go through how to design a statement of purpose, step by step, and discuss how to work with the prompts provided by admissions guidelines. Then we will deconstruct poorly written statements, and analyze sample examples of well-written ones. There will be time at the end for questions and answers for questions you may have that are particularly relevant for your specific statements and circumstances. All participants will receive access to a recording of the Webinar.

Cost: $50

November 13th, 1 pm EST

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Hacking the Tenure Track Job Market (Past)

(formerly What You Need to Know Now About the Academic Job Market)

In this 90-minute webinar I walk you through the conditions of the current American job market, the most common mistakes made by job-seekers, and the ways you can maximize your chances of success while looking for a tenure-track job.

We’ll cover:

• The big-picture conditions of the U.S. tenure track job market
• How to think like a search committee
• The four core qualities of a successful tenure track job candidate
• The all-important 5-Year Plan
• The ethos of job market documents
• The most common mistakes made by job seekers
• The three keys to academic interviewing
• The non-academic option
  

We also examine the pervasive intangible pitfalls that can bedevil job documents and interviewing, including narcissism, excessive humility, and hyper-emotionalism.  You’ll leave with a broad understanding of the real (as opposed to fantasy) criteria of tenure track hiring, and how to tailor your record and application materials to maximize your chances of success.

Includes time for Q and A with Dr. Karen.  All participants get access to a free recording of the event.

New date: Thursday Sept 22, 2016 6 PM EST

Cost:   $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on the day. 

 

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How To Write an Academic Job Application, Part II–Teaching Statement and Research Statement {past}

In this 80-minute webinar we examine the other two primary documents in an academic job application–the teaching statement and research statement.  I explain the role of each of these in presenting your profile, and the relative importance of each in the deliberations of the search committee.  I then give recommendations for the most effective content, organization, and tone of each of these documents, with examples.

The Teaching Statement is perhaps the most difficult of all job documents to write, and I spend particular time on its purpose and execution, and the many common pitfalls common to this document, especially weepiness and hyper-emotionalism. I also introduce organizational tips for the Research Statement with attention to effective sentence and paragraph structure.

There will be 30 minutes of Q and A at the end.  All participants get a free downloadable recording.

 

Thursday 8/13 at 7 PM EST/24:00 GMT

Cost:   $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on your chosen day.  

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For Grad Students Only–Turn Your Ph.D. Into a Job {past}

This webinar is for current graduate students, on strategizing for the academic and non-academic job markets while in graduate school. It is open to students at any stage in their program, including those just starting this fall. (I love to talk to newbies!)

We will cover:

• Understanding the financial risks of a Ph.D.

• Evaluating the status and job placement rate of your graduate program

• Evaluating the effectiveness of your advisor for job placement

• Changing advisors when necessary

• Assembling a committee

• Reading trends in your field with an eye to the job market

• Setting a 5-year timeline to completion

• Understanding the role of grants

• TA-ing vs. teaching

• Participating in departmental life

• Avoiding excess service

• Attending national conferences

• Strategizing your recommenders

• Building your CV

We will also discuss strategies to keep your options open for non-academic jobs, including

• Finding mentors

• Networking

• Informational interviews

• Identifying and developing your skills

Throughout we’ll address ways that you can “stop acting like a grad student” and take charge of your program and your career.

As always, time for Q and A at the end.

Let no grad student proceed uninformed!

Thursday 5/7 6 PM EST

Cost:  $30

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How To Apply for a Postdoc in the Humanities or Social Sciences {Past}

Postdocs are increasingly common in the humanities and social sciences, but many Ph.D.s are confused about how to apply for them. Is it like applying for a job?  When should I apply and how long am I eligible?  If I only have to teach one course, how should I discuss my teaching? What am I supposed to produce while I’m in the postdoc, and how fast?

This webinar addresses these questions and more. It builds on the material covered in the blog post, The Postdoc App: How It’s Different and Why.  We’ll discuss:

Why social science and humanities postdoctoral programs exist
When to apply
Reading postdoc agendas and missions
Understanding the ethos of a postdoctoral scholar on campus
Composing an effective postdoc cover letter
The elements of a postdoc research proposal
Addressing teaching in a postdoc context
Relating your work to the campus
Understanding the timeline of productivity

Includes 30 minutes of Q and A at the end. You will get a downloadable recording of the event.

(Please note that this webinar is not suitable for scientists seeking postdoctoral positions in labs.)

 

Cost: $50

Thursday 9/11 6 PM EST

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Targeting Your Skills for a #Postac Career (led by Margy Horton) {past}

In order to grow your post-ac network, craft a solid business plan, or write a credible resume, you need to know your skills–and you need a language in which to articulate those skills.

In this webinar, I (Margy Horton) help you to identify your strongest skills, discover new ways of framing them, construct them into a compelling story, and decide which skills to sharpen in order to enhance your marketability. My experiences in both launching my business, ScholarShape, and organizing a group of Academic Entrepreneurs, have taught me that academics can indeed mine, re-frame, and “sell” previously unknown skills. This presentation is filled with real-life examples from my experiences at the intersections of academia and entrepreneurship.

In the Q and A, you can ask me to speak directly to your situation, and after the webinar, you’ll receive a downloadable recording. When you register for this webinar, you’ll receive a PDF of my list of over 100 skills that are common among academics–a more comprehensive list than any you’ll find elsewhere.

What we’ll cover:

1. How skills are different from knowledge, expertise, and credentials

2. How to identify your marketable skills (Hint: you may have over 100)

3. Four techniques for re-framing and re-labeling your existing skills

4. Why you need to frame your skills as a story (And five templates for writing your skill-story)

5. The “alchemical skills” that you can acquire to elevate your other skills

6. A dozen free or inexpensive ways to develop new marketable skills

7. Q and A

All participants will receive a free downloadable recording of the event.

 

See a short promo with audio here:   TPII Skills Webinar PROMO – Horton

 

Wednesday May 28, 6 PM EST/3 PM Pacific.

Cost: $50

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How To Publish Your Academic Book {past}

In most fields of the humanities and social sciences, a sole-authored monograph is the primary criterion for tenure. Getting your book done in time for tenure review is the leading source of stress for new assistant professors. You can do it, but it takes advance planning and organization. In this 90 minute webinar I walk you through the basic timeline for getting it done in time. We will cover the following:

conceptualizing your dissertation as a book
getting leave time to write
coordinating publication timeline and tenure review
writing a proposal
submitting your proposal
approaching editors
choosing a press
getting an advance contract
understanding royalties
knowing what to publish as journal articles
setting up a writing schedule
dealing with positive and negative reviews
revising
indexing, copy-editing and cover art

As always there will be time for Q and A at the end. You’ll receive a downloadable recording of the webinar.

Avoid unnecessary anguish and stress by understanding the process and planning ahead.

 

Wednesday 4/16 at 2 PM Pacific/5 PM EST/22:00 GMT. 

Cost:   $50

After completing payment by clicking below, you will be redirected to the dedicated Go-To-Meeting Webinar Registration page, where you will fill out a registration form and be given instructions and an access code to sign in on your chosen day. 

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Starting a Small Business: The Other #Postac Option {Past}

“If you can only conceive of yourself as a professor, then you have condemned your labor to the mercy and whims of others” (Nate Kreuter, IHE). In this 90 minute interactive webinar for people with Ph.D.s (particularly in the humanities and social sciences), I’ll walk you through the basics of starting your own small business. We’ll talk about ways to re-cast yourself from academic to business owner, psychological obstacles to the transition, and then the nuts and bolts of setting up a business–from a website to invoicing to advertising. Particular focus on using a website/FB page/Twitter for marketing.

Topics include:
I.  Getting Used to the Idea
The post-ac transition
What is entrepreneurialism?
Academia, dependency, and risk aversion
Imagining your niche
Skills vs. outcomes

II. The Nuts and Bolts
Steps to starting a small business
Concept –> Brand –> Name
Creating a simple website/blog
Establishing credibility
Setting rates and policies
Simple ecommerce resources
Show me the $$: Invoicing

III. Finding Your Market
Getting and keeping clients/customers
SEO and basic internet marketing
Blog vs. newsletter
Using Facebook and Twitter

IV.  Growing The Business
Overcoming the fear of self-promotion
Money: not the enemy
Being your own boss

As always, time for Q and A at the end. You’ll get a recording of the webinar the next day.

 Scheduled for Friday Jan 31 3 PM Pacific/6 PM EST/23:00 GMT.

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Interviewing for Your Postacademic Career (led by Allessandria Polizzi)

In this 90-minute webinar, I (Allessandria Polizzi) will walk you through the business interviewing process from beginning to end based on my 15+ years of experience in Human Resources function, and as a corporate hiring manager. I explain the point and purpose of each stage, as well as how to prepare, pitfalls to avoid and other tips and tricks. If you are beginning the journey to a postacademic job search (or are just in the beginning stages of exploration), this webinar will show you what to expect.

 We will cover:

• How to make a great first impression
• The in-person interview (2nd, 3rd and beyond): what to wear, how to prepare and what to do while there
• What’s an assessment and how do I ace it?
• What to do after the interview is over
• Don’t hit the panic button: Tips of the trade to help you land the job you want

Includes Q and A with Allessandria.

Interviewing is a critical element in your postacademic career process. Through interviewing, you share your qualifications for a potential position and also learn about the culture of your future employer. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare allows you to maximize both opportunities.

All participants get a free recording of the event.

 

Thursday June 12 6 PM EST/3 PM Pacific

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Webinar Info

Once you pay you are directed to a dedicated access page on Go To Webinar to register for the event. You receive an access code, which you enter on the day of the event to log onto the webinar on your computer or telephone.  I present the webinar live. You can see and hear me, and to see my powerpoint slides.  You can ask questions and comments on the chat/question functions.

Some readers wonder if the webinars are redundant with the blog posts. I work hard to make sure that isn’t the case, and offer fresh new content that goes beyond the posts. I’ve learned that many participants find it is helpful to have the spoken and interactive presentation on the Webinar reinforce the written information on the blog.  One key point of the Webinars, aside from the Q and A, is the abundant use of examples of BAD job market writing or interviewing, with explanations of what exactly is wrong, and how to fix it.

Here are some reactions to previous webinars, and a testimonial from a Campus Visit Webinar client who used it to land a tenure track job:

“The webinar, which took a little less than two hours, was more useful to me than the entire semester of the ‘Preparing Future Faculty’ course I took through my university’s graduate school.”

“I found it very helpful. Why? Because I needed clarity re: the importance of ‘peer reviewed’ journal articles (of which I have none). You helped me see that while the dissertation is made out to be a ‘BIG ISSUE’ in the life of a Ph.D. student, what should now be one’s major concern, as a result of this lame market, is developing an active publishing record so that one can present themselves as a ‘colleague’ in the job market rather than a ‘grad student.’ Many advisors don’t realize this market change.”

“I appreciated the way that Karen focused not only on what we should do, but also on what we should avoid doing. Many of the job books I have neglect this important contrast.”

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me, Karen, at gettenure@gmail.com.