Navigating the Academic Job Market: A Comprehensive Guide by Vivek Pai

1. Leaving These Hallowed Halls… Vivek Pai Princeton University

2. Overview • Job search process • Early preparations • Applications • Job talk • Interviews • Wrapping up • Loads o’ advice: http://www.cs.rice.edu/~vivek/jobadvice

3. Job Search Process • There’s a “season” • Largely dictated by academia’s schedule • Convenient but not necessary for industry • Feb/March- April/May • General steps • Publishing activity • Send out applications • Schedule & conduct visits • Select offer, conclude

4. Publish & Promote • Start early – one to two years in advance • Get your advisor to help you • Attend conferences, meet people • Quality versus quantity Goal: become a known/trusted quantity

5. Sending Out Applications • Start before December • Have essays, etc., finalized by January • Some schools have earlier deadlines • On-line resources: CRA, US News • Decision lead time • Schools – variable lead time (committees) • Industry – short lead time if not HR

6. The Job Talk • Target: not your hosts • Your hosts already like you • Everybody else has to be convinced • Simplify work, but explain complexity • Aim: a few, well-presented ideas • 40-45 minutes without questions • Make it attractive but not gaudy • Practice, practice, practice

7. Scheduling Just say no, sometimes Avoid >2 per week Locality = fewer trips Cost Reimbursed later Have $6K handy Ask them to pay Frequent flier miles Clothing Travel light – use Gaps One “good” outfit One “relaxed” outfit Other stuff Drugs – bring everything Laptop? Slides OK One set of sundry items Something fun Interview Preparations

8. Day One Arrive night before, sleep Wake up, iron, breakfast Morning: 45-min meetings Lunch: eat light, no sauce Afternoon: talk at 4pm Do NOT run late Dinner: more talk, still interviewing Day ends at 8:30 - sleep Day Two Iron casual shirt, breakfast Better morning questions More relaxed lunch Wrap up with chair Depart On airplane, organize receipts The Actual Interview

9. Between Interviews • Swap dirty clothes for clean ones • Restock drugs • Catch up on e-mail • Submit reimbursements • Request schedules for upcoming interviews • Print out next department’s web pages • Lather. Rinse. Repeat

10. Wrapping Up • Play it straight • Small community – word travels • Give everyone advance notice of decisions • Small number of second visits • Play tourist, bring S.O. if you still have one • You’re in charge this time • Offers • CRA Taulbee survey • Rejection isn’t necessarily about you

11. General Advice • Planning pays off – time is precious • No heroism of any kind – mental or physical. Disaster is really disaster. • Know your worth – avoid over/underestimates • This is the start of your career – start well