Young Faculty Workshop

Design Automation Conference

2009

9:00-9:10 Welcome Steve LevitanSoha Hassoun

9:10-9:50 Getting an Academic JobThe Application Process - what is expected, where to apply, and what to include.The Interview - the research seminar, the timing of offers and the negotiation.

Steven Levitan - PittsburghMary Jane Irwin – Penn State

10:00-10:40 How to manage your timeBalancing research, teaching, and serviceWhere there is flexibility and where there is notPractical teaching experienceTeaching a CAD course

Michael Orshansky – Texas, AustinW. Rhett Davis – NC State

10:50-11:30 Research - papers, conferences and grantsSetting a research agendaWriting proposalsStudents - friends or fodder?Ties with Industry

Soha Hassoun - Tufts Sachin Sapatnekar - Minnesota

Lunch Break 11:30-1:30

01:30-02:10 Funding – building relationships with funding agenciesHow NSF worksHow SRC works How Industry Funding Works

Sankar Basu – National Science FoundationWilliam Joyner – Semiconductor Research CorporationShishpal Rawat – Intel

2:20-3:00 Tenure - what it takes Know what’s expected by your Department, School, and University: teaching, research, serviceLearning which contributions are valued Doing what is “portable”Building a mentoring network

Jason Cong - UCLACherrice Traver Union College

3:10-3:50 Special IssuesEthics and intellectual property issuesIssues for under-represented groupsChallenges for faculty from schools with smaller EDA research groups

Yiorgos Makris - YaleIris Bahar - BrownJanet Meiling Wang – Arizona

4:00 – 5:00 Open Panel Q/A session / Reception

Administration

• Registration and Travel Reimbursements• Managed by DAC – Kathy Embler

kathy@dac.com• Tax Forms, copies of receipts• Up to the amount we sent to you• (perhaps more)

July 2009

Getting an Academic Job

Steve LevitanUniversity of Pittsburgh

Janie IrwinPenn State University

July 2009

Preparing for your job search

• Actually started several years before you thought you were looking• Thesis committee• Thesis content and associated papers• Networking opportunities with researchers

outside your university (at conferences, colloquium speakers, etc.)

• …

July 2009

Thesis committee

• Pick a committee that can help you develop your career. Of course they help define your thesis and become a researcher, but they also• Help in your job search

• Letters from well-known researchers have greater impact• Can personally contact potential employers

• After you have a job, help advocate on your behalf• For committee assignments, panelists, speakers, …

• Not all your committee members have to be well connected• Can mix junior faculty with senior faculty

July 2009

Thesis content• Not one size fits all• Quality and flavor of thesis impact job opportunities

• More applied results helps with industrial jobs• Theoretical component helps with university jobs• Pedagogical results help with teaching college jobs

• Thesis contributions need to match your job aspirations • Contributions might warrant a glowing letter for one type

of institution but not another

• Need to discuss a strategy with your advisor so your results match your goals

July 2009

Decisions, DecisionsResearch University or Teaching College

• Do you like teaching? Research? Both?• Would you be more comfortable in a big

department or a small one?• Do you want to work with graduate students

primarily? Undergraduates primarily?• What is your risk tolerance?• How important is salary? Location? • Look at starting salaries from CRA/Taulbee

survey

July 2009

What is often not said

• Except for the elite Oberlin 50, college teaching positions are hard to fill• Pay is poor compared to University and

Industry positions• Teaching loads are high (and no TA help)• Teaching positions at research Universities

might pay better and have a lower teaching load, but usually have little status and are usually a year-by-year contract

July 2009

What is often not said

• Most faculty get tenure• Most departments hire expecting/hoping to

award the person tenure• Hiring and mentoring of junior faculty is

expensive, in time and money• Its a big department investment so worth their

while to help you be successful

July 2009

What is often not said

• University positions provide the most flexibility in terms of future options• Difficult to move from a teaching college to

industry UNLESS you can show that your job skills are still current

• Very difficult to move from a teaching college or industry to a research university UNLESS you have been publishing in high-quality venues

July 2009

What does this mean

• If you aren’t sure what career path to chose and your advisor/committee are supportive, you might want to consider a research or industrial research lab position• If it doesn’t “work out” you can try something

else• If you are sure what career path you want,

make sure you can live with the consequences

The hard part

• Going from a senior Ph.D. student to an Assistant Professor in less than one year• Putting your own research in context• Going beyond “doing research” to running a research

group• Grant writing, Teaching, Service• Having an (adult) life

• Picking a neighborhood, buying a house etc.

• You have to (pretend that you) already know how to do this• Often, while you are still finishing your thesis• Its not just jumping over to the other side of the desk

Post Docs

Post Doctoral Research Fellows• Not common in our field, but changing• 1 – 2 years of pure research after Ph.D.

• Help run large research group at top tier school• Work at national labs, industry labs• Publish, publish, publish• Experience writing grants and supervising• Help with courses

• More common for fabrication/systems fields• Can broaden/change research focus

July 2009

The CV Metrics

• Research university metrics• Papers in top conferences, a few journal papers/

submissions• Great letters (esp. strong advisor support)• Good department fit (neither too many in your

research area or no one)• Teaching college metrics

• Papers in conferences• Teaching enthusiasm (and experience)

• Factors out of your control• Number of slots, desirable areas, dept politics, etc.

July 2009

The Timeline

• Defend and turn in your completed thesis *before* moving

Your *last* year as a graduate student

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Aug Sep

Assemble application packetTalk to reference writers

Mail out application packetPractice talkWait for invites

Dept. recruiting committees start work

Recruiting (interview) season

Offers out and contract negotiationTime to decide!

Move Start new job

July 2009

The Application Packet

• Cover letter – personalize for your first picks• Well crafted, complete CV

• Three to five references (email addresses)• Two page research statement

• Current research impacts, future vision• Include both short-term and long-term research goals

• One page teaching statement• Experience (e.g., TA), interests

• A well crafted, complete, professional web page containing pdf’s of papers

July 2009

Initial Contacts• Deciding where to apply

• Check want ads (IEEE Computer, CACM, www.cra.org/main/cra.jobs.html).

• If your faculty champion knows someone in a department you really are interested in, have them contact them

• For certain fields, might want to apply to more than one department in the same university, e.g., CS and ECE

• Don’t be too picky – the market is tight right now! If you are really interested in a particular department apply even if they haven’t posted an ad.

• Be organized and do your homework• Spreadsheets of contacts, status• Travel arrangements, local information, maps, etc.

July 2009

Travel Form

• Create a one page form to keep track of all travel details• Dates, destination, local contact information• Talk title• Hotel information & confirmation• Flight schedule• Ground transportation information• Cost estimates• Registration information & confirmation (for

conferences)• Add the filled-out form to your tenure file for data

collection

July 2009

The Selection Process• Once your application has been received, the

department’s recruiting committee will decide whether to• Ask for letters• Let you know that there is a “no match”

• But often you will not hear anything -> “no match”• A few will be invited for an interview

• Strategies for improving chances of an invite• Have your letter writers send their letters rather than waiting to

be asked - might help sway the recruiting committee• Ask your faculty champion to contact people they know at the

places you have applied and put in a good word• For some positions (esp. teaching colleges), can let people

know that you are going to be “in the area”

Preparing for the Visit

Do your homework !• Exchange email with Faculty host• Look at Dept, School, University, and City websites• Get schedule of who you will talk to

• Tell them if there are specific people you want to meet (in other depts)

• Know when / length of talk, audience etc.

• Download info about people you will meet• Learn their names• Skim their papers, look for synergies

July 2009

The Academic Interview

• The interview talk (preferably early in the visit, not at the end)• Starting to see 2 talks (a formal and a “chalk board talk”)

• 30 minute one-on-ones• May meet faculty from more than one department (especially if

research interests overlap)• Meet with department head/chair (and dean)• Meet with a small group of senior grad students• Meals – let them know if you have any requirements• Goal: Convince them that you will add strength to their

department in important areas (research, teaching and service) and will be a collegial department citizen

Coordinated by your faculty host

July 2009

The Talk• Goal: Convince them that you are smart, your research

contributions are solid, there are promising problems to tackle next, and you will be a good teacher

• Well motivated and broad enough at the beginning to appeal to the entire audience (undergrad level)

• Focused enough at the end to show off your research skills and convince the experts in the audience (by this time you’ve lost the generalists)

• Fundable/Future research – ideas of who/where to fund this work

• Well paced – not rushed or short, handle questions & interruptions and still finish on time

• Practice, practice, practice (in your sleep)• Give a practice-talk to an audience of faculty and students from

various research groups• People might ask questions from viewpoints that you have never

thought of!

July 2009

One-on-Ones• Goals

• Convince them they want to work with you• Decide if you want to work with them

• Do your homework• Have your 1 minute, 5 minute and 10 minute elevator talk ready• Know how your research would fit with theirs and vice versa

• Check faculty out on the web, maybe read some of their recent papers• Not all faculty will know/care about your research, not all

have seen the talk• Talk to them about their research, teaching, school, dept

• Have a list of questions ready• Stay upbeat

• Be interested in everything• Ask to see labs, walk around etc.

July 2009

Possible Questions• What’s the best thing about your department? What’s the

worst?• How does the department make important decisions?

Are there faculty retreats?• Who do you collaborate with?• Where are last year’s PhD graduates working?• How many faculty have been tenured in the last five

years? How many have not?• What is the typical course enrollment (lower division,

upper division, graduate)? What TA support is provided?

• How good is the staff support (clerical and lab)?• Be careful who you ask about childcare, K-12 schools,

job for partner, etc. (they are not supposed to ask you, unless you bring it up first)

July 2009

Chair/Dean Meeting• Goals

• Convince them they want you in their department/college• Decide if you want to be there, decide if this is the right “boss” for

you

• Do your homework• Have your 1 minute and 5 minute elevator talk ready• Check department/college out on the web• Know how your research complements the dept/ college• Know which courses you would like to/could teach• Know possible funding sources for your research• Know your startup (lab, space, etc.) needs

• Have a list of questions ready

July 2009

Possible Questions

The one-on-one questions, plus• What is the standard teaching load? Can I create new

courses? Can I buy out of teaching? How is teaching evaluated?

• What is the pre-tenure faculty review process? Are pre-tenure sabbaticals possible?

• Are there Developmental Chairs for junior faculty?• What is the strongest department in the college? The

weakest? • What is the largest department in the college? The

smallest? Which are slated for growth (if any)?• What are the university’s IP policies?• What support groups/activities are provided in the

department/college/university for women faculty?

July 2009

Meals

• At most one drink• Good topics for conversation: travel,

hobbies, kids, school sports, places and events in/around campus

• Neighborhoods, places to live, schools for kids

• Bad topics: politics, religion, conduct of personal-life

July 2009

Miscellaneous Tips

• Try not to schedule more than one interview per week if possible• Some interviews span more than one day• You want to be at your best at each place you interview

• Schedule flights so that you arrive a little early (even with flight delays) and so you don’t have to run for the airport right after your talk

• Take bathroom breaks• Wear comfortable shoes and a jacket you can take off

during the talk (in case the room is warm)• Check out the weather forecast and take appropriate

outer wear (e.g., rain coat)• Stay alert. Get plenty of sleep the night before, exercise

if you can, caffeine if needed

July 2009

Two Body Issues

To tell or not to tell – and when ?

• Full disclosure in the cover letter• The department can start working on it early

• But some departments may not contact you that would have otherwise

• Its not always obvious, especially if you have different last names

• Insist on separate interviews and being treated independently, but• if you are willing to have a commuting marriage say so, if not

say so

July 2009

Two Body Issues

To tell or not to tell – and when ?

• Full disclosure only after contacted for an interview• They have already decided they are interested in you

• Make it clear what you will accept and do not set up the interview unless those expectations *might* be met• If you require two positions in the same department

say so now, not after you arrive

July 2009

Two Body Issues

To tell or not to tell – and when ?

• Full disclosure during the visit• Can discuss your needs and the options• Can hear about options you had not realized were

available• Full disclosure after an offer is being discussed

• Department is definitely committed, but it is getting late to have much impact

July 2009

To tell or not to tell – and when ?

• The more difficult it will be for a place to meet your needs, the sooner you should reveal your situation• If an institution is in a large city with a number of

options, there may not be any need for assistance• If an institution is in a rural setting with few local

alternatives, sooner is better than later

• Do your homework• Know what other opportunities are in the area and

how well they might fit your needs as a couple

July 2009

After the Visit

• Send an email thanks to your host and others who spent time/effort during your visit

• File for travel reimbursements promptly• Be sure to keep originals of all receipts

• Be prepared to be flexible. Offers usually come in with some time constraints. You may have to decide quickly. Could be caught in a “squeeze play”.• Is a bird in the hand really better than one in the

bush?

July 2009

Always tell the truth

• This is a small, very interconnected community

• Do not tell more than one institution that they are your *first* choice

• Be forthright• The people you are dealing with do this every

year

July 2009

Negotiating the Offer• Start date• Teaching load and 1st year teaching assignment

• Ask to teach an advanced grad course your first semester

• Start-up package• RA support, conference and funding agency travel funds, summer

salary, equipment, lab and RA space, committee service reduction, teaching load reduction

• Tenure clock issues (clock credit, clock stoppage)• Salary, benefits (medical, retirement)• Immigration issues (H1B, green card help/lawyers)• Subsidized housing, moving expenses• Campus parking location/cost• Get everything in writing

Second Visit

• Sometimes it makes sense to have a second visit • Look for housing• Meet more people• Resolve issues (startup, lab space, etc)

July 2009

Wrap-Up

• Choose a job that rewards you for what you want to do

• If you never hear “no,” you’re not asking for enough• But know when to stop pushing for more

July 2009

Credits & Reading

• Slides from “Getting a Job”, CRA-W Career Mentoring Workshops (in particular Lori Clarke)

• See “Tips for a Massive Academic Job Search” (http://spertus.com/ellen)

• Read Ms. Mentor’s Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia by Emily Toth