Winning that Academic Job

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• Winning that Academic Job
• (Perspectives from a
• Seasoned Professor)

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The Academic Interview

• An interview is to employment as dating is to
  marriage an opportunity to make an impression
  and create a relationship that will lead to
  something more permanent.
• The Three most important things for an interview
• Prepare
• Prepare
• Prepare

Have a list of questions ready
Be ready for all questions
Know about the faculty
Understand your bargaining power
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The Academic Interview

• Prepare your seminar carefullyit may be the most
  important presentation of your life
• Most often used as a measure of your research and
  how good a teacher you will be (show enthusiasm)
• Do not get defensive during QA (some people like
  to test you by being purposely hostile)
• I dont know.Ill check into it and get back to
  you is an Okay answer.

• Ask about
• Teaching loads, travel money, lab space and start
  up packages
• Quality of graduate undergraduate students
• Departments health (through subtle QA)

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Life as an Assistant Professor

• What does a professor do all day (do I want this
  life?)
• Teaching (classroom and advising)
• What do people think a professor does all day?

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So, Professor, what do you do?
committees write papers write proposals grovel
for money committees advise students correct
theses committees sit on exams committees

• Teaching,
• Research,
• Service

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and then theres the tenure game
Write more papers
Be a great teacher

• Bring in
• more

The Secret? You know the answer Time Management
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Teaching Why most of us get into the
professorship

• A great teacher is one whose spirit enters the
  souls of his students (John Milton)

1. In the Classroom
2. In the role of Advisor

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What makes a great teacher?

• Most professors have never had a course in
  education
• Does good researcher good teacher?
• Are good teachers born (and not made)?
• Characteristics of a good teacher
• Stimulating, clear, organized, approachable,
• enthusiastic, helpful, fair

• Intellectual excitement
• Interpersonal rapport

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The Publics Perception What do people think a
Professor does?

• Those who can, do ..
• .those who cannot, teach.

One example of public perception Profscam, by
Charles J. Sykes (journalist son of a
professor) the direct and ultimate reason for
the collapse of higher education in the United
States the selfish, wayward and corrupt American
university professor.
Caution This material is presented only to open
your eyes to what some sectors of the public
believe.
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Professor Crimes (Profscam)

• Overpaid and underworked
• Have abandoned teaching responsibilities and
  students (unapproachable, uncommunicative, and
  unavailable)
• In pursuit of their own interests (research,
  academic politicking, cushy grants) they have
  left students in the care of an academic
  underclass
• Have created a culture in which bad teaching goes
  unnoticed and good teaching is penalized
• Have perverted the system of academic publishing

Of course, this cant happen here
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So why be a Professor?

• There are few careers as rewarding
• Be your own boss (choose your own 80 hour weeks)
• It is possible to do and teach
  simultaneously!
• You can make a difference