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Job Search

By Anonymous Hero
Posted Wed Feb 12, 2003 at 08:53:18 AM PDT

Hi All, I'm graduating this May. I've applied for postdoc positions but I have yet to hear from any places. The only exception being a rejection from Cal-Tech. I'd like to know what's going on out there. So please speak out freely!

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postdoc positions | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)

[new] Do you have contacts? (1.00 / 1) (#1)
by chawne on Fri Feb 14, 2003 at 05:30:55 AM PDT

Many postdocs are gotten by having the right connections. If your experience in the position is to be a true enhanced research training period, then your research needs to significantly overlap that of a senior member of the department. When this is the case, emphasize it in your cover letter and contact any people with whom you have a research affinity so that they may shepherd your application through the process.

Has your advisor directly contacted the departments to sing your praises? S/he may need to cash in some chips for you. Have you networked at conferences?

There is still time in the hiring season to go, so don't give up hope.

Good luck!

re: by Anonymous Hero, 02/28/2003 17:38:35 PDT (none / 0)

[new] It's only February!!! (none / 0) (#2)
by SeminoleNo1 on Mon Feb 17, 2003 at 07:16:51 AM PDT

It's only February, a little early to get desperate.

Right now, the top cream of the cream candidates have offers from the best of the best schools -- once those candidates select where they wish to go, those schools will extend offers to their alternates, and so forth. And as another poster said, in so many words, network, network, network. Through networking you might be able to find some encouraging news, or some, er, motivating news. As in motivating you in a new direction or more aggressive applying for positions you weren't considering.

Do keep applying to positions you qualify for. Note I said ones you qualify for. Don't waste even a stamp on those places you lack meeting the minimum posted requirements. If you are close to qualifying and it is hard to imagine from the job description many fully qualifying for the position, network to see how sticky they are about meeting the requirements. In those cases, do they need to get a best match this year, or can they hold out until next year for the perfect match?

[new] NSF Postdocs (none / 0) (#3)
by Anonymous Hero on Mon Feb 24, 2003 at 01:40:11 PM PDT

My experience last year was that I got a VIGRE postdoc offer made right around when the NSF postdocs were announced (I did not apply for an NSF postdoc). I was not given that long to decide and I had not really heard from many other schools (I had also applied for a handful of tenure-track jobs).

In regard to this, my advisor remarked about the negative effects of the "gentlemen's agreement" among many schools to not require a decision from any postdoc candidate until after the winners of the NSF postdocs are announced; the downside being that it delays the game somewhat and makes for a flurry of activity during the weeks proceeding the announcement of the NSF postdocs (which was about two weeks ago). Since the usual time period one is given to consider an offer is about two weeks (at least that's what I've heard), it seems that third round offers should just be starting.

Since I'm not on the market this year I don't know if this is indeed how thing are progressing. Anyone who is actually on the market care to share their status?

[new] Another Candidate on the Market (none / 0) (#4)
by Anonymous Hero on Tue Feb 25, 2003 at 09:19:28 PM PDT

Hello, I am currently on the job market. I got some feedback from a couple of places I applied to. I was turned down by IBM, the University of Virginia and by the University of California at Davis. Carnegie Mellon University told me (3 weeks ago) that I was in their short list, but since then nothing... I had an interview for a tenure-track interview, and I am still waiting to hear from them. Good luck to those of you who are waiting for a job offer.

I've heard from: by Anonymous Hero, 02/28/2003 17:41:56 PDT (none / 0)

Some news: by Anonymous Hero, 03/01/2003 04:37:28 PDT (none / 0)

postdoc positions | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)

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