YOUR RESULTS ARE IN — YOU’RE THE

Numbers Nerd

YOUR SUPERPOWER IS USING QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES TO GENERATE INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACKED BY ROBUST DATA ANALYSIS

WHAT MAKES YOU SO SUCCESSFUL ↓

YOUR QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS METHODS

You're an innovator applying quantitative approaches to classical problems

You won the highest GPA award as a PhD student (yes, the one that only theorists win) – TWICE.

The rest of the lab had to get permission from the head of the grad committee just to sit for the quals (or was that just me? thanks again Prof. Alverson) & half the class failed out as usual – but you passed classical & quantum in one shot.

You’re the bridge between practical experimentalists & brilliant theorists – you do your own experiments & your own theory & they inform each other so your fits always have a reduced chi-squared close to 1.

Your equations explain it all & every search committee knows your analysis methods will bring their own research to the next level.

YOU KNOW IT’S A NUMBERS GAME & YOU PLAY TO WIN — YOU’VE DONE THE CALCULATIONS FOR

how many positions come up every year

& HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET ONE

YOU MOVED FOR YOUR PHD & YOUR POSTDOC &

You'll move again for your faculty position.

You’re flexible enough to work from anywhere — a HUGE competitive advantage.

And you’re determined enough to send out as many applications as it takes to get the interview.

…and since your application-to-invitation rate is r>0.4 (N > 50), it’s just a matter of time before you get the job you’re looking for.

BUT WRITING ALL THESE APPLICATIONS IS TIME-CONSUMING — AND THE [HIGHLY STATISTICALLY LIKELY] REJECTIONS ARE FRUSTRATING

You need to know what other jobs are out there & their precise requirements

SO YOU CAN LEARN ANY SKILLS YOU MIGHT BE MISSING. LOOK, YOU’D BE HAPPY TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME LEANING PYTHON WHILE YOUR MATLAB SCRIPTS ARE RUNNING OVERNIGHT. BUT YOU’D GO TO BED EARLIER & SLEEP EASIER KNOWING THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR JOB SEARCH, IT’S ALL UNDER CONTROL.

But it is under control — because your superpower is your secret weapon

THESE 3 STRENGTHS ARE YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE & THEY’LL

highlight your superpower & make you stand out

IN THIS INTERNATIONAL JOB MARKET WHERE EVERYONE & THEIR MOTHER HAS A PHD OR TWO

STRENGTH 1 \ ANALYSIS

Quantitative approaches you'll bring to the department

Your analysis methods help multiple research groups understand their results, make solid conclusions & design better experiments. Your faculty application-to-interview rate is an order of magnitude higher than r-avg=4(+/-2)% because your work contributes to your colleagues’ accomplishments. You submit the right number of applications & you get invited to interview.

STRENGTH 2 \ EFFICIENCY

You do what's important & skip the rest

Your know life isn’t an exact science & your superpower gives you a rare & useful skill — you think in probabilities & priorities. You let the data drive your decisions about how to spend your time & energy, putting you in the PhD varsity league (p>0.1, N>200). Most postdocs (including me) are stuck in analysis paralysis, distracted by drama & delayed by perfectionism — and start their job search WAY too late.

STRENGTH 3 \ PERSISTENCE

Strength in numbers

You’ll do whatever it takes to reach your goals, even if it means moving again. If N>100 isn’t enough data points to draw your conclusions, you’ll collect data for N>1000. You’ll keep trying long after most scientists (including me) will give up & move on. You’ll search as long as it takes to get a job you love in a place you want to live (p>0.94, N>50).

Specific strategies & resources optimized for your scientific strengths

3 APPLICATION STRATEGIES

for the Numbers Nerd

HERE ARE 3 SEARCH STRATEGIES FOR A SCIENTIST WITH YOUR STRENGTHS THAT’LL HELP YOU GET YOUR DREAM JOB

STRATEGY 1 \ COMMUNICATION

Practice interviewing

If you’re getting interviews but no offers, my go-to strategy for postdocs like you is to practice your talk & nail your interview answers. Interview invitation rate is a function of scientific accomplishments & technical expertise, but offer rate is a function of communication skills & departmental match. Make your contribution to the department obvious to every search committee & your superpower will get you a job you love.

STRATEGY 2 \ OPTIMIZE YOUR CV

Use keyword research to pass the ATS algorithm

If you’re applying high-profile positions & your interview-to-offer rate is NOT increasing as a function of application number, the most efficient way to get more invitations is to use keyword research to optimize you CV. 98% of organizations use application tracking systems (ATS) to automatically reject 75% of applications. Include the algorithm in your application & your superpower will help you find a job where you’ll fit right in.

STRATEGY 3 \ JOB BOARDS

Weigh all your options

If you’re not sure you want to move again, take a quick look at science-specific job boards & consider ALL your options. Your rational approach will help you calculate the pros & cons of other open positions where you want to live. Your data analysis skills are highly-valued & well-compensated outside of academia — and the confidence from those offers will improve your interview performance & help you get a job you’ll enjoy.

THEY DIDN’T TEACH THIS IN PHD SCHOOL — AND IF YOU GOT THIS FAR,

You're on the right track

YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A JOB YOU LOVE IN THE CITY YOU LOVE

Welcome

I hope that helps you get started — and more is on the way…

Watch your inbox for an email with more specific strategies & resources to make your scientific skillset stand out in this competitive international job market. I’m so glad you’re here! Let’s get you a career & a life that you love.