YOUR RESULTS ARE IN— YOU’RE THE

Practical Professor

YOUR SUPERPOWER IS WRITING PAPERS THAT GET PUBLISHED & GRANTS THAT GET FUNDED — EVEN IN TODAY’S COMPETITIVE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

WHAT MAKES YOU SO SUCCESSFUL ↓

YOUR REMARKABLE RESEARCH RECORD

You're a visionary on the cutting edge of scientific research

and you have the the high-profile publication record to prove it.

You won ALL the poster prizes as a PhD student & now your abstract always gets selected for a talk — which, by the way, is the best talk at the conference BY FAR & you spend the whole coffee break answering questions.

You got grants & fellowships to fund your PhD & postdoc & search committee knows you’ll bring your own funding to the department.

BUT YOU’RE NOTHING IF NOT PRACTICAL — YOU’VE SEEN THE NUMBERS & YOU KNOW THAT

faculty positions are fiercely competitive

YOU MOVED FOR YOUR PHD & POSTDOC

but you can’t just up & move ANYwhere you get a job

And truth be told, you don’t really wanna live in Nashville…even if they DO offer you your own building.

Your friends & colleagues have Science & Nature papers too — but it still took them t>3 years to get their positions…and most of them haven’t solved the two-body problem either.

YOU’D BE A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PI & EVERYBODY KNOWS IT —

but it's stressful (& unfair!) that it still might not work out

AND IF IT DOESN’T, YOU NEED A SOLID PLAN B SO YOU CAN JUST. BREATHE. EASIER. WHEN YOU FINALLY CLOSE YOUR COMPUTER & GO TO BED AT NIGHT

But you can breathe — 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 \ RESULTS

Fellowships & funding you'll bring with you

You’ve done the hardest part — your scientific record will do the heavy lifting for you. The faculty application-to-interview rate r=4(+/-2)% depends on publication & funding record, and you have the papers & grants to get invited to interviews.

STRENGTH 2 \ VISION

Your long-term research plan for your lab

You’ve got the right ideas. Your scientific skillset helps you avoid the mistake that ALL postdocs (including me) make on that first faculty application — a research proposal that’s a collection of short-term postdoc projects instead of a cohesive long-term vision for your own independent lab.

STRENGTH 3 \ TIME

The data is on your side & you can take your time

I normally advise AGAINST getting another postdoc to extend the timeline on your faculty search — but you’re an outlier. Your research record indicates that you WILL eventually get a tenure-track faculty position (p>0.8, N>200). Rest assured that every postdoc in the international community that I interviewed with is a PI now.

Specific strategies & resources optimized for your scientific skillset

3 APPLICATION STRATEGIES

for the Practical Professor

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

STRATEGY 1 \ STARTING GRANTS

Write a grant to start your new lab

If you’re location-constrained or applying to top-tier research institutions, use your superpower to write an early career grant & communicate your progress through the grant review stages. The probability that your research program will be funded is one of the most important variables in search committee deliberations & your superpower will get you an outstanding offer.

STRATEGY 2 \ FIND YOUR MATCH

Tailor your cover letter to the right section

The interview-to-offer rate r=12(+/-5)% depends on research vision & departmental match, so if you’re getting interviews but no great offers, my most effective strategy for postdocs like you is to read every paper from the department & use your cover letter to identify the EXACT section where your long-term research plans fit. You know how to write & your superpower will get you offers you’ll actually accept.

STRENGTH 3 \ PLAN B

Know when & how to change directions

If you’re location-constrained, it’s helpful to add an artificial time constraint to your search. Use your strategic vision & writing skills to list ALL the ways you can use your superpower to make a living so (unlike me) you don’t turn down offers in places you don’t want to live — only to be unemployed in the place you do. You know when & how to change directions & your superpower will help you get a job you love.

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.