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ID Datedown Author Subject
  5   Wed Feb 22 15:43:37 2017 EveryoneJob interviews in industry

John Beacom: http://degreeofsatisfaction.blogspot.com/ A good site from a the view of a data scientist with a Ph.D. in physics about how industry is different than academia.

Ryan Hype: "While I was looking for an industry position I was able to get some pretty good advice from the OSU Career Counseling and Support Services office. They have an entire section dedicated to graduate students looking to go into industry. Here is the link to the relevant section of their website. http://ccss.osu.edu/graduate-professional-students/job-internship-search-strategies/jobs-outside-of-academia/ They also occasionally run workshops on how to convert CVs into resumes, how to search for jobs, etc. "

 

Carl: A link about transitioning into Data Science from Academic Physics. https://philadelphiaphysicist.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/transitioning-from-physics-in-academia-to-data-science-lessons-learned/

Brian D.:  A few things if you are looking into industry. 

               1) Learn SQL- Every interview I have had asked about SQL. There are various tutorials online to learn syntax. It is not complicated, but seems necessary to use

               2) Start looking into statistical programs/languages to familarize yourself-Companies use different packages than academics do. One common package I have seen is called 'R'.

               

            Apply for lots of jobs. There are many different website you can use to find listings (indeed.com, monster.com, linkdin). Even if you do not think you are qualified, apply anyway. The worst they can say is no. Your education (masters/Ph.D) carries weight and companies may be interested even if you don't meet all the criteria they ask for. 

           Networking is, unfortunately, a large part of getting a job. Knowing a person can get your foot in the door. Past group members, current group members significant others, your relatives. You need to use them all!

            Interviews: Before phone interviews and in person interviews, research the position and company. Be prepared for the general questions all interviews ask (https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-answer-the-31-most-common-interview-questions is a decent starting point). Find out if the company is pursuing a goal (machine learning, energy efficiency, etc). Bringing that up in an interview shows you did your homework and shows your interest in the company.

      Bring your resume to your interview. They may ask you to go through it and discuss key points.

      Common question: "what do you bring to this job that others dont? / What do you think makes you stand out from other candidates". A list of common questions and how to approach the answers can be viewed here: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/27-most-common-job-interview-questions-and-answers.html

      Elevator pitch: Can you give the basics of your thesis in 30-60secs? As if you were explaining to someone with no technical background? This shows you can communicate ideas to others effectively.

      Have a list of questions ready for when the interviewer asks if you have any. Examples: What do you like about this company? What is a typical day like? What's one thing you would change if you could? The more specific the better.

      Ask questions that are important to you. Work life balance? Hours? Schedule? This shows you are interested in the position. Don't take a job that you feel won't work for you! Being miserable doesn't help anyone.

      Ask for a tour of the building/work space. Again, shows enthusiasm. (maybe after 2nd interview?)

 

     

  4   Wed Feb 22 15:43:20 2017 EveryoneAcademic job interviews

Amy's advice

Remember that they are not always looking for the "best" person on some absolute scale, it's about "fitting into a slot"  (that's what my advisor told me once anyway)

Be able to say a few sentences on what you do, why it is interesting from a "bird's eye level."

What is your 5 year plan

What is your 30 year plan

Which grants will you apply for (one of them should be one of the prestigious awards like CAREER)

What will your grant proposal be about

Who will you work with here (distinguish yourself from others  -they never want two people doing exactly the same things - but find synergies too)

What lab space will you need (square footage)

What classses will you want to teach (don't say everything)

Have you taught before

Examples of projects for students -undergrads and grads, if applicable

Other jobs you are applying for

In your talk, give lots of general info.  One of the purposes of it is to see what your teaching would be like.  If you can introduce your research in a little different way that motivates it better, that's good.

Highlight what you did without going into so much detail that you lose people.

If you have a two-body situation, go in with a strategy for how you are going to bring it up, with who, and when.

What are you going to do if your experiments fail or are not funded

Jordan's Advice and Whittier colloquium 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uiobzv2d3o16s2r/Colloquium.pdf?dl=0

That is a link to the colloquium I gave recently at a successful job interview at Whittier College in Los Angeles.  Here is a link to a teaching example on electronic filters that they asked me to prepare:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wnkl9p4k5ebouxb/simple.pdf?dl=0

I spoke with Amy, Steve Barwick, and Scott Gaudi to prepare for this interview.  Scott Gaudi is an astronomy professor at OSU, and I was required to meet with him as part of my CCAPP fellowship.  All three individuals provided great advice.  Main takeaways, the stuff that stuck out for me:

1) Why here? Why this place? Why us? Be able to explain why you want this job, not just a job.

2) Do not for any reason reveal that you don't have a plan.  Be deliberate, be a professional.  For example, if they ask you to give a lecture, do not go over time.  Do make it as interesting as possible, for as many as possible.  Be able to explain every detail, but don't expect to be required to do it.

3) Absolutely be yourself, and put yourself in the right state of mind.  Have faith in yourself.  If you can't add the type of value for which they are searching, then it won't be a good fit anyways.  Make sure you ask questions about how life is like there, and how you can fit into their community.  A university is more than an office building, it's a scholarly community.  Good luck!

 

Carl's Advice (other than that already listed above)

1. For a colloquium presentation, try to make your slides general. You are an expert in your field but in all likelihood, no one else in the audience will be. Don't concentrate too much on details unless they are asked for.

2. It also helps to make a colloquium a little fun/inspiring. Don't make the presentation too goofy or else it might not be taken seriously enough but it helps to include elements that are relatable to a larger audience.

3. Questions to have an answer for:

        How many people will you look to have in your lab? How many undergraduate students and how many graduate students? How many post-docs?

        If the department you are applying to is mixed (physics and astronomy, natural sciences, etc.), how will you try to connect your work with the broader department atmosphere?

        Do you have experience in and plans for outreach? (not a critical component but it helps to indicate that you are interested in the broader community)

 

 

 

 

  3   Wed Feb 22 15:42:30 2017 EveryoneGiving talks on weekly phone calls

Oindree's contribution:

1. Have slide numbers on the slides! So you can say ".. in slide 9 you can see .." instead of "in the next slide". On phone calls, it is hard to know what is the "next" slide. 

 

  2   Tue Feb 21 11:47:34 2017 Brian ClarkA guide to writing good talk slides

This is a checklist we should all complete when giving talks.

 

Note that the source .tex code is in the .tar.gz file.

  1   Sat Feb 18 14:23:09 2017 J.C. HansonDon't Lose Hope :-)

When applying for jobs, all it takes is time!  Have faith in yourself.

~Jordan

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