Initial Publication Date: March 24, 2014

Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences: Pre-workshop Assignment

Some of you have already started to look for jobs, while for others of you, that is in the future. As part of your preparation for the workshop, we would like you to explore what it's like to be a faculty member at different types of institutions and to learn more about the job search process. To do so, we ask you to do the following four things before the workshop (the tables in step 4 are available as a Word file (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 24kB Jun3 13)):

Explore the range of academic jobs and careers at different types of institutions.

Read the career profiles of the workshop leaders to learn about the workshop leaders and their work.
Take a look at a few of the career profiles of leaders from previous Preparing for an Academic Career workshops.
Additional career profiles are available from leaders of the Early Career Geoscience Faculty workshop.
You might also take a look at the "beyond faculty" careers collection.

Learn (more) about the academic job search process.

Look at the On the Cutting Edge web resources on The Job Search, starting with that page and exploring other parts of the site, including the Beginning the Search section.
The Cutting Edge website has useful resources about Assembling Your Application Materials, including information about teaching statements and research statements, which may be requested as part of the application materials. If they are not requested, some applicants choose to incorporate some of the content from these statements into their cover letter.
The job search process and interviews at two-year colleges commonly follows a different format. Here are two Cutting Edge resources that provide information about interviews at two-year colleges:

Explore various resources related to teaching, research, and the job search

Check out responses to many of the questions frequently asked by workshop participants that are compiled on this FAQs page. These FAQs will get you to explore various resources on the Cutting Edge and SERC websites that might be of interest, now or later.

Complete the job search inventory and reflection on your experiences and possible next steps.

Download and print the assignment Word file (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 24kB Jun3 13) and complete Table 1 and Table 2 (or make your own file with your responses). Table 1 includes an inventory of components of the job search (and is an inventory for your own professional planning and use). Table 2 asks you to reflect on some aspects of your experience in research and teaching and some possible next steps as you move forward in your career. The tables are for your own use and we will not ask you to submit either table to the workshop leaders.

Table 1. Inventory of materials for an academic job application.