Initial Publication Date: August 20, 2007
Other Challenges
Show credits
HideAdditional challenges you may face include getting a social security number and adjusting to the US academic culture. Here are some tips that may help.
Jump down to
- Getting a Social Security Number (SSN)
- Adjusting to a culture of self-promotion
- Finding out what is expected of you (and what resources are available)
- Finding out about available technical support
Getting a Social Security Number (SSN)
- If you are a non-citizen eligible to work in the US, here's how you can apply for a social security number from the Social Security Administration.
Adjusting to a culture of self-promotion
- Many universities have workshops for early career faculty to promote grant writing skills. Take advantage of these.
- Have a trusted colleague who has a successful record of getting grants read over your grant proposals before you send them out. Be sure to give him or her a few weeks lead time, and ask politely whether he or she is willing to do you this favor.
- Take your cues from your successful colleagues; do what they do.
Finding out what is expected of you and what resources are available
- Find a senior mentor in your own, or a related, field to help. Even if your advisor is not in the U.S., they may have good contacts. If not, try MentorNet, an online mentoring network for graduate students and faculty in engineering, science and mathematics. Graduate students and untenured faculty members are eligible for one-on-one email-based mentoring by tenured faculty.
- Go to conferences and workshops; see what others are doing, particularly in situations like yours.
- Volunteer when you will have the opportunity to meet and work with senior colleagues—and learn from them.
Finding out about available technical support
- Your department chair can tell you what services are available; this probably varies from what you are used to, so it pays to be proactive and ASK.