News and Advice

How can I organize my job search?

A postdoc asks—I want to start applying for positions (I’m pursuing a few different kinds of positions that are not bench science positions). I know I can just open LinkedIn and start looking at lists of jobs and apply to them, but that feels sort of spontaneous and endless. Is there a better way…

Why is it so hard to get a job even with a PhD?

A 6th year PhD student asks—I've been working hard on my PhD and I’m finally going to graduate soon. Things went wrong with my project and I had to really focus to get things done on a reasonable timeline. Now I’m learning about what it takes to get a job and I’m feeling exhausted already—it’s so…

How do I break my job hunt down into smaller pieces?

A 5th year PhD student asks—

Update on "How to ask for a faculty position for my partner too?"

Last week, we answered "how to ask about a faculty position for a partner too" when interviewing for a faculty position. The postdoc who asked the original question wrote in to follow up with more details.Thank you so much—this is really helpful and makes sense to me.

How to ask for a faculty position for my partner too

A postdoc asks—My spouse is currently an assistant professor at another university, so a move for a faculty position would involve considering potential academic opportunities for both of us. I’d really appreciate any guidance on how and when this is typically raised during the faculty application…

How can I make sure job offers line up so I can compare them?

A postdoc asks—I just did an on-site interview at a university that is not my top choice but it seems like the interview went well, and I’m scheduled for a screening interview at a university I’m much more excited about. I don’t have invitations from other places I’ve applied for so far, so these…

How long do I wait to find the right job?

A postdoc asks—

Should I take a break?

A 4th year PhD student asks—

Do companies use AI to read resumes?

A postdoc asks—I've heard that companies are using AI to screen resumes before a human ever reads them. Is that true, and should I be writing my CV differently because of it?

I just finished quals...now what?

A third year PhD student asks—I just passed my quals and I don’t know what to do next; I feel like for so long I was working really hard just focused on my quals deadline, but now I feel like I’m doing nothing and I’m constantly worried I’m falling behind.