A collection of resources related to pursuing academic and non-academic careers.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Graduate Student Resource for Choosing a Postdoc
This National Postdoctoal Association resource offers insight into why you might consider a postdoc, how to choose the right postdoc for you, how to apply for postdoc positions, what to expect in the interview, and how to create your own niche as a postdoc.
To Postdoc or Not?
In this Inside Higher Ed article, Melanie V. Sinche discusses different types of postdoc positions and how to decide which one is right for you.
Preparing and Applying for a Postdoc Position
Panelists discuss preparing and applying for a postdoc position in this webinar hosted by the Institute for Broadening Participation.
Transitioning From a Postdoc to a Tenure-Track Position
Stephen J. Aguilar shares what he's learned about transitioning from a postdoc to a faculty position in this Inside Higher Ed article.
Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowships & Opportunities
Minority Postdoc offers a list of funding, fellowships, travel awards, and other resources of interest to current and future postdocs.
Academic Careers
Should You Pursue An Academic Career?
Associate Professor Jim Pfaendtner explores this question and others in this blog post for the University of Washington Graduate School.
Considering a career in academia? Here are some (observed) realities
In this Academic Matters article, Christina Skorobohacz reflects on a semester-long internship shadowing an assistant professor and offers insights for those contemplating a career in academia.
10 Benefits of an Academic Career
Academic Positions compiled a list of 10 reasons to choose a career in academia.
Working in Industry vs Academia: Which Is Right for You?
Shayna Joubert at Northeastern University describes differences between working in industry vs. academia and how to decide which is right for you.
So You Want to Work at a Teaching College?
In this article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jordan Cofer describes the faculty profile of teaching colleges.
Doing Research at a Teaching-Focused College
For this article in Inside Higher Ed, Hollis Phelps explains how to find time and inspiration for good scholarship when working at a teaching-focused college.
Non-Academic Careers
Careers in Education for the STEM Graduate Students and Postdocs
In this panel hosted by Duke University, panelists share how they transitioned from STEM disciplines into their current roles in education, how they found these jobs, and steps to take to prepare for careers in education.
Why it is not a 'failure' to leave academia
Philipp Kruger explains how PhD students can prepare for different careers and how lab heads can help in this Nature article.
An Academic’s Guide to Getting a Non-Academic Job
In this article for Medium, Philip E. Wolgin shares what he has learned in non-academic research, advocacy, and policy settings to help guide academics looking to transition to non-academic positions.
Leaving academia? How to sell yourself to new employers
Pam Denicolo, Julie Reeves, and Dawn Duke offer tips on how to translate your academic skills when applying for private sector jobs in this article for The Guardian.
The Sweet Spot of a Nonacademic Job Search
Alexandra M. Lord describes how she learned to search for non-academic jobs and craft successful applications in this Chronicle of Higher Education article.
20 Transferable Skills for PhDs
This guide from Cheeky Scientist describes how to transfer skills acquired during your doctoral program to industry jobs.
Top 20 Industry Positions for PhDs
This Cheeky Scientist guidebook is designed for STEM PhDs who want to get hired into industry.
Assessing an Organization’s Culture
The Office of Career Strategy at Yale University discusses factors to consider when assessing an organization.
The Job Search
Becoming a Job Candidate: The Timetable for Your Search
This Stanford University resource uses The Academic Job Search Handbook to offer PhD candidates and postdocs a concrete timeline for applying for faculty positions.
From PhD to Professor: Advice for Landing Your First Academic Position
Johanna Greeson shares five strategies that boosted her application and helped her land her dream position in this article for The Muse.
I Found a Tenure-Track Job. Here’s What it Took
In this article for Chronicle Vite, Jeremy Yoder describes his process for searching for a faculty job.
Maximize Your Chances of Landing a Faculty Job
Elisabeth Pain shares tips for landing a faculty position in this Science article.
Academic job applications: five mistakes to avoid
Steve Joy explains how to impress employers and avoid common mistakes in this Gudarian article.
Finding Fit
In this Inside Higher Ed article, Cherly E. Ball describes different types of academic positions and how to find the right fit for you.
Academic Job Search - The Hiring Process From The Other Side
UC Berkeley Career Center offers perspectives from the committee side of the application process.
Behind the Scenes with the Search Committee: The Academic Application Process
In this panel hosted by Duke University, faculty in the sciences and engineering discuss the faculty recruitment process from the search committee's perspective.
Do You Fit Us?
In this article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, shares some of the questions professors and administrators may ask themselves about your candidacy.
Top 10 Nonprofit Job Hunting Tips
This article from Bridgespan Group gives advice for understanding what motivates you to seek a nonprofit job, where your skills and experiences might be most beneficial, and which roles might suit you best.
Application Materials
CV/Resume
CVs
Tips for developing your CV strategically from the MIT Global Education & Career Development office.
Curriculum Vitae
Collection of CV samples from the Duke University Career Center
Dr. Karen’s Rules of the Academic CV
Academic CV tips from The Professor Is In.
CV to Resume Conversion Guide
Recommendations for converting your CV to a resume from the Yale Office of Career Strategy.
Converting a Curriculum Vitae to Resume
Tips and suggestions for converting your CV to a resume from the UC Davis Internship and Career Center.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement
Developing and Writing a Diversity Statement
For this resource from Vanderbilt University, Sara L. Beck describes the purpose of diversity statements and offers writing prompts to help you get started.
The Effective Diversity Statement
In this article for Inside Higher Ed, Tanya Golash-Boza gives faculty job applicants tips for writing a stellar diversity statement that stands out to search committees.
5 Don'ts in Writing Your DEI Statement
In this Chronicle of Higher Education Community post, Manya Whitaker presents the top five worst approaches to discussing diversity, equity, or inclusion during the hiring process.
Examples Statements – Contributions to Diversity
Example diversity statements from the UC Berkeley.
Diversity Statements (Examples)
Sample diversity statements from the UC San Francisco.
Rubric to Assess Candidate Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Rubric developed by the UC Berkeley to assess diversity statements.
Research Statement
The Purpose of a Research Statement
University of Pennsylvania Career Services provides sample formats and a timeline for developing your research statement.
Research Statement
Duke University Career Center offers content and formatting suggestions and sample research statements.
Dr. Karen’s Rules of the Research Statement
Tips for developing your research statement from The Professor Is In.
Teaching Statement
Teaching Statements
Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching explains the goal of teaching statements and offers writing guidlines and reflection questions and exercises to help you get started.
How to Write a Teaching Statement That Sings
This Chronicle of Higher Education resource offers guidence for writing a teaching statement, making yours stand out, and what to avoid.
The Dreaded Teaching Statement: Eight Pitfalls
Dr. Karen descibes common errors in composing teaching statements for The Professor Is In.
Statement of Teaching Philosophy
The University of Toronto offers tips for writing a teaching statement and a list of steps to complete.
The Interview
Preparing for Academic Interviews: Screening, Conference, and On-Campus
University of Pennsylvania Career Services' Dianne Hull offers advice for preparing for, practicing, and conducting virtual and in-person interviews.
Common Academic Interview Questions
A list of commonly asked interview questions from the University of Connecticut Center for Career Development.
Guide to Answering Academic Job Interview Questions
University of Rochester provides interview guidelines and tips for answering questions.
Worried about academic interviews? Here’s how to handle tricky questions
Steve Joy discusses common yet trickey interview questions and how to address them in this Guardian article.
The Inverse Interview
In this Inside Higher Ed article, Elizabeth H. Simmons explains how to ask questions during your interview that convey your enthusiasm and readiness for the position.
Phone/Virtual Interviews
Preparing for Phone or Skype Interviews
Advice for preparing for phone and virtual interviews from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Graduate Studies.
Job Interviews by Telephone and Skype
The Cawley Career Education Center at Georgetown University shares tips for phone and virtual interviews.
Rocking the Phone/Skype Interview
This The Professor Is In resource explains do's and don'ts for phone and virtual interviews.
Campus Interviews
Interviewing for Academic Jobs
The UC San Francisco Office of Career & Professional Development outlines how to prepare for an academic interview effectively and efficiently.
Preparing for Academic Interviews
Tips for preparing for in-person interviews from the National Institutes of Health Office of Intramural Training & Education.
The Job Talk
The Academic Job Talk
Professor John Eadie at UC Davis provides tips for perfecting the job talk.
Academic Careers: Job Talks
Job talk guidelines from the University of Washington Career Center
Dr. Karen’s (Partial) Rules of the Job Talk
Rules for the job talk and mistakes to avoid from The Professor Is In.
How to Give an Effective Job Talk
In this National Institutes of Health video, Sharon Milgram, Director of the Office of Training & Education, shares insight into giving an outstanding, memorable job talk for a variety of audiences.
Why Your Job Talk Sucks
Dr. Karen at The Professor Is In explains what you're doing wrong in your job talk and how to fix it.
Negotiations
Negotiating the Academic Job Offer
In this panel hosted by Duke University, faculty members address common elements that can be negotiated when an offer is extended.
Negotiating for Novices: A Guide to Negotiating Faculty Positions and Postdocs
University of Pennsylvania Career Services' Dianne Hull gives advice for negotiating faculty and postdoc positions.
Getting Started
How to Advocate for Yourself as an Early-Career Scholar
In this article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Manya Whitaker explains how to be strategic about what you agree to do and what you politely decline as a new faculty member.
You Are Not Prepared: Some Advice I've Received on How to Be a Professor
Sauvok Das shares advice he was given as an assistant processor at an R1 university in this Medium article.
Pre-Tenure Leadership
In this Inside Higher Ed article, Elizabeth H. Simmons advises early career faculty on demonstrating leadership through projects that also advance your teaching and research.
Early Career Faculty Advice
Sybil Derrible from the University of Illinois at Chicago offers advice for new faculty members and postdocs who are about to start a new faculty position.
When Do You Stop Being an Early-Career Scholar?
Manya Whitaker offers advice for advanced assistant professors in this Chronicle of Higher Education article.
Strive for work-life effectiveness, rather than balance
In this Idealist article, Kimberly Maul offer pointers for managing career success and a positive private life.
Tenure
How to Be Strategic on the Tenure Track
Manya Whitaker at Colorado College offers advice on navigating the tenure track in this Chronicle Vitae article.
Ask the Right Questions
In this Insider Higher Ed article, Rena Seltzer shares key questions to ask when seeking tenure to uncover unwritten expectations.