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Academic Job Market
For Science, Mathematics and Engineering Ph.D.'s and Postdoctoral Fellows

The Academic Job Search Handbook (fourth edition) may be purchased by current Penn doctoral students and current Penn postdocs in the Career Services office for the discounted price of $10.00. We can only accept cash or checks, no credit cards. Others may purchase it through Amazon, other booksellers, or the University of Pennsylvania Press at the regular retail price.  It is also available to be read in the Career Services Library. Written by our Career Services senior associate director, Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong, former Associate Director and current Associate Director, Office of Faculty Resources, New York University, the chapters are entitled "What You Should Know Before You Start," "Planning and Timing Your Search," "Written Materials for the Search: Suggestions and Samples," "Conducting the Search," "After You Take the Job," and "Additional Considerations." The authors of the book are also career columnists for “The Chronicle of Higher Education."  See their columns Career Talk and The CV Doctor.

Navigate this page:

• Advice on Preparing Job Materials
• Advice on the Application Process, Interviewing and Negotiation
• Applying for Postdocs and Grants
• Internet Resources
• Advice from Faculty & Professionals

Highlighted Resources:

• Academic Career Conference 2012
• Faculty Conversations 2013
• How the Economy Will Affect Academic Hiring and University Life - notes from a talk by two Penn deans
• Getting Published: audio of a seminar given by the University of Pennsylvania Press, focusing on the importance of published books for your academic career, and the process involved.

Advice on Preparing Job Materials

• Written Materials for the Academic Job Search - PowerPoint presentation from Career Services
• Science CV Template with Discussion - Sample from Career Services
• How to Write an Effective Research Statement - PowerPoint presentation from Career Services
• Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy - Article from The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy - Advice from Ohio State
• Sample Teaching Philosophies from Penn's Center for Teaching and Learning
• Teaching Portfolios
• C.V./Resume Strategies and Tips for Biomedical Postdoctoral Fellows - PowerPoint presentation from Career Services

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Advice on the Application Process, Interviewing and Negotiation

• Preparing for the Academic Job Market, Narrated Powerpoint Presentation
• The Academic Job Interview
• Preparing for Campus Interviews
• Information about compensation from the Chronicle of Higher Education
• A Career at a Four-Year College -- Amy Cheng Wollmer, Professor of Biology, Swarthmore College
• Tenure Track vs. Research Track -- Trevor Penning, Professor of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania
  • The University of Michigan, Handbook for Faculty Searches and Hiring includes a Candidate Evaluation Sheet
• General Principles for Responding to Academic Job Offers
• The Right Start-Up Package for the Beginning Scientist
• It's Not Just About Money (suggestions from Tomorrow's Professor)
• Negotiating That First Offer
• Articles on Negotiation from ScienceCareers
• Negotiating a Better Deal
• National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Workshop for Postdocs Transitioning to Independent Positions 
• Understanding Tenure: a Program with Janice Bellace, Deputy Provost
• Outcome Assessment: a Program by Robert Nelson
• Skype Interviews: One job hunter's experience being interviewed via Skype

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Applying for Postdocs and Grants

• Applying for a Postdoc
• Finding the Perfect Postdoc - from the National Postdoctoral Association
• Finding the Right Postdoc For You - Advice from Former Postdocs
• "Rights, Opportunities, and Responsibilities of the Postdoc," Chapter 3 of Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers
• Funding Research: How to Apply for an NRSA
• NSF Postdoc position openings portal
• The Role of Postdocs, PIs and Institutions in Training Future Scientists - Advice from a current Penn postdoc for working with your PI and having a successful postdoc experience
• Questions that can be asked when narrowing down possible postdoc opportunities

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Internet Resources

Resources for Identifying Job Opportunities

• Academic 360
• Academic Careers.com
• Academic Careers Observatory - European University Institute
• American Universities
• International Opportunities
• Community College Information

General Resources

• The Chronicle of Higher Education (The Chronicle has an excellent archive of articles on the job search)
• ScienceCareers: The Academic Scientist's Toolkit
• The Scholarly Societies Project
• Tomorrow's Professor
• Balancing Work and Personal Responsibilities

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Advice from Faculty & Professionals

• Understanding Trends in Higher Education (slides and audio file)
• Archive of Program Recordings, Transcripts and Notes

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