First of all, a disclaimer: I have a background in materials science and I am in Mechanical Engineering Department. My perspective may be more skewed towards engineering than life sciences. However, I expect a lot of information in the academic recruitment process to be similar across the board in the USA (except the jobs that include clinical component). I would skip the obvious things here such as importance of networking, meeting people at conferences and doing thorough research about the department where you are applying.
Only a small number of tenure track faculty positions open up in top research universities. These positions are advertised in specific areas of need and the areas of research are clearly described in the position announcement. One exception to this may be cluster hiring or large hiring programs, which intend to recruit multiple people with high qualification. In any case, the position description will clearly state the research areas that are desired. Synergy with the existing research directions of the department is extremely important. It is important to understand the needs specified in the advertisement before applying. In case of any ambiguity, feel free to contact the department head or the recruitment committee chairman to ask if your profile falls within the areas of needs that they have in mind for that position. They will welcome this communication.
Most well recognized research universities receive anywhere from 50 to 200 applications for one position. Selecting one person out such large number is a big challenge for the committee. Applications are usually received from all over the world. Applications are not rejected simply because a candidate is not located within the geographical boundaries of the USA. In fact, people from Canada and many European countries get hired on faculty positions. The disadvantage for Indian applicants is that the academic system in India is different and candidates may not have exposure to the rigor of faculty positions that the USA universities expect, for example, writing grants or mentoring other students.
Just think statistically, out of a large pool of over 100 applicants, at least 8-10 would be highly qualified, in the right research area, and will present a strong research and teaching statement.
A single question that can help you prepare for the interview is: What is your one signature scientific achievement from your Ph.D. work and another one from your postdoc research? Successful candidates will always have a crisp two line answer to this question and then a short explanation for the committee members who are not exactly from the same field. Common problems in the answer to this question are: too long and too technical descriptions. You can always ask at the end of your answer if they would like more details. Clarity and conciseness is very important at this stage.
The second important question is that how your research program as an assistant professor will be different from your PhD and postdoc advisor’s program. This is where you may want to bring back your signature scientific achievement and build upon it. Think of it this way: if you have three PhD students in your startup package, what will be their PhD problems on day 1 of your job. This line of thought should guide your statement of research.
Some of the common observations in CVs of Indian applicants that should be avoided:
- Marks of 10th and 12th grades
- Father’s name, occupation and address
- Multiple email addresses and phone numbers
- Passport number
- Occasionally: category (General, SC/ST, OBC…), SSN
- A large number of irrelevant softwares: Windows, DOS and Linux operating system (not sure what to do with these in a faculty position that has focus on metal casting)
- Unnecessary use of boldface words, random use of uppercase in sentences, use of multiple font colors
- Also avoid long abstracts of a large number of different projects. CV is a snapshot or a list of your achievements, it should not have unnecessary detailed descriptions
- This is not needed in CV for academic positions
Useful tips:
- Find a mentor before you start your search. A senior person in academia who has recruiting experience will be great to have on your side to advice
- Include the name of your PhD and postdoc advisors as referees. It is not a requirement but not having them as referees raises a red flag. If you do not want them to have your referees, have a strong explanation
- Do not have unrelated people as referees who have not worked with you. Certainly no friends! If one of your referees does not seem to be strongly related to you, include an explanation on why you have included them
- Ask someone to proofread all your documents for formatting and language. Simple formatting inconsistencies will not kick you out of the initial pool, but when pool is down to a few highly qualified candidates, perception becomes important
- If you are in the shortlist and have phone or onsite interviews scheduled, setup mock interviews with your mentor, PI of your lab, or other colleagues
- List only equipment and techniques that you have really used and are proficient in using. There is no benefit of having a long list in your CV
Finally, some general observations: a lot of successful candidates are those who are already in the mindset of a faculty member despite being a postdoc or even PhD student. So what will help: in the last year of your PhD, start helping your professor in writing grant proposals, preparing annual reports for his funded projects, making his presentations for grant review meetings. I have come across plenty of students who argue that this is waste of their time and not their job. Surely, it is not their job, but it is the job that they aspire to get and nothing else can train them and put them in the mindset of a faculty member, which is critical for preparing for an interview. Similarly, postdocs should try to think of new problems to write proposals and try to mentor PhD students. Yes, you still have to work hard for that one major signature achievement; there are no shortcuts!
About the author: Dr. Nikhil Gupta graduated with B.E. from MNIT Jaipur and M.E. in Metallurgy from IISc Bangalore in 1998. He received Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2003 in Mechanical Engineering. He is now an Associate Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at New York University and is the director of the Composite Materials and Mechanics Laboratory. His research is focused on developing lightweight advanced composite materials with high damage tolerance under dynamic loading conditions. In addition, his group is also studying bones and soft tissues for understanding injuries sustained under dynamic loading. Dr. Gupta has authored over 130 journal and book chapter publications and over 125 conference and invited presentations. His research has been covered in videos produced by Discovery Channel, Scientific American, Reuters and articles published by National Geographic, Scientific American, American Ceramic Society, Wards Auto, and numerous popular news outlets.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhil-gupta-37085867
Photo source: Abhinav Dey
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