Job Search Tips

Searching for openings (starting around October)

· Websites: ASA jobweb: http://jobs.amstat.org/search/results/

University of Florida Dept of Statistics: http://www.stat.ufl.edu/vlib/jobs.html

Public Health Jobs.net: http://www.publichealthjobs.net/

UW Stat Dept: http://www.stat.washington.edu/www/jobs/

Monster.com http://www.monster.com

Career Builder.com http://www.careerbuilder.com

· Ask around: your contacts here, alumni, visitors to the department

· Statistics software companies: STATA, Insightful, SAS

· "How to get a job in academics" The American Statistician 2001, 55:35-40

· JSM (in August!!!) career placement service. Website for the 2005 meeting: http://www.amstat.org/meetings/jsm/2005/index.cfm?fuseaction=placement

· Allstat: a UK-based statistics email list (not just job postings): http://www.ltsn.gla.ac.uk/allstat/

· List of NIH funded cancer centers: http://www3.cancer.gov/cancercenters/centerslist.html

· Duke University’s list of academic statistics and biostatistics departments: http://www.isds.duke.edu/sites/academic.html

Applying (deadlines vary between November and February)

· Components of most applications: cover letter, CV, research statement, teaching statement, letters of recommendation

· Teaching statement tips:

o http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~kurmasz/Advice/getTeachingJob.pdf (article by professor at Grand Valley State University)

o http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~teachcen/WUTC/TA/teach_phil.pdf (Chronicle of Higher Education article)

o http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/philosophy.html (Iowa State University, Center for Teaching Excellence)

· Cover letter tips:

o http://chronicle.com/jobs/2000/04/2000042101c.htm (Chronicle of Higher Education article)

o http://chronicle.com/jobs/2000/03/2000030302c.htm (Chronicle of Higher Education article)

· CV tips:

o http://chronicle.com/jobs/2000/03/2000033102c.htm (in Chronicle of Higher Education)

o http://www.bio.ri.ccf.org/ASA_TSHS/mockCV/ApplyingForJob.pdf (article written for Amstat News)

Interviewing (roughly January through April)

· Research the institution!

· Prepare a talk, and practice it in front of an audience (informal seminar plug!)

· Speak up: request that the interview be structured to suit you (e.g., Who do you want to meet with? Do you need a break during the day? Do you want to see the city?)

· Important questions to ask: funding setup, first year duties, mentoring system, “good progress” expectations, split of duties, travel requirements, support (computing, staff, etc.), talk to recent hires

· Be prepared to answer: your future research interests, your ideal job, why you applied to this institution, what you bring to the institution, your outside interests

· UW Stat Dept guide to dealing with illegal questions http://www.stat.washington.edu/www/jobs/questions/

Deciding (deadlines vary)

· Medical school ranking by NIH funding http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/award/rank/medttl03.htm

· Publications of current employees: PubMed

· Amstat News salary survey www.amstat.org/profession/salarysurvey.pdf

· NIH post-doc salary guidelines http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/budget/stipendlevels.htm

· Talk to faculty here and other mentors for advice

Miscellaneous

· Bunny thesis story http://users.lmi.net/eve/bunny.html