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====== Faculty Jobs ======
  * A brief guide on how to get a faculty job; by Chih-Horng Kuo (chk@gate.sinica.edu.tw)
    * The information here mostly reflects the opinion and experience of one person
    * Remember: Every vote counts
  * Target audience: graduate students and postdocs (in biology), interested in a faculty job in a research-oriented university/institute

===== Preface =====
  * Prerequisites 
    * Know the job
    * Know yourself: Is this what you really want as a long-term career option?
    * How much do you plan to invest in the preparation? How to make the best investment?

  * This guide covers the process of application and interview
    * The chance of success is greatly influenced by factors before this process
    * Nevertheless, knowing the process may further improve the chance, or at least minimize the risk of messing up at the critical steps

  * To know more, see this book. One of the co-authors, Prof. Daniel Promislow, is my PhD advisor; a brilliant scientist and a super nice person
    * The Chicago Guide to Landing a Job in Academic Biology (ISBN: 0226101304; 978-0226101309)
    * https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Landing-Academic-Biology-Guides/dp/0226101304


===== Find Openings =====
  * Job ad posting sites, journals, email list
    * Science, Nature, etc
    * Professional organizations (e.g., academic society)
  * Social media (e.g., Twitter)
  * Departmental/institutional websites
  * Personal contact


===== Application Package =====
  * Read the job ad carefully
    * Deadline? Required materials? Specific instruction?
    * May emphasize or limit the research area(s); do not over-interpret
  * Common components
    * Cover letter
    * [[tutorials:cv|Curriculum Vitae (CV)]]: make the information clear!
    * Research achievement
    * Future plan
      * Time scale: ~5-year to get promoted/tenured, long-term (10+ years)
    * Teaching statement
    * Reprints of representative publications
  * Recommendation letters
    * Often sent directly by referees
    * Ask early
    * Provide helpful information (e.g., updated CV, application package, points you would like to be highlighted)


===== Interview =====
  * Key points
    * This may seem like a daunting challenge, yet you should have plenty of experience of seeing people who did well or poorly when you are a student/postdoc. Participate in those events, watch the candidates closely in their seminars and meeting with students/postdocs. What can you learn?
    * Surprising fact: Based on my 20+ years of experience, in almost every round of faculty recruitment, ~1 out of the ~4-6 candidates (who all look excellent on paper) would mess up
    * Once you make it to this step, they want you to be successful. Prove them right!
    * People are looking for someone who is good professionally (research, teaching, etc) and likely will be a good colleague for the next few decades. 
      * Be yourself, but also think about what kind of colleagues you would like to have, and behave (project the image) accordingly
      * Introverts often suffer some disadvantages. Being shy around strangers is normal, but overly so may be viewed as cold/uninterested/immature
    * Show them that you are ready to take the job. If you are not sure, then why should they hire you?
    * Interview goes both ways. Would them want to offer you a job? Would you want to accept the offer?

  * The host and staff are your friends, treat them with respect and ask for help as needed
  * Homework
    * Department/University/City
    * Question list
      * You want to know the place well (likely will work there for a very long time!)
      * You should be genuinely interested, show them
      * Different people may give different answers to the same questions; ask again (and again) as needed/appropriate
  * Travel arrangements
  * Seminars **<color #ff0000>[important!]</color>**
    * Research talk (public)
    * Future direction (closed-door)
    * Teaching
  * Meeting with people
    * Faculty members
      * Are you prepared and know who they are?
      * Do you want to have them as future colleagues?
    * Students
      * Are they the kind of students that you would like to have?
      * Are they happy?
      * What do they like/dislike the department/university?
    * Administrators
      * The specifics of job offer and future expectation
  * Visiting the facility
    * Do they have what you need?
  * After the interview
    * Show appreciation
    * Follow-up as appropriate
  * What to do and what to avoid?


===== Negotiation =====
  * Make sure to get what you **need** to be successful
  * Nice to get what you **want**, but do not over-emphasize these