A Guide to Academia : Getting Into and Surviving Grad School, Postdocs, and a Research Job

__A Guide to Academia__ is a handbook for all those individuals thinking seriously about going to graduate school. Written by an author with extensive experience navigating the academic world, the book explains all the steps and potential bumps in the road that a student might encounter as they take the plunge into academia. Each chapter begins with a section called the "hard truth," which will help students determine if they are on the right path. Starting with an undergraduate student looking for a graduate school, the reader is taken on a journey up the academic ladder through graduate studies, a postdoctoral fellowship and an assistant professorship. Each chapter gives advice on not only how to survive the current stage but how to get to the next stage quickly. Enhanced with material from the author's own job applications and interview presentations, __A Guide to Academia__ provides concrete examples of the tools needed for a successful career in academia.Content: Chapter 1 Preparing for Entering Academia (pages 3–8): Chapter 2 Applying for Graduate School (pages 9–24): Chapter 3 Graduate School (pages 25–59): Chapter 4 Finding a Postdoctoral Position (pages 61–66): Chapter 5 Postdoctoral Positions (pages 67–73): Chapter 6 Applying for Jobs (pages 75–88): Chapter 7 Assistant Professor (pages 89–113): Chapter 8 Special Considerations for Women and Minorities, and Balancing Work and Family (pages 115–120): A Guide to Academia Getting into and Surviving Grad School, Postdocs, and a Research Job......Page 2 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 14 The Hard Truth About the Academic Life......Page 18 Getting a Head Start as an Undergraduate Volunteer......Page 20 Finding Your Research Interests......Page 22 Summary......Page 23 The Hard Truth About Applying to Grad Schools......Page 24 Master’s Degree versus Ph.D.......Page 26 Apply to People not Programs; and Finding a Good Fit......Page 27 Contacting Professors......Page 29 The Graduate Application......Page 31 Statement Letter......Page 32 Graduate Record Exam (GRE)......Page 34 Write a CV......Page 35 Get a Website/Cards......Page 36 Recruitment Weekend......Page 37 Summary......Page 38 The Hard Truth About Grad School......Page 40 Seminars......Page 43 Tool Up Early......Page 50 Different Kinds of Advisors......Page 51 Candidacy......Page 52 Working with Other Graduate Students......Page 55 Classes......Page 56 Publications......Page 57 Being a Teaching Assistant......Page 60 Tips on Managing Your Time......Page 61 Picking a Dissertation Topic and Writing Your Thesis......Page 66 Choosing a Committee......Page 67 Grants and Thesis Proposals......Page 68 Meetings/Societies......Page 69 Knowing When to Finish......Page 71 Summary......Page 72 The Hard Truth About Finding a Postdoc......Page 76 Types of Postdocs......Page 78 A Postdoc That’s Not a Postdoc......Page 80 Summary......Page 81 The Hard Truth About Postdocs......Page 82 Being the New Guy or Gal in the Lab......Page 83 Advisors......Page 84 Running Out of Time......Page 86 Summary......Page 88 Applying for Jobs......Page 90 Applications......Page 91 Job Interviews......Page 93 Research Presentations......Page 98 Typical Questions You Are Asked in a Job Interview......Page 100 Not Getting the Interview/Job......Page 101 Getting an Offer......Page 102 Summary......Page 103 The Hard Truth of Being an Assistant Professor......Page 104 Negotiating Start-Up......Page 105 Other Considerations Before You Actually Start Your New Job......Page 108 How to Spend Your Money and What to Expect......Page 111 The First Year......Page 112 Hiring People (Technicians, Students)......Page 113 Finding Graduate Students......Page 115 Making a New Course......Page 117 Service......Page 120 Getting Your First Grant......Page 121 Getting Papers Out......Page 124 Tenure Package and Reviews......Page 125 Summary......Page 127 The Hard Truth About Being a Minority in Science......Page 130 The Hard Truth About Being a Woman in Science......Page 131 Balancing Work and Family......Page 134 Appendices......Page 136 1 Example Undergraduate Curriculum Vitae......Page 138 2 Example Graduate Student CV......Page 141 3 Example Thesis Proposal......Page 146 4 Example Job Cover Letter......Page 153 5 Example Research Interests for Job Application......Page 156 6 Example C.V. for Job Application......Page 161 7 Example Teaching Statement and Philosophy for Job Application......Page 169 8 Example Extra Statement for Job Application (Curatorial Statement)......Page 172 9 Example Chalk Talk for Job Interview......Page 175 10 Example Start-UpWish List......Page 177 11 Review Package Summary Presentation......Page 180 Glossary......Page 182 Index......Page 188 Chakrabarty, a career academic in biological science, offers several hard truths about, and advice on, pursuing an academic career. Eight chapters walk through various stages of building one's career path, from choices one makes as an undergrad and graduate student to applying for one's first job or getting one's first assistant professorship. Each chapter contains 1-3 page statements about applications, collecting research interests, publishing, research presentation, interviews and more. Additionally, most chapters contain a section on "the hard truths" as well as a summary section. In a final chapter, Chakrabarty also comments on the challenges facing minorities and especially women in building an academic career. Several appendices include examples of various critical documents like the undergrad CV, the thesis proposal, research interests for job applications, but also an example of a job interview, and a review package for summary presentations. Chakrabarty has written this for would-be research academics, scientists especially, but thinks engineering and medical students have more to consider and might not get as much out of this book. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) "A Guide to Academia is a handbook for all those individuals thinking seriously about going to graduate school. Written by an author with extensive experience navigating the academic world, the book explains all the steps and potential bumps in the road that a student might encounter as they take the plunge into academia. Each chapter begins with a section called the "hard truth," which will help students determine if they are on the right path. Starting with an undergraduate student looking for a graduate school, the reader is taken on a journey up the academic ladder through graduate studies, a postdoctoral fellowship and an assistant professorship. Each chapter gives advice on not only how to survive the current stage but how to get to the next stage quickly. Enhanced with material from the author's own job applications and interview presentations, A Guide to Academia provides concrete examples of the tools needed for a successful career in academia."--Publisher's website Front Matter Preparing for Entering Academia Applying for Graduate School Graduate School Finding a Postdoctoral Position Postdoctoral Positions Applying for Jobs Assistant Professor Special Considerations for Women and Minorities, and Balancing Work and Family Appendices. Appendix 1: Example Undergraduate Curriculum Vitae Appendix 2: Example Graduate Student CV Appendix 3: Example Thesis Proposal Appendix 4: Example Job Cover Letter Appendix 5: Example Research Interests for Job Application Appendix 6: Example C.V. for Job Application Appendix 7: Example Teaching Statement and Philosophy for Job Application Appendix 8: Example Extra Statement for Job Application (Curatorial Statement) Appendix 9: Example Chalk Talk for Job Interview Appendix 10: Example Start-Up wish List Appendix 11: Review Package Summary Presentation Glossary Index.