I love my job. I teach and mentor students at a primarily undergraduate institution. Hundreds of people want my job, because my job is awesome. Why do 100’s of people want my job? Why is my job awesome? Here's why:
my job = evangelist for science. I especially love teaching non-science majors. My job = help them to rediscover their love of science that they all had as curious kids
my job = prepare students to think critically, to evaluate the data, and to be skeptical of the spin. My job is to help my students recognize truth in an increasingly post-truth climate
my job = helping my students be curious, develop perseverance, think logically, make concrete plans, and maintain high standards. These traits will serve them well whether or not they pursue science as a career
my job = staying current with literature and using the latest research as case studies or data analysis examples in my classes. my job = contextualization; to know what came before and to be creative about thinking of the next steps
my job = to appreciate and value diversity in my students, and to attempt to find ways to reach all of them and help them succeed
my job = demonstrating to my students that science is more about knowing how to ask the right questions than having all of the answers
my job = no clock punching, no boss telling me what to do, minimal TPS-type reports, flexibility to roll in whenever I want and do pretty much whatever I want to do. The pay is pretty bad but the lifestyle is awesome
my job = flexible enough so that I can do music in a meaningful way, and put in significant practice and performance time at my ‘other’ job before rolling in to my real job
So, my job rules. I have served on several search committees, and I am always amazed at the myriad ways very smart PhD-type folks screw up their chances of getting my job. So … some thoughts on how to get my job:
Write a flawless & fantastic cover letter, explaining how you meet/exceed all requirements and qualifications mentioned in the job posting. Make it obvious why the job is a perfect fit for you, and why you are a perfect fit for the job.
In your cover letter, you should share concrete reasons why you want to work at that specific institution, with those specific colleagues, and with those particular students.
You'll need extensive teaching experience, ideally 2-3 classes where you are instructor of record. You'll need fantastic student & peer evaluations of your teaching.
Important: collect specific stories you can share to illustrate how you are a successful teacher. Teaching statements are mind-numbingly dull without good stories.
Your research program should be compatible with a primarily undergraduate institution. Ideally, you should have a track record of successful mentoring of undergraduate researchers.
For a PUI, your study questions should be clear and engaging, your study organism(s) should be cheap to maintain, and your research program should not require much fancy equipment. A DIY mentality helps a bunch.
You should specifically address how your research program will complement the strengths of the department. What gaps will you fill? What collaborations can you envision? If there is overlap, focus on what makes you unique.
Before interviewing, stalk your future colleagues online & in the literature, and have engaging and insightful questions. The days are long, but stay focused. Every interaction matters, and everything you say may be judged.
If you are asked to do a teaching demo, you should choose most interesting subject ever. You'll need to knock socks off with both substance and style. You'll need to be interesting and engaging. You'll need to sell it.
Importantly, you should demonstrate substantial knowledge about and experience with evidence-based teaching methods and active learning approaches. But you should do what genuinely works best for you.
When you interact with students on your interview, be approachable, engaging, and genuine. Student feedback matters significantly to the search committee.
I think I got my job in part because I researched students online before my interview. I knew what they were up to & where they were going. This demonstrated that I cared about the folks I was auditioning to serve.
I'll wrap up my tips there. Again, I love my job, and I feel very fortunate that I was able to get it. Some of these tips may seem pretty obvious, but it's surprising how folks can sabotage their applications and interviews.
One more thing: reach out to folks for advice. I got some great tips during my search from @hhorch, Jennifer Hood-DeGrenier, Michael Barresi, Laurie Caslake, Ryan Bavis, Jeremy Ward, Lynn Hannum, Catherine O'Reilly, Cindy Gill, Peter White, Ann Sheehy, Martha Hoopes, Gary Gillis
