The chalk talk; my own personal two cents...
1. The goal of a chalk talk is not to show how much you know, or to show all the ideas and projects you can think or or actually accomplish
1. The goal of a chalk talk is not to show how much you know, or to show all the ideas and projects you can think or or actually accomplish
2) It is to show
A. feasible research plan which will lead to results, papers and grants
B. ability to take in others' ideas/questions, to respond thoughtfully and engage the people in the room in a back and forth
C. get everyone in the room excited to have you as a colleague
A. feasible research plan which will lead to results, papers and grants
B. ability to take in others' ideas/questions, to respond thoughtfully and engage the people in the room in a back and forth
C. get everyone in the room excited to have you as a colleague
3. The majority of the chalk talk should be on your major planned area of study->down the fairway. Someone should be able to see how it will transmit into a grant (R01) and into papers. Lay it out as close to a grant as you can and make it easy for the audience to see...
4. It is great in the last 10-15m to spend time on a second, higher risk higher reward project. Make it clear that it is an exciting, second project and something you are invested in but won't detract from the first project.area
5. Most places ask you to use the board only, but some places will allow slides. If you are allowed slides, KEEP IT SIMPLE with 1-2 summary slides and 3-4 slides on proposed studies (1 slide for each aim on main project, 1 for the "blue sky" project). Do NOT repeat your talk!
6. If you are using the board only, know exactly what you want to write out. If they let you arrive early to prep the room, write out a model/schema of your project/pathway and the main aims in advance, but don't write out every detail. Writing while talking is more interactive
7. PRACTICE! Do not just practice with your lab (though it is key), practice with audience members who have been faculty/search committee members and can really grill you and give you experienced feedback. We did this for @TheDoctorIsVin and @EnedaToska (thanks @ScaltritiLab !)
8. As a faculty member, we assess how the candidate answers questions and engages us as much as the actual studies they propose. Can they take in feedback, show flexibility in thought/plans, and involve others! That's the secret sauce.
9. The dreaded question is always "How will you be separate/different from your current lab". Discuss this, and your research plan, with your mentor and have a clear scientific answer and indicate how you've carved out a path separate from each other.
10. Sometimes a faculty member in the room will lead you down a tangent not relevant to the topic, or even make it hard for you to finish. Don't get flustered, gently try to stay on topic and let them have their questions. Let the chair/search committee chair redirect them.
11. It is common for the audience to stay behind without the candidate and debrief right after. When we do this, we ask everyone for feedback. Does not usually lead to a decision, but it gives the search committee and chair a sense for everyone's impression right after.
12. Everyone gets better the more chalk talks they give. Schedule interviews/second visits with an eye to the schedule so that your absolute dream job/position is not the first chalk talk you give (not always possible!).
13. When I gave my chalk talk at MSK which led to my position here, I had 4 slides which laid out a clear plan. I used these slides with my lab for 6 years in our annual "state of the lab" meeting as our overall scientific trajectory matched my proposed plan for a long time!
14. When someone asks a question, take a deep breath, repeat the question in your own words, and answer carefully. This lets you take your time!
15. if your mentor is at same institution/dept, talk to them/search committee chair in advance and see if they will be in the room or not. IMHO If they are in the room, they should be silent. Their feedback will be solicited, I liked seeing friendly face in the room. My 2 cents
16. The chalk talk is always draining, fun, anxiety provoking, and challenging all at the same time, but try to have fun and enjoy the back and forth! I leaned a lot in my own chalk talks and in other people's, and it has made me a better scientist!
17. One final note; not everyone in the room will have come to your talk (we are all busy!). You don't need to give more than a brief summary of your findings, unless they ask for more. Use the time to present your ideas, not to rehash your talk for the 2 people who missed it..
