PHD在读,但是想用master找工作# JobHunting - 待字闺中
s*y
1 楼
请教各位senior faculty,非常感谢您的建议!
I just got tenure in a university in the midwest early this year in the
field of engineering. I am thinking of moving to elsewhere (east or west
coast, preferably big cities). The main reason for moving is for my husband,
who has a PhD degree in engineering but hasn't been able to find a decent
job in the college town.
I actually like my current university, which ranks high in the field of
engineering. The students, especially graduate students, are quite good.
Most colleagues in my department are nice people; they respect me and my
work. The living cost here is inexpensive, good for raising a family. My
husband has been very supportive in the past years when I was on tenure-
track. Now I've got tenure - it is time to make him happier.
I understand moving as a tenured associate professor is more difficult than
an assistant professor. I have several questions and would like to hear your
opinion:
1. If I am interested in an opening, would you recommend me to call the
department first before applying (hopefully there are people there who I
know), or should I just apply for whatever positions that I am interested in
? Some ads tell the specific area/expertise the department wants; the others
, however, just say they are interested in all areas relevant to the
department. If the latter is the case, is it still necessary to call people
to figure out the "behind-scene" information (such as which area is
preferred, what is the motivation for hiring)? I'm afraid they wouldn't tell
me even if I called.
2. What should I say in the cover letter? Should I be specific about the
reason to move (that my husband would have a better chance to find a job)?
3. The universities I intend to apply for are lower-ranked than my current
university. If they are interested in me, should I expect tenure? I am not
in a hot field such as nano, bio or info. My field is a traditional one,
which means there are fewer openings every year. So far I've raised about $
2M funding (my share). I am PI on all these grants, including two DoD Young
Faculty/Investigator awards and a NSF Career award. But I am not confident
about funding in the future because budget gets tighter and tighter. Besides
, the competition in my field is brutal. So I wouldn't move elsewhere if the
new university doesn't give tenure.
Thanks very much for your comments and input! Really appreciated!
I just got tenure in a university in the midwest early this year in the
field of engineering. I am thinking of moving to elsewhere (east or west
coast, preferably big cities). The main reason for moving is for my husband,
who has a PhD degree in engineering but hasn't been able to find a decent
job in the college town.
I actually like my current university, which ranks high in the field of
engineering. The students, especially graduate students, are quite good.
Most colleagues in my department are nice people; they respect me and my
work. The living cost here is inexpensive, good for raising a family. My
husband has been very supportive in the past years when I was on tenure-
track. Now I've got tenure - it is time to make him happier.
I understand moving as a tenured associate professor is more difficult than
an assistant professor. I have several questions and would like to hear your
opinion:
1. If I am interested in an opening, would you recommend me to call the
department first before applying (hopefully there are people there who I
know), or should I just apply for whatever positions that I am interested in
? Some ads tell the specific area/expertise the department wants; the others
, however, just say they are interested in all areas relevant to the
department. If the latter is the case, is it still necessary to call people
to figure out the "behind-scene" information (such as which area is
preferred, what is the motivation for hiring)? I'm afraid they wouldn't tell
me even if I called.
2. What should I say in the cover letter? Should I be specific about the
reason to move (that my husband would have a better chance to find a job)?
3. The universities I intend to apply for are lower-ranked than my current
university. If they are interested in me, should I expect tenure? I am not
in a hot field such as nano, bio or info. My field is a traditional one,
which means there are fewer openings every year. So far I've raised about $
2M funding (my share). I am PI on all these grants, including two DoD Young
Faculty/Investigator awards and a NSF Career award. But I am not confident
about funding in the future because budget gets tighter and tighter. Besides
, the competition in my field is brutal. So I wouldn't move elsewhere if the
new university doesn't give tenure.
Thanks very much for your comments and input! Really appreciated!