Planning Ahead

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez

Department of Mathematics

Louisiana State University

Mostly taken from a talk written by Rachelle DeCoste fromWheaton College

April 16th, 2009

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Warning: We have no answers!

Everyone has an opinion on your career path

Its your career and your lifePlan ahead and keep your options openWhat follows are personal opinions and does not imply that ifyou follow this advice you will get a job or if you dont, youwont.

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Warning: We have no answers!

Everyone has an opinion on your career pathIts your career and your life

Plan ahead and keep your options openWhat follows are personal opinions and does not imply that ifyou follow this advice you will get a job or if you dont, youwont.

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Warning: We have no answers!

Everyone has an opinion on your career pathIts your career and your lifePlan ahead and keep your options open

What follows are personal opinions and does not imply that ifyou follow this advice you will get a job or if you dont, youwont.

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Warning: We have no answers!

Everyone has an opinion on your career pathIts your career and your lifePlan ahead and keep your options openWhat follows are personal opinions and does not imply that ifyou follow this advice you will get a job or if you dont, youwont.

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Warning: We have no answers!

Everyone has an opinion on your career pathIts your career and your lifePlan ahead and keep your options openWhat follows are personal opinions and does not imply that ifyou follow this advice you will get a job or if you dont, youwont.

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Research

Find the right advisor for you (talk to other graduatestudents, take classes with the professor you are thinking ofasking to be your advisor)

Keep a notebook of possible research problems

Find conferences and research programs to go to

Even if you havent chosen an area, try a topical summerworkshop: IMA/MSRI/AIM/IAS(Park City)Go to conferences in your area - ask your advisor which ones togo to (introduce yourself to people!)Make contacts with other grad students (future collaborators)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Research

Find the right advisor for you (talk to other graduatestudents, take classes with the professor you are thinking ofasking to be your advisor)

Keep a notebook of possible research problems

Find conferences and research programs to go to

Even if you havent chosen an area, try a topical summerworkshop: IMA/MSRI/AIM/IAS(Park City)Go to conferences in your area - ask your advisor which ones togo to (introduce yourself to people!)Make contacts with other grad students (future collaborators)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Research

Find the right advisor for you (talk to other graduatestudents, take classes with the professor you are thinking ofasking to be your advisor)

Keep a notebook of possible research problems

Find conferences and research programs to go to

Even if you havent chosen an area, try a topical summerworkshop: IMA/MSRI/AIM/IAS(Park City)Go to conferences in your area - ask your advisor which ones togo to (introduce yourself to people!)Make contacts with other grad students (future collaborators)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Research

Give math talksJMM, SIAM, Sectional AMS/MAA, other local conferencesUndergraduate conferencesGrad student seminars (yours, others)Colloquia at other universities or your undergraduate institution

Keep notes from these talks easily accessible

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Research

Give math talksJMM, SIAM, Sectional AMS/MAA, other local conferencesUndergraduate conferencesGrad student seminars (yours, others)Colloquia at other universities or your undergraduate institution

Keep notes from these talks easily accessible

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Research

Give math talksJMM, SIAM, Sectional AMS/MAA, other local conferencesUndergraduate conferencesGrad student seminars (yours, others)Colloquia at other universities or your undergraduate institution

Keep notes from these talks easily accessible

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Work on your teaching

Request to teach the same class more than onceTeach different classes

Teach a sophomore-level class (at least!)Teach a class that you think will be a particular challenge

Go to Teaching workshops or take an education classPay attention to student evaluations and unsolicited feedback

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Work on your teachingRequest to teach the same class more than once

Teach different classesTeach a sophomore-level class (at least!)Teach a class that you think will be a particular challenge

Go to Teaching workshops or take an education classPay attention to student evaluations and unsolicited feedback

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Work on your teachingRequest to teach the same class more than onceTeach different classes

Teach a sophomore-level class (at least!)Teach a class that you think will be a particular challenge

Go to Teaching workshops or take an education classPay attention to student evaluations and unsolicited feedback

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Work on your teachingRequest to teach the same class more than onceTeach different classes

Teach a sophomore-level class (at least!)Teach a class that you think will be a particular challenge

Go to Teaching workshops or take an education class

Pay attention to student evaluations and unsolicited feedback

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Work on your teachingRequest to teach the same class more than onceTeach different classes

Teach a sophomore-level class (at least!)Teach a class that you think will be a particular challenge

Go to Teaching workshops or take an education classPay attention to student evaluations and unsolicited feedback

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Work on your teachingRequest to teach the same class more than onceTeach different classes

Teach a sophomore-level class (at least!)Teach a class that you think will be a particular challenge

Go to Teaching workshops or take an education classPay attention to student evaluations and unsolicited feedback

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Keep your syllabi in a folder

Keep copies or summaries of student evaluationsStart a Teaching PortfolioFind a teaching mentor

Visit his/her class and talk to him/her about the way he/sheteachesHave him/her visit your class early - not just your last year(allows for him/her to track and comment on growth)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Keep your syllabi in a folderKeep copies or summaries of student evaluations

Start a Teaching PortfolioFind a teaching mentor

Visit his/her class and talk to him/her about the way he/sheteachesHave him/her visit your class early - not just your last year(allows for him/her to track and comment on growth)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Keep your syllabi in a folderKeep copies or summaries of student evaluationsStart a Teaching Portfolio

Find a teaching mentor

Visit his/her class and talk to him/her about the way he/sheteachesHave him/her visit your class early - not just your last year(allows for him/her to track and comment on growth)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Keep your syllabi in a folderKeep copies or summaries of student evaluationsStart a Teaching PortfolioFind a teaching mentor

Visit his/her class and talk to him/her about the way he/sheteachesHave him/her visit your class early - not just your last year(allows for him/her to track and comment on growth)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Keep your syllabi in a folderKeep copies or summaries of student evaluationsStart a Teaching PortfolioFind a teaching mentor

Visit his/her class and talk to him/her about the way he/sheteaches

Have him/her visit your class early - not just your last year(allows for him/her to track and comment on growth)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Keep your syllabi in a folderKeep copies or summaries of student evaluationsStart a Teaching PortfolioFind a teaching mentor

Visit his/her class and talk to him/her about the way he/sheteachesHave him/her visit your class early - not just your last year(allows for him/her to track and comment on growth)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Teaching

Keep your syllabi in a folderKeep copies or summaries of student evaluationsStart a Teaching PortfolioFind a teaching mentor

Visit his/her class and talk to him/her about the way he/sheteachesHave him/her visit your class early - not just your last year(allows for him/her to track and comment on growth)

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Professional Development

Participate in Professional Development Programs

Student Day - SIAM Annual MeetingSACNAS Annual MeetingFuture Faculty Career Exploration Program RITIMA/MSRI/AIM/IAS(Park City)

Mentor in these (and undergraduate) programs

Network

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Professional Development

Participate in Professional Development Programs

Student Day - SIAM Annual MeetingSACNAS Annual MeetingFuture Faculty Career Exploration Program RITIMA/MSRI/AIM/IAS(Park City)

Mentor in these (and undergraduate) programs

Network

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Professional Development

Participate in Professional Development Programs

Student Day - SIAM Annual MeetingSACNAS Annual MeetingFuture Faculty Career Exploration Program RITIMA/MSRI/AIM/IAS(Park City)

Mentor in these (and undergraduate) programs

Network

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Go to Department Seminars and Colloquia

Ask to be invited to go to dinner with speakers (good practicetalking math)Take and keep notes from these talks (speaker names)

Go to office hours and ask questions

Go to Department Tea or Fluid Dynamics Seminars (startthem!)

Go to other dissertation proposals and defenses

Participate in Recruitment Weekends

Mentor junior grad students

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Go to Department Seminars and Colloquia

Ask to be invited to go to dinner with speakers (good practicetalking math)Take and keep notes from these talks (speaker names)

Go to office hours and ask questions

Go to Department Tea or Fluid Dynamics Seminars (startthem!)

Go to other dissertation proposals and defenses

Participate in Recruitment Weekends

Mentor junior grad students

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Go to Department Seminars and Colloquia

Ask to be invited to go to dinner with speakers (good practicetalking math)Take and keep notes from these talks (speaker names)

Go to office hours and ask questions

Go to Department Tea or Fluid Dynamics Seminars (startthem!)

Go to other dissertation proposals and defenses

Participate in Recruitment Weekends

Mentor junior grad students

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Go to Department Seminars and Colloquia

Ask to be invited to go to dinner with speakers (good practicetalking math)Take and keep notes from these talks (speaker names)

Go to office hours and ask questions

Go to Department Tea or Fluid Dynamics Seminars (startthem!)

Go to other dissertation proposals and defenses

Participate in Recruitment Weekends

Mentor junior grad students

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Go to Department Seminars and Colloquia

Ask to be invited to go to dinner with speakers (good practicetalking math)Take and keep notes from these talks (speaker names)

Go to office hours and ask questions

Go to Department Tea or Fluid Dynamics Seminars (startthem!)

Go to other dissertation proposals and defenses

Participate in Recruitment Weekends

Mentor junior grad students

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Go to Department Seminars and Colloquia

Ask to be invited to go to dinner with speakers (good practicetalking math)Take and keep notes from these talks (speaker names)

Go to office hours and ask questions

Go to Department Tea or Fluid Dynamics Seminars (startthem!)

Go to other dissertation proposals and defenses

Participate in Recruitment Weekends

Mentor junior grad students

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Keep a Bragging Folder

awards or honorsinvitations to speak or teach external classesbrochures from conferences youve attendedstudent evaluations/unsolicited commentsnotes from faculty or administrators

Create and constantly update your cv

Keep track of university deadlines and requirements (languageexams??)

Work on your manners

Keep updated on Current Events

All these are still valid when you start your tenure track!

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Keep a Bragging Folder

awards or honorsinvitations to speak or teach external classesbrochures from conferences youve attendedstudent evaluations/unsolicited commentsnotes from faculty or administrators

Create and constantly update your cv

Keep track of university deadlines and requirements (languageexams??)

Work on your manners

Keep updated on Current Events

All these are still valid when you start your tenure track!

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Keep a Bragging Folder

awards or honorsinvitations to speak or teach external classesbrochures from conferences youve attendedstudent evaluations/unsolicited commentsnotes from faculty or administrators

Create and constantly update your cv

Keep track of university deadlines and requirements (languageexams??)

Work on your manners

Keep updated on Current Events

All these are still valid when you start your tenure track!

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Keep a Bragging Folder

awards or honorsinvitations to speak or teach external classesbrochures from conferences youve attendedstudent evaluations/unsolicited commentsnotes from faculty or administrators

Create and constantly update your cv

Keep track of university deadlines and requirements (languageexams??)

Work on your manners

Keep updated on Current Events

All these are still valid when you start your tenure track!

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Keep a Bragging Folder

awards or honorsinvitations to speak or teach external classesbrochures from conferences youve attendedstudent evaluations/unsolicited commentsnotes from faculty or administrators

Create and constantly update your cv

Keep track of university deadlines and requirements (languageexams??)

Work on your manners

Keep updated on Current Events

All these are still valid when you start your tenure track!

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Some things to do throughout your grad school career:Random

Keep a Bragging Folder

awards or honorsinvitations to speak or teach external classesbrochures from conferences youve attendedstudent evaluations/unsolicited commentsnotes from faculty or administrators

Create and constantly update your cv

Keep track of university deadlines and requirements (languageexams??)

Work on your manners

Keep updated on Current Events

All these are still valid when you start your tenure track!

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

DON’T DO IT ALL

Think about what is important to you

Keep your options open

Go get coffee and have lunch with your friends

Maintain friendships/relationships with non-math people

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

DON’T DO IT ALL

Think about what is important to you

Keep your options open

Go get coffee and have lunch with your friends

Maintain friendships/relationships with non-math people

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

DON’T DO IT ALL

Think about what is important to you

Keep your options open

Go get coffee and have lunch with your friends

Maintain friendships/relationships with non-math people

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

DON’T DO IT ALL

Think about what is important to you

Keep your options open

Go get coffee and have lunch with your friends

Maintain friendships/relationships with non-math people

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

DON’T DO IT ALL

Think about what is important to you

Keep your options open

Go get coffee and have lunch with your friends

Maintain friendships/relationships with non-math people

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Useful sites

Advice for new Ph.D.’s: (even before you are a Ph.D.!)http://www.ams.org/employment/job-articles.html

AMS Career Services: http://www.ams.org/employmentincluding the EIMS Job Listings, Ask Professor Nescio, AMSGraduate Student Blog, etc.

The AWM page: http://www.awm-math.org/career.html

SIAM: http://www.siam.org/careers/

http://www.cra-w.org/pubs

Applying for Nonacademic Positions by Leon H.Seitelman,United Technologies Corporation.http://www.ams.org/employment/eims-seitelman-cvoct08.pdf

Finding an Academic Job by James Lambers, Institute forComputational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford.http://www.siam.org/careers/finding.php

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Useful sites

Advice for new Ph.D.’s: (even before you are a Ph.D.!)http://www.ams.org/employment/job-articles.html

AMS Career Services: http://www.ams.org/employmentincluding the EIMS Job Listings, Ask Professor Nescio, AMSGraduate Student Blog, etc.

The AWM page: http://www.awm-math.org/career.html

SIAM: http://www.siam.org/careers/

http://www.cra-w.org/pubs

Applying for Nonacademic Positions by Leon H.Seitelman,United Technologies Corporation.http://www.ams.org/employment/eims-seitelman-cvoct08.pdf

Finding an Academic Job by James Lambers, Institute forComputational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford.http://www.siam.org/careers/finding.php

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Useful sites

Advice for new Ph.D.’s: (even before you are a Ph.D.!)http://www.ams.org/employment/job-articles.html

AMS Career Services: http://www.ams.org/employmentincluding the EIMS Job Listings, Ask Professor Nescio, AMSGraduate Student Blog, etc.

The AWM page: http://www.awm-math.org/career.html

SIAM: http://www.siam.org/careers/

http://www.cra-w.org/pubs

Applying for Nonacademic Positions by Leon H.Seitelman,United Technologies Corporation.http://www.ams.org/employment/eims-seitelman-cvoct08.pdf

Finding an Academic Job by James Lambers, Institute forComputational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford.http://www.siam.org/careers/finding.php

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Useful sites

Advice for new Ph.D.’s: (even before you are a Ph.D.!)http://www.ams.org/employment/job-articles.html

AMS Career Services: http://www.ams.org/employmentincluding the EIMS Job Listings, Ask Professor Nescio, AMSGraduate Student Blog, etc.

The AWM page: http://www.awm-math.org/career.html

SIAM: http://www.siam.org/careers/

http://www.cra-w.org/pubs

Applying for Nonacademic Positions by Leon H.Seitelman,United Technologies Corporation.http://www.ams.org/employment/eims-seitelman-cvoct08.pdf

Finding an Academic Job by James Lambers, Institute forComputational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford.http://www.siam.org/careers/finding.php

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Useful sites

Advice for new Ph.D.’s: (even before you are a Ph.D.!)http://www.ams.org/employment/job-articles.html

AMS Career Services: http://www.ams.org/employmentincluding the EIMS Job Listings, Ask Professor Nescio, AMSGraduate Student Blog, etc.

The AWM page: http://www.awm-math.org/career.html

SIAM: http://www.siam.org/careers/

http://www.cra-w.org/pubs

Applying for Nonacademic Positions by Leon H.Seitelman,United Technologies Corporation.http://www.ams.org/employment/eims-seitelman-cvoct08.pdf

Finding an Academic Job by James Lambers, Institute forComputational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford.http://www.siam.org/careers/finding.php

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Useful sites

Advice for new Ph.D.’s: (even before you are a Ph.D.!)http://www.ams.org/employment/job-articles.html

AMS Career Services: http://www.ams.org/employmentincluding the EIMS Job Listings, Ask Professor Nescio, AMSGraduate Student Blog, etc.

The AWM page: http://www.awm-math.org/career.html

SIAM: http://www.siam.org/careers/

http://www.cra-w.org/pubs

Applying for Nonacademic Positions by Leon H.Seitelman,United Technologies Corporation.http://www.ams.org/employment/eims-seitelman-cvoct08.pdf

Finding an Academic Job by James Lambers, Institute forComputational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford.http://www.siam.org/careers/finding.php

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics

Useful sites

Advice for new Ph.D.’s: (even before you are a Ph.D.!)http://www.ams.org/employment/job-articles.html

AMS Career Services: http://www.ams.org/employmentincluding the EIMS Job Listings, Ask Professor Nescio, AMSGraduate Student Blog, etc.

The AWM page: http://www.awm-math.org/career.html

SIAM: http://www.siam.org/careers/

http://www.cra-w.org/pubs

Applying for Nonacademic Positions by Leon H.Seitelman,United Technologies Corporation.http://www.ams.org/employment/eims-seitelman-cvoct08.pdf

Finding an Academic Job by James Lambers, Institute forComputational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford.http://www.siam.org/careers/finding.php

Susanne Brenner, Silvia Jimenez Career Day Spring 2009 - LSU Department of Mathematics