Job search
How do I find out about job openings?
Openings for PhD, PostDoc, and Faculty positions are typically advertised on websites, mailing lists, and social media. The first important point is that you should know your community; something that helps tremendously when activerly searching for a position. That being said, the resources below provide a non-exhaustive list of websites and mailing lists that is useful to keep monitored.
Websites
- AGU
- EGU
- ASCE
- iEMSs
- CUAHSI
- INFORMS
- ResearchGate
- AcademicKeys
- PolytechnicPositions
- Engineeroxy
- Academic Positions
- Earthworks
- GlobalWaterNet
Mailing Lists
- MultiSector Dynamics
- AboutHydrology
- Hydrology
- Openmod initiative
- EWRS. Ask Stefano how to join this group.
- UCAR/NCAR
How do I write a cover letter?
PostDoc and Faculty positions typically require a cover letter in which you introduce yourself and explain (1) why you are interested in the position and (2) why you are a candidate worth being considered. There are a several online resources on how to write a cover letter. Here are a few that may be useful:
- How to Write a Cover Letter for Academic Jobs
- Creating Your Cover Letter for Academic Positions
- Cover Letters for Academic Positions
- Cover letter for a faculty position
Feel free to ask Stefano for an example.
Are there resources offered by Cornell?
The answer is yes! Check out this website.
How do I apply for a faculty position?
Job interviews for a faculty position are typically carried out in three steps. First, you submit your ‘package’, which will be evaluated by a group of faculty members. If your application is successful, (meaning you have been shortlisted) you will be then approached for a Zoom interview (20 mins or so), whose goal is to create a final list of candiodates that will be interviewed on campus. Each stage requires a thorough and time-consuming preparation. Here, we provide a few useful resources for each of this three stages.
Application package
Common requirements for the application package include research statement, teaching statement, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) statement. It takes time to prepare them, so it is never a bad idea to start drafting them. You can then tailored them to the specific position you are applying for.
There’s plenty of resources available online on how to prepare these statements. Here are a few useful ones:
Feel free to ask Stefano for an example.
Zoom interview
These interviews tend to be rather short, as they typically last between 15 and 30 mins. Expect to be asked 4-6 questions on your accomplishments, as well as your research and teaching plans. You will also have time to ask one or two questions. Here is a list of questions that have been collected from various websites.
Campus interview
This will be your final step! For the campus interview, you will most likely give a research seminar of about 45 mins. A suggested reading on how to prepare for this is Ten simple rules for giving an effective academic job talk by Sura et al. You may also have to give a chalk talk, which is a short overview of your research and teaching agenda. Here’s a good explanation on how to prepare it.
An important advise is to know the job you are applying for (as well as the institution and potential colleagues) as much as possible. This helps tailor your application (at its various stages) and also shows you took this process seriously. Importantly, this also helps you know more about the job: ultimately, both applicant and the institution must be excited!
