New faculty share academic job search experiences

As the academic job market is extremely competitive, the application and interview process can be gruelling and very stressful. Two recently hired professors at TMU, Dr. Afsoon Soudi in the RTA School of Media and Dr. ChungHyuk Lee in Chemical Engineering, have graciously shared their experiences of navigating the academic job market below. As you will see, their experiences were very different. My gratitude to Drs. Soudi and Lee for sharing their time and insights.

Q-and-A with Dr. Afsoon Soudi
Department: RTA School of Media
PhD: Physics, Washington State University, 2012

Q. Describe your overall experience in terms of how long you searched, how many applications you sent, how many interviews, etc. I.e., what were your key stats?

A. My experience was very unique in getting a tenured track position at TMU. I was referred to the job posting at an event while presenting my work. It was the only academic position I applied to, and it was successful. 

Q. When you think back to your academic job search, how do you describe the key strategies you employed? How did that strategy change over time?

A. After my graduation, I moved to Canada to do a postdoc. My goal was to move into industry and not pursue an academic career at the time. My journey to a faculty position has certainly been a non-linear path. 

My three success strategies were:

i. I pursue exciting new opportunities with steep learning curves that challenge me, help me learn continuously and grow as a person. They usually are way out of my comfort zone. I co-founded my startup after finishing my postdoc, in which I had an exponential learning curve and growth.

Ii. I have also focused on interdisciplinary opportunities and created serendipities. This, for me, comes out of exposing different perspectives and frameworks and applying them to problems in new industries. For example, I switched to the media industry and joined CBC after the success of my startup in consumer electronics. With my knowledge of machine learning (ML) research and product development, I was able to build bridges between ML and media which led to my current position.

iii. Lastly, I was flexible with my tactics and rigid with my values. Searching for a position, I have focused on what matters to me in the job, what I like to do day-to-day as opposed to what the title is. My values of curiosity, contribution and community have served me well. 

Q. What type of time commitment did each of the following require? i. preparing and sending applications, ii. Preparing for and interviewing, iii. Did any other aspect of the search require a significant amount of time?

A. I prepared my application only for the specific job posting that I applied for. Since the posting was about to close, I spent two intense weeks building my application package and pulling together all the official documents based on all the work I have done over the years.

The first interview was very similar to interviews for other industry jobs, so I did not spend too much time preparing for it; however, I spent a significant amount of time on my teaching and research presentation.

Keeping my references informed and engaged was also important, as I have been away from academia for a long time.

Q. What did you do wrong/poorly that you wish you could have gone back and fixed?

A. If I had more time preparing for my application and the interviews, I would have developed my research ideas deeper for research conversations, especially being away from academia for a while. 

Q. What was the best advice you were given throughout the process?

A. You are interviewing the panel and the university as much as they are interviewing you! Your panellists become your colleagues the day you take the job; learning about them and how they work is very important.

Q. What advice do you wish you were given throughout the process?

A. Trust myself and my abilities. As a researcher, being analytical and critical has been a fabric of my personality, and that can get challenging during the interview process. The panel’s job is to evaluate you. I would be less critical of myself in the process. I did have a great support system which believed in me. 

Q. What was your strategy for distinguishing yourself from other applicants or interviewees in your field?

A. My strategy was to build a complete picture of myself not only as a researcher and a teacher but also as a leader and a colleague by focusing on my strong communication skills. I designed and delivered a clear message all throughout the process and took advantage of every opportunity to reiterate it.

For example, I have incorporated the ideas communicated in my teaching dossier and research statement into my interviews and presentations. Communicating consistently what my values and style towards teaching and research are and giving practical examples of how that impacts my day-to-day work provided clarity for both interview panellists and myself through the process of determining whether the position is a good fit.

Q-and-A with Dr. ChungHyuk Lee
Department: Chemical Engineering
PhD: Mechanical Engineering, University of Toronto, 2019

Q. Describe your overall experience in terms of how long you searched, how many applications you sent, how many interviews, etc. I.e., what were your key stats?

A. My first faculty application was during my PhD in 2019. I applied to 18 universities (two in Germany, one in the U.S., and 16 in Canada). I heard back from interviews for four of them (two of them were pre-screening interviews, and the other two were straight full interviews), and I did three full interviews in total.

Q. When you think back to your academic job search, how do you describe the key strategies you employed? How did that strategy change over time?

A. My strategy was to apply for as many postings as possible. It is a lot of work (since all applications need to be tailored according to the job description), but due to the scarcity of faculty positions, I wanted to increase my chances. I kept the same strategy for two years and was eventually offered a position here at TMU. The job description for this position was not necessarily related to my research area, but I applied anyways and received an offer.

Q. What type of time commitment did each of the following require? i. preparing and sending applications, ii. Preparing for and interviewing, iii. Did any other aspect of the search require a significant amount of time?

A. When I began the process, preparation and submitting applications took a long time (I think I spent a good month completing a full package), but once the package was prepared, I only needed to tweak the contents for any subsequent submissions. I recommend that candidates start preparing their applications early and get the package reviewed by their supervisors.

Preparing for the interview was the most time-consuming aspect. Sometimes you are not given much time to prepare (the shortest notice for me was five days before the full interview, including the weekend). The main things I tried to do before the interview were: 

(1) Try to gauge the need in the department. For example, if you are interviewing for a position in mechanical engineering, but the majority of the professors study thermofluids, chances are they would prefer someone that can teach courses in controls, manufacturing, etc.

(2) Become comfortable with your teaching and research presentations by practicing. The committee members are often less interested in the technical content of these presentations (since your technical excellence is already evident from your CV) but in your communication skills, confidence and passion. 

(3) Think of your research plan when you start your faculty position. How much money would you need, and how many students/postdocs will you hire? Where will the funding come from, and do you have any plans for collaboration? Are there any user facilities available in the university or its vicinity that you can take advantage of to kick-start your research?

Q. What did you do wrong/poorly that you wish you could have gone back and fixed?

A. The biggest mistake I made was undermining the importance of “service.” Typically, all faculty members need to contribute via research, teaching and service, and service is as important as the other items. Learning the university/faculty/department-level initiatives that you feel like your passion would align with and preparing answers for questions related to service will be very helpful for your interviews.

Q. What was the best advice you were given throughout the process?

A. One of the best pieces of advice that was helpful, especially for on-site interviews, is about taking breaks and food. Oftentimes you will meet many professors, and each professor will bring you to your next appointment on the agenda. If they offer you to go to the bathroom, go - even if you do not need to use the bathroom. Take a deep breath, check your outfit to make sure things look good, and check your cheat sheet on the professor that you are meeting next. Have a granola bar or chocolate. When you go out for lunch, do not eat anything that will make you seem clumsy (e.g., tacos or burgers that could get your hands dirty). Order food with bite-sized pieces that allows you to comfortably eat while talking with the other professors/students. Lunches and dinners are also parts of the interview, so don’t get too relaxed and comfortable. Stay alert.

Q. What advice do you wish you were given throughout the process?

A. I wish I knew that the interview was both ways; it isn’t only for you to be examined by a committee but also for you to gauge whether the department is right for you. Ask lots of questions that you need to ask for you to understand whether the position is right for you. Ask about the supports that new faculty members receive, including funding, mentorship, lab space, student support, teaching release, etc.

Q. What was your strategy for distinguishing yourself from other applicants or interviewees in your field?

A. My strategy is to learn the names of the professors in the department and their research activities. If you have time, try to read abstracts of their most recent publications. One of their favourite things to hear is, “I read your work!” Most professors will view you as a passionate and collaborative person.

Another piece of advice that I would like to give is to not be afraid of re-applying for a posting that you got rejected from before. Search committees often change every year, and their search objective also changes. I did two full interviews for a position in the Department of Chemical Engineering at TMU, so I would not be here if I decided not to apply the second time!