This is that mandatory post that blog writers write once they’ve been blogging for a year. I started Ecology Bits about a year ago (I’m not a stickler for exact dates) and here’s my take on what it’s been like to be writing in the ecology blogosphere. (Yes, it does, too, exist.) One thing that …
Category Archive: Early career researcher
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2017/01/04/first-year-retrospective/
How NOT to get a postdoc position
The other day I was talking to a last-year PhD student about finding a postdoc position. I’ve written before about the various ways I’m aware of to get a postdoc position, but in this conversation, I was recalling all the things I tried that were utter failures. My situation at the time was a tricky …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/12/14/how-not-to-get-a-postdoc-position/
Some advice on applying for faculty jobs, according to six Harvard assistant professors
This is the year — the first year I’d be applying for faculty jobs, if I wasn’t so adamant about not relocating. I finally have first-author papers, the last checkbox to check on an otherwise pretty decent CV. [1] The trouble with doing too many things is not finishing any of them. I had too …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/10/26/some-advice-on-applying-for-faculty-jobs-according-to-six-harvard-assistant-professors/
Advice for new postdocs
In case you missed it, last week was National Postdoc Appreciation Week. I almost missed it, but Harvard conveniently put up a huge banner and offered us a bit of free food (Super yummy Mexican food this year!) Good food = appreciation? Sure, why not. September seems to be a common time for new postdocs …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/09/28/advice-for-new-postdocs/
Avoid using the words “student” and “school” outside of academia
Many, if not most, ecology PhD graduates will go on to jobs outside of academia. One particular area needing improvement in most (all?) graduate departments is on teaching trainees how to market themselves outside of academia. CVs are non-starters outside of academia and resumes are very different beasts. In crafting a resume, you need to …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/09/21/avoid-using-the-words-student-and-school-outside-of-academia/
The Modern Grad Student Paradox
I was sitting in the audience during the discussion of the Hacking Ecology 2.0 Ignite session at ESA this year and Josie Simonis, who was on the panel, said something that really resonated with the grad students in the audience and on Twitter. They said that graduate students face a real paradox: grad students need to …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/09/07/the-modern-grad-student-paradox/
Seasons of the Scientific Conference
Maybe one or more of these sound familiar? Newbie. You’re an undergrad or a brand new grad student or something in between. There’s a big regional or national conference nearby and it costs relatively little for you to go. So you go! You spend hours poring over the program, looking for the talks that seem awesome. …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/08/02/seasons-of-the-scientific-conference/
The postdoc pay cut
One beneficial thing about working out in the “real world” before starting a PhD is that you have the perspective of academia within the larger world, rather than academia as the only thing you’ve ever known. If you’ve gone from grade school to college directly on to grad school, you may not realize what a …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/07/20/the-postdoc-pay-cut/
Most ESA Early Career Fellows are almost mid-career
The Ecological Society of America recently announced its call for nominations for awards for 2017. I encourage you to get out there and nominate people. In particular, consider nominating folks that are historically underrepresented. [1] For the Early Career Fellows, consider nominating someone at a comprehensive university, primarily undergraduate university, or in the private sector. …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/07/13/esa-early-career-fellows-are-mostly-almost-mid-career/
ESA Early Career Fellows are well balanced by gender
ESA announced its 2016 Early Career Fellows a few weeks ago. The program is fairly new – only in its fourth year – and its aim is to recognize the achievements and potential of excellent ecologists, broadly construed. The announcement of the 2016 cohort brings the total number of Early Career Fellows to 27. And …
Permanent link to this article: https://ecologybits.com/index.php/2016/06/29/esa-early-career-fellows-are-well-balanced-by-gender/
Follow
Recent Comments