1 00:00:01,550 --> 00:00:06,089 I'm David Farmer, from the 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,740 American Institute of Mathematics. 3 00:00:06,089 --> 00:00:09,599 Today we're going to talk about the role 4 00:00:07,740 --> 00:00:11,490 of the job talk in the hiring process for a 5 00:00:09,599 --> 00:00:14,460 tenure-track position in mathematics. 6 00:00:11,490 --> 00:00:15,990 As we will see, the purpose of the job talk 7 00:00:14,460 --> 00:00:18,180 is to demonstrate that you have the 8 00:00:15,990 --> 00:00:20,250 potential to be a good teacher. 9 00:00:18,180 --> 00:00:25,320 It's not for you to blow everyone away with your 10 00:00:20,250 --> 00:00:25,520 wonderful research. 11 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,640 Koutsoliotas: You've been invited to campus, and one of the 12 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:38,700 the things you'll be asked to do is present a talk about your work. 13 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:40,320 The job talk serves many different purposes, 14 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:43,469 depending on what kind of school you're at. 15 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:46,260 But one of the important things 16 00:00:43,469 --> 00:00:48,360 that is relevant to many schools 17 00:00:46,260 --> 00:00:50,850 is that it's the first time 18 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:53,940 people will get to see you at the board 19 00:00:50,850 --> 00:00:56,640 or at the screen presenting your work 20 00:00:53,940 --> 00:00:58,469 That is a good way for people to tell 21 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,420 how you are going to be 22 00:00:58,469 --> 00:01:03,329 in the classroom. One of the things that 23 00:01:00,420 --> 00:01:05,580 you want to find out about is: who is 24 00:01:03,329 --> 00:01:07,380 your audience for this talk? 25 00:01:05,580 --> 00:01:09,810 Is your talk going to be to the rest of the 26 00:01:07,380 --> 00:01:12,330 faculty, or is it going to be a talk 27 00:01:09,810 --> 00:01:13,409 primarily to undergraduate students? 28 00:01:12,330 --> 00:01:15,000 You want to find out a little bit about 29 00:01:13,409 --> 00:01:18,320 this, and that happens in the exchange as 30 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,320 you are preparing for the interview. 31 00:01:18,390 --> 00:01:24,750 Farmer: Know the first sentence you're going to 32 00:01:21,310 --> 00:01:28,180 say and particularly the first word and 33 00:01:24,750 --> 00:01:30,430 exactly say that sentence. It will calm you 34 00:01:28,180 --> 00:01:32,979 down and it'll be a good sentence. 35 00:01:30,430 --> 00:01:37,750 The most common first two words of talks is 36 00:01:32,979 --> 00:01:40,179 "Okay, so" Okay? Know your first word in your 37 00:01:37,750 --> 00:01:42,070 first sentence, and say it, and don't 38 00:01:40,179 --> 00:01:44,259 start with "Okay, so". What I mean 39 00:01:42,070 --> 00:01:46,960 is the first sentence after the 'Thanks', 40 00:01:44,259 --> 00:01:49,420 if you give thanks. Some people give 41 00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:50,770 thanks and some don't. I happen to don't, 42 00:01:49,420 --> 00:01:53,049 and that's a reflection of my personality, 43 00:01:50,770 --> 00:01:56,170 not a reflection of best practice. 44 00:01:53,049 --> 00:01:58,600 Either way is fine; I'm guessing 45 00:01:56,170 --> 00:02:00,250 that at a job talk, thanking them 46 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,350 for the opportunity to speak is 47 00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:05,170 probably a good thing, so you might want 48 00:02:02,350 --> 00:02:07,149 to err towards thanking, but it can be 49 00:02:05,170 --> 00:02:10,330 very brief. 50 00:02:07,149 --> 00:02:12,910 That 'thanks' should start with the 51 00:02:10,330 --> 00:02:14,319 word "thanks", not "okay so", and then the 52 00:02:12,910 --> 00:02:17,910 sentence after that should be the 53 00:02:14,319 --> 00:02:17,910 sentence you've prepared in advance. 54 00:02:18,260 --> 00:02:26,360 What do these five things have in common: 55 00:02:22,069 --> 00:02:30,500 hosting a talk, playing golf, 56 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:33,340 playing poker, writing LaTeX, and giving a 57 00:02:30,500 --> 00:02:36,650 giving a colloquium or job talk. 58 00:02:33,340 --> 00:02:39,280 I've identified three things that 59 00:02:36,650 --> 00:02:42,049 they have in common: 60 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,239 most people receive little formal training 61 00:02:42,049 --> 00:02:46,459 before embarking upon these endeavors. 62 00:02:44,239 --> 00:02:48,409 Everybody can play poker, 63 00:02:46,459 --> 00:02:51,019 everybody can play golf. 64 00:02:48,409 --> 00:02:52,069 So what you end up doing, since you have 65 00:02:51,019 --> 00:02:55,099 no formal training, is you either 66 00:02:52,069 --> 00:02:57,829 invent out of thin air what to do, 67 00:02:55,099 --> 00:02:59,150 or you copy the bad habits of other 68 00:02:57,829 --> 00:03:02,000 people. As a consequence, 69 00:02:59,150 --> 00:03:05,450 most people do these things poorly. 70 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:08,690 But also, for all of these 71 00:03:05,450 --> 00:03:12,829 just a few basic principles can make you 72 00:03:08,690 --> 00:03:13,489 far better than average. 73 00:03:12,829 --> 00:03:15,019 For the first one 74 00:03:13,489 --> 00:03:16,700 Sally explained the principles of 75 00:03:15,019 --> 00:03:19,400 hosting a talk: you're already above 76 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:21,170 average at doing that. You need help 77 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,840 from other people to improve your golf game 78 00:03:21,170 --> 00:03:25,400 game or to play better poker. I'm happy 79 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,919 to talk to you about writing LaTeX 80 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,660 during your off time, but what I do want 81 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:32,959 to tell you is some principles about 82 00:03:29,660 --> 00:03:36,440 giving a colloquium or job talk. 83 00:03:32,959 --> 00:03:41,629 Let me explain why I group colloquium 84 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:43,639 and job talk together. Lots of you have taught, 85 00:03:41,629 --> 00:03:45,709 maybe all of you have taught, and 86 00:03:43,639 --> 00:03:48,169 you've also written papers and you've 87 00:03:45,709 --> 00:03:50,109 either written or read textbooks. 88 00:03:48,169 --> 00:03:54,349 All of these things are types of mathematical 89 00:03:50,109 --> 00:03:56,810 exposition, and what I've shown here is 90 00:03:54,349 --> 00:03:59,810 how I see the spectrum of different 91 00:03:56,810 --> 00:04:01,699 types of mathematical exposition. 92 00:03:59,810 --> 00:04:03,889 The traditional, what we think of as 93 00:04:01,699 --> 00:04:06,440 "real mathematics", is very formal, and that's 94 00:04:03,889 --> 00:04:08,540 at the top. It goes definition-theorem- 95 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,250 proof-theorem-proof-theorem-proof. 96 00:04:08,540 --> 00:04:12,859 That's what your research papers look like, and 97 00:04:10,250 --> 00:04:17,239 that's what seminar talks tend to look like. 98 00:04:12,859 --> 00:04:19,400 At the other end you have things like teaching, 99 00:04:17,239 --> 00:04:21,769 and the job talk, and the colloquium, 100 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:25,510 which are very informal. 101 00:04:21,769 --> 00:04:28,390 They're driven by examples. 102 00:04:25,510 --> 00:04:30,730 You have terminology more than you have 103 00:04:28,390 --> 00:04:33,010 formal definitions, and while there are 104 00:04:30,730 --> 00:04:34,720 theorems and proofs - somebody once said 105 00:04:33,010 --> 00:04:37,690 every good math talk contains a proof - 106 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:39,400 that's probably true, but often it's a 107 00:04:37,690 --> 00:04:40,810 "proof" and I've written in quotes because 108 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,180 it's not like you're nailing down 109 00:04:40,810 --> 00:04:45,040 every single detail. 110 00:04:43,180 --> 00:04:47,910 If I explain the idea and you get, that counts 111 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:52,030 as a proof in the context of the talk. 112 00:04:47,910 --> 00:04:54,310 In this spectrum, at the top, 113 00:04:52,030 --> 00:04:57,310 who's the audience of a research paper? 114 00:04:54,310 --> 00:05:01,210 One person reading it repeatedly for a long time. 115 00:04:57,310 --> 00:05:03,460 In seminar the audience is a small 116 00:05:01,210 --> 00:05:05,350 group of homogeneous people whom you can 117 00:05:03,460 --> 00:05:07,540 assume have something in common. 118 00:05:05,350 --> 00:05:09,220 By the time you get down to the bottom, 119 00:05:07,540 --> 00:05:11,530 there are more people and there's a great 120 00:05:09,220 --> 00:05:13,870 diversity among those people. 121 00:05:11,530 --> 00:05:18,460 That has to affect how you do your exposition. 122 00:05:13,870 --> 00:05:20,230 Let me elaborate a little bit 123 00:05:18,460 --> 00:05:22,420 more about what I mean by examples and terminology. 124 00:05:20,230 --> 00:05:25,680 This is a math talk, so ??????? 125 00:05:22,420 --> 00:05:27,640 we need theorems and proofs. Our first, 126 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:30,430 well it's a proposition, 127 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:32,800 the proposition is: Usually it is not 128 00:05:30,430 --> 00:05:35,020 helpful to state a formal definition in 129 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:37,900 the colloquium talk. What's the proof? 130 00:05:35,020 --> 00:05:40,210 The proof breaks into cases 131 00:05:37,900 --> 00:05:43,510 depending on the audience members. 132 00:05:40,210 --> 00:05:44,770 Case 1 is: the people in the audience 133 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:47,470 who already know the definition. 134 00:05:44,770 --> 00:05:49,780 Obviously it's a waste of time 135 00:05:47,470 --> 00:05:52,270 to tell them the definition. 136 00:05:49,780 --> 00:05:54,910 Case 2: the people who don't already know 137 00:05:52,270 --> 00:05:57,460 the definition. Well, unless it's 138 00:05:54,910 --> 00:05:59,620 something really simple, telling them the 139 00:05:57,460 --> 00:06:01,900 definition is probably also not helpful. 140 00:05:59,620 --> 00:06:04,660 They need examples, discussion, and 141 00:06:01,900 --> 00:06:06,700 context to understand it. If my talk is on 142 00:06:04,660 --> 00:06:09,040 Hopf algebras, writing down a 143 00:06:06,700 --> 00:06:10,600 commutative diagram with seven things in it 144 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,300 (part of the definition of a Hopf algebra) 145 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:15,640 is not going to tell you what a Hopf algebra 146 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:18,700 really is. On the other hand, 147 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:20,590 you are all aware of objects which can 148 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:23,260 be given a Hopf algebra structure. 149 00:06:20,590 --> 00:06:25,600 I could talk about those objects, describe 150 00:06:23,260 --> 00:06:27,250 which aspects of them are relevant, and 151 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,470 then say, "the things with these properties 152 00:06:27,250 --> 00:06:31,600 are called Hopf algebras". 153 00:06:29,470 --> 00:06:33,760 I'm not giving a definition, but I am 154 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:37,870 giving terminology, and I'm also 155 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:39,520 advocating that the examples come first. 156 00:06:37,870 --> 00:06:41,110 So it's not definition followed by example. 157 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:43,330 It's example followed by definition, 158 00:06:41,110 --> 00:06:46,600 or better yet, example followed by terminology. 159 00:06:43,330 --> 00:06:48,940 We have already discussed the outline. 160 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:53,949 The next proposition is: 161 00:06:48,940 --> 00:06:56,380 Never use an outline slide. 162 00:06:53,949 --> 00:06:58,139 The proof also breaks into two cases, 163 00:06:56,380 --> 00:07:01,360 depending upon the nature of the outline. 164 00:06:58,139 --> 00:07:03,850 If your outline is completely 165 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:06,669 devoid of relevant content to your talk 166 00:07:03,850 --> 00:07:09,900 and could apply to any other talk, 167 00:07:06,669 --> 00:07:12,790 of course it's waste of time. 168 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:15,280 On the other hand, maybe your outline 169 00:07:12,790 --> 00:07:17,110 does mention some key topics. The one from 170 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,270 my bad talk did: it had "other symmetry types". 171 00:07:17,110 --> 00:07:21,550 What was I forced to do? 172 00:07:19,270 --> 00:07:24,310 I was forced to try to explain some 173 00:07:21,550 --> 00:07:26,139 complicated thing from the end of my talk 174 00:07:24,310 --> 00:07:29,260 in the middle of explaining the outline, 175 00:07:26,139 --> 00:07:30,910 which satisfied no one. 176 00:07:29,260 --> 00:07:32,080 The alternative is don't even try to 177 00:07:30,910 --> 00:07:32,710 explain it, and then it's even more 178 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,930 confusing. So, such outlines 179 00:07:32,710 --> 00:07:37,060 also are a waste of time. Since that 180 00:07:34,930 --> 00:07:41,260 covers all cases, that completes the proof. 181 00:07:37,060 --> 00:07:43,450 I know you've seen 182 00:07:41,260 --> 00:07:46,389 lots of talks with outlines, so let me 183 00:07:43,450 --> 00:07:48,210 say what to do instead. This was 184 00:07:46,389 --> 00:07:50,889 already mentioned in the discussion. 185 00:07:48,210 --> 00:07:54,070 You want to think of giving the talk as 186 00:07:50,889 --> 00:07:56,320 storytelling. Start just by beginning to 187 00:07:54,070 --> 00:07:58,330 tell the story. I was greatly 188 00:07:56,320 --> 00:08:01,620 influenced in this by Henryk Iwanice, 189 00:07:58,330 --> 00:08:04,210 who is at Rutgers. In his graduate course 190 00:08:01,620 --> 00:08:05,740 every semester, all the students have to 191 00:08:04,210 --> 00:08:07,780 go to the board and present some result. 192 00:08:05,740 --> 00:08:10,060 What do they do? They walk to the 193 00:08:07,780 --> 00:08:12,580 board and they start writing. Henrik says, 194 00:08:10,060 --> 00:08:14,590 "Say some words". So they turn around 195 00:08:12,580 --> 00:08:17,830 confused, like, "What do you mean?". He 196 00:08:14,590 --> 00:08:20,260 repeats, "Say some words", at which time 197 00:08:17,830 --> 00:08:21,639 they start talking about the result 198 00:08:20,260 --> 00:08:24,340 they're going to present and it's proof. 199 00:08:21,639 --> 00:08:27,070 It's almost always extremely clear, 200 00:08:24,340 --> 00:08:29,289 a great introduction. That, I think, 201 00:08:27,070 --> 00:08:31,570 is a great way to start any colloquium talk. 202 00:08:29,289 --> 00:08:34,479 Just "say some words". You may actually 203 00:08:31,570 --> 00:08:36,909 mention quite a bit or just part 204 00:08:34,479 --> 00:08:39,279 of your outline. The outline still 205 00:08:36,909 --> 00:08:42,190 exists as an abstract object describing 206 00:08:39,279 --> 00:08:45,250 your talk. I'm just telling you 207 00:08:42,190 --> 00:08:46,959 not to put it up on the screen. 208 00:08:45,250 --> 00:08:49,360 The outline will inform your exposition 209 00:08:46,959 --> 00:08:49,960 and you may in fact mention things about 210 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,430 it in your introduction, but it's not 211 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:56,080 going to look like an outline. 212 00:08:51,430 --> 00:08:57,670 I don't want to 213 00:08:56,080 --> 00:09:00,190 overwhelm you with lots of do's and 214 00:08:57,670 --> 00:09:02,980 don'ts, but let me just get to a 215 00:09:00,190 --> 00:09:05,080 few more principles. The first one we 216 00:09:02,980 --> 00:09:07,240 already mentioned: know the first 217 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,400 sentence you're going to say, know whether 218 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,230 or not you're going to thank the person 219 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:15,160 who introduced you or thank the 220 00:09:11,230 --> 00:09:16,630 institution, before you begin. 221 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,240 Second we've just started talking about the 222 00:09:16,630 --> 00:09:21,130 idea of storytelling. You're telling a story. 223 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:24,010 What does it mean to tell a story? 224 00:09:21,130 --> 00:09:26,580 You set the scene, you introduce the 225 00:09:24,010 --> 00:09:30,400 characters, you do character development. 226 00:09:26,580 --> 00:09:32,290 There is a plot, you foreshadow things 227 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:36,450 which are going to come; 228 00:09:32,290 --> 00:09:39,280 there's connections, and there's excitement. 229 00:09:36,450 --> 00:09:41,380 Part of the idea of a short story is 230 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:45,100 that it's meant to work toward one thing. 231 00:09:41,380 --> 00:09:47,620 As you're planning your job talk decide 232 00:09:45,100 --> 00:09:49,360 first what of your results is going to be 233 00:09:47,620 --> 00:09:50,770 the culmination of your talk. 234 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:53,740 What exciting thing are you going to tell them about? 235 00:09:50,770 --> 00:09:56,350 Once you know that, you want to 236 00:09:53,740 --> 00:09:58,540 work backward to the beginning. 237 00:09:56,350 --> 00:10:00,670 Don't include anything that's not relevant to 238 00:09:58,540 --> 00:10:03,570 the thing you want to tell them about. 239 00:10:00,670 --> 00:10:06,580 It's not a novel, it's a short story. 240 00:10:03,570 --> 00:10:09,250 There's two ways in which the material 241 00:10:06,580 --> 00:10:12,040 you present can be useful: you want 242 00:10:09,250 --> 00:10:14,490 people to understand and appreciate your work. 243 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:17,110 Those are two different things. 244 00:10:14,490 --> 00:10:19,900 Understanding requires some definitions 245 00:10:17,110 --> 00:10:22,390 or terminology. 246 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:24,220 Appreciate involves some amount of context about 247 00:10:22,390 --> 00:10:25,960 what has been done before, or what are the 248 00:10:24,220 --> 00:10:29,260 consequences of what you are doing. 249 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,790 Keep in mind that, people 250 00:10:29,260 --> 00:10:33,280 don't really understand your results unless 251 00:10:30,790 --> 00:10:34,870 they understand [laughs] and appreciate them. 252 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:37,570 So you're doing two things. 253 00:10:34,870 --> 00:10:39,430 Eradicate everything that's 254 00:10:37,570 --> 00:10:42,400 not relevant to that in your talk, 255 00:10:39,430 --> 00:10:46,120 and start by working backward. 256 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:48,490 The third main point here is transitions. 257 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:50,550 The outline which you are not showing is kind 258 00:10:48,490 --> 00:10:55,010 of like chapters or sections of your story. 259 00:10:50,550 --> 00:10:57,170 Between chapters, 260 00:10:55,010 --> 00:11:00,079 things shouldn't change abruptly. Things 261 00:10:57,170 --> 00:11:02,810 should flow in a natural way. When you've 262 00:11:00,079 --> 00:11:05,480 ended one part of your talk and starting 263 00:11:02,810 --> 00:11:07,930 another part, you can do a transition by 264 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:10,100 wrapping up what just happened and 265 00:11:07,930 --> 00:11:11,779 introducing what's going to happen next. 266 00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:13,190 You are doing little mini wrap-ups 267 00:11:11,779 --> 00:11:16,010 and introductions throughout your talk. 268 00:11:13,190 --> 00:11:17,899 This is a very effective way of 269 00:11:16,010 --> 00:11:20,750 giving the impression that you have a 270 00:11:17,899 --> 00:11:22,279 clear and organized talk. 271 00:11:20,750 --> 00:11:24,279 You want people to leave saying, 272 00:11:22,279 --> 00:11:29,779 "I followed that", "that was pretty good." 273 00:11:24,279 --> 00:11:31,790 A really great transition: if someone 274 00:11:29,779 --> 00:11:33,709 woke up right before you did it, 275 00:11:31,790 --> 00:11:35,540 they'll be on board ready to pay 276 00:11:33,709 --> 00:11:37,639 attention again. Or if they arrive 277 00:11:35,540 --> 00:11:40,970 late, they'll be on board. 278 00:11:37,639 --> 00:11:43,730 Let me do a transition, way in the 279 00:11:40,970 --> 00:11:48,649 middle of a talk I was just giving. 280 00:11:43,730 --> 00:11:52,370 ... so that's the 281 00:11:48,649 --> 00:11:54,410 conjecture we made about the maximum 282 00:11:52,370 --> 00:11:56,540 size of that Z function. Recall from the 283 00:11:54,410 --> 00:11:58,430 first slide: it got bigger when T was larger, 284 00:11:56,540 --> 00:12:01,279 and that's our conjecture for how 285 00:11:58,430 --> 00:12:03,199 big it gets. We got this conjecture 286 00:12:01,279 --> 00:12:05,750 in multiple ways by thinking 287 00:12:03,199 --> 00:12:08,180 probabilisticly. One of the tools used 288 00:12:05,750 --> 00:12:11,120 is what's known as a moment of the zeta 289 00:12:08,180 --> 00:12:13,370 function. The 2kth moment of the 290 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:16,610 zeta function is defined as the average 291 00:12:13,370 --> 00:12:20,269 of the 2kth absolute value of the 292 00:12:16,610 --> 00:12:23,269 zeta function on the half-line. 293 00:12:20,269 --> 00:12:25,639 Conjectures for how big this moment is, or 294 00:12:23,269 --> 00:12:28,220 the size of this moment, will be one of the ways 295 00:12:25,639 --> 00:12:31,600 that we arrive at that conjecture for 296 00:12:28,220 --> 00:12:36,620 how big the function itself gets. 297 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:39,079 That's my transition, okay? So the idea is 298 00:12:36,620 --> 00:12:41,269 you're supposed to be willing to start 299 00:12:39,079 --> 00:12:44,149 paying attention again if you 300 00:12:41,269 --> 00:12:46,610 dozed or stopped paying attention. 301 00:12:44,149 --> 00:12:49,819 Punctuating these throughout your 302 00:12:46,610 --> 00:12:51,350 talk is helpful and it can't hurt to be 303 00:12:49,819 --> 00:12:52,819 really blatant about it. If you're 304 00:12:51,350 --> 00:12:55,579 standing here while you're explaining 305 00:12:52,819 --> 00:12:57,860 something, step away. It will draw their 306 00:12:55,579 --> 00:12:59,480 attention. Summarize what you just did; 307 00:12:57,860 --> 00:13:01,399 introduce what's going to happen next. 308 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:03,390 People will get the impression that 309 00:13:01,399 --> 00:13:05,910 they're following what's going on. 310 00:13:03,390 --> 00:13:09,060 You rarely want to read your slides, 311 00:13:05,910 --> 00:13:12,510 so I don't think you need a slide for the 312 00:13:09,060 --> 00:13:14,100 transition. One of 313 00:13:12,510 --> 00:13:16,290 the exercises you want to do once your 314 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:17,700 talk is written out, is figure out what 315 00:13:16,290 --> 00:13:20,850 are the sections and how to do the transitions. 316 00:13:17,700 --> 00:13:27,780 It's perfectly fine 317 00:13:20,850 --> 00:13:29,250 to end abruptly. Thank you. 318 00:13:27,780 --> 00:13:31,380 I'll answer but other people may contradict me. 319 00:13:29,250 --> 00:13:32,910 I think you want to give what will be 320 00:13:31,380 --> 00:13:35,340 a good talk of interest to the whole 321 00:13:32,910 --> 00:13:37,440 department. If there happens to be people 322 00:13:35,340 --> 00:13:39,510 in the department interested in your 323 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,610 particular research, then 324 00:13:39,510 --> 00:13:43,800 you'll talk to them personally about 325 00:13:41,610 --> 00:13:47,750 these other more important results. But 326 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:50,910 the job talk iss more about: 327 00:13:47,750 --> 00:13:53,400 'will you be okay in the classroom' than 328 00:13:50,910 --> 00:13:56,250 it is 'persuade me that you're a great 329 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:59,880 researcher'. At some big R1s maybe it's 330 00:13:56,250 --> 00:14:01,950 different, but a place that at all values 331 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:05,310 teaching, that's really the secret reason. 332 00:14:01,950 --> 00:14:06,660 Many speakers, after one minute 333 00:14:05,310 --> 00:14:08,370 you might as well not pay attention. 334 00:14:06,660 --> 00:14:10,170 It's obvious that they're not going to 335 00:14:08,370 --> 00:14:11,460 be good in the classroom. 336 00:14:10,170 --> 00:14:13,860 That's what I'm trying to help you avoid. 337 00:14:11,460 --> 00:14:17,130 I wouldn't choose something you've moved 338 00:14:13,860 --> 00:14:18,630 on from, because 339 00:14:17,130 --> 00:14:20,370 one of the obvious questions is: 340 00:14:18,630 --> 00:14:23,040 What are you planning to do next? 341 00:14:20,370 --> 00:14:25,200 Those future hosts in the audience, 342 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,090 you know that 'what things are you planning 343 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,770 to work on next' is an almost always safe question, 344 00:14:27,090 --> 00:14:31,080 if no one else can think of a question. 345 00:14:28,770 --> 00:14:34,680 You don't want to say, 346 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:37,470 'well, I'm not working on that anymore'. 347 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:39,630 Don't use your thesis work if you've really 348 00:14:37,470 --> 00:14:41,250 moved on to a totally new area. 349 00:14:39,630 --> 00:14:43,710 I think all of us are telling you that 350 00:14:41,250 --> 00:14:45,660 it's the quality of the talk and the 351 00:14:43,710 --> 00:14:47,490 entertainment value more than the 352 00:14:45,660 --> 00:14:49,620 high-powered mathematics in the talk. 353 00:14:47,490 --> 00:14:51,840 You're going to meet with many of the 354 00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:53,520 people in the department and you'll talk 355 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,890 to them about your current research 356 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:58,500 interests, and they'll have 357 00:14:55,890 --> 00:15:00,660 one-on-one sessions with you. The talk 358 00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:02,960 isn't doing everything - it's not doing 359 00:15:00,660 --> 00:15:02,960 all that. 360 00:15:03,370 --> 00:15:07,630 Koutsoliotas: we do have our 361 00:15:05,950 --> 00:15:09,520 undergraduates at the talks as well, 362 00:15:07,630 --> 00:15:12,370 and we expect that the undergraduates 363 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:14,830 will follow the first 10 or 15 minutes, 364 00:15:12,370 --> 00:15:16,510 and then they're going to be 365 00:15:14,830 --> 00:15:18,640 be dropping off. 366 00:15:16,510 --> 00:15:21,310 The more junior ones first and then 367 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,860 the later ones. That's a 368 00:15:21,310 --> 00:15:26,350 hard talk to prepare for because 369 00:15:23,860 --> 00:15:28,000 you're really talking to the faculty, but 370 00:15:26,350 --> 00:15:29,170 you want to start at a level where some 371 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,660 students will at least get a sense of it. 372 00:15:29,170 --> 00:15:33,370 A nice way to do it, is to wrap up at 373 00:15:31,660 --> 00:15:34,750 the end with future projects. 374 00:15:33,370 --> 00:15:36,010 You can bring together the questions 375 00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:39,070 that you opened at the 376 00:15:36,010 --> 00:15:41,140 beginning, to bring 377 00:15:39,070 --> 00:15:43,210 the people who did fall 378 00:15:41,140 --> 00:15:46,050 off back together. 379 00:15:43,210 --> 00:15:46,050 It wraps it up. 380 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:51,160 If you can give a good chalk talk, that 381 00:15:48,910 --> 00:15:55,899 would be good. There's nothing wrong with 382 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:58,480 a good chalk talk. I couldn't give this 383 00:15:55,899 --> 00:16:02,250 talk, because I need to project that image, 384 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:04,630 so I would have to change my topic. 385 00:16:02,250 --> 00:16:07,360 That doesn't even mean I would use this 386 00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:09,490 as a job talk. I might not because I 387 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:12,010 might choose to give a chalk talk. 388 00:16:09,490 --> 00:16:13,779 Koutsoliotas: Even when you are using slides 389 00:16:12,010 --> 00:16:15,910 the blackboard is always within arm's reach 390 00:16:13,779 --> 00:16:18,130 and, especially during question time, 391 00:16:15,910 --> 00:16:21,580 reaching for a piece of chalk and working, 392 00:16:18,130 --> 00:16:24,010 really indicates a 393 00:16:21,580 --> 00:16:25,810 comfortableness about 394 00:16:24,010 --> 00:16:27,970 conveying information. I think that's 395 00:16:25,810 --> 00:16:29,260 always at your disposal. You shouldn't 396 00:16:27,970 --> 00:16:32,589 feel like you're not allowed to pick up 397 00:16:29,260 --> 00:16:35,459 anything except the stupid 398 00:16:32,589 --> 00:16:35,459 laser pointer. 399 00:16:35,710 --> 00:16:41,770 It depends upon why it happened. 400 00:16:38,580 --> 00:16:43,540 You better have practiced and revised 401 00:16:41,770 --> 00:16:45,100 your job talked several times with 402 00:16:43,540 --> 00:16:49,060 several different friends watching it. 403 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:51,010 I'm more concerned that you're 404 00:16:49,060 --> 00:16:52,240 running short on time and you haven't 405 00:16:51,010 --> 00:16:54,760 planned ahead what you're going to 406 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:57,340 jettison. It's very unlikely you want 407 00:16:54,760 --> 00:17:00,220 to jettison the last few slides, so you 408 00:16:57,340 --> 00:17:01,960 need to have a plan. What if a 409 00:17:00,220 --> 00:17:04,060 great thing happens, and there's loads of 410 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,830 questions in the early part of the talk, 411 00:17:04,060 --> 00:17:07,510 and all of the sudden you're behind. You 412 00:17:05,830 --> 00:17:10,060 start panicking and you haven't planned 413 00:17:07,510 --> 00:17:11,920 what you can skip. So you need to 414 00:17:10,060 --> 00:17:16,630 know in advance what you're willing to skip. 415 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:18,459 My question to you is: 416 00:17:16,630 --> 00:17:20,290 why are you getting flustered at the 417 00:17:18,459 --> 00:17:22,270 beginning? If it's because you didn't 418 00:17:20,290 --> 00:17:24,220 practice and you don't have it clear in 419 00:17:22,270 --> 00:17:26,770 your mind, then that's totally your 420 00:17:24,220 --> 00:17:28,240 fault and there's no good answer. 421 00:17:26,770 --> 00:17:30,820 The answer is you've already made the 422 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,860 mistake. Another thing you might want to 423 00:17:30,820 --> 00:17:35,050 do when you give a slide talk: 424 00:17:32,860 --> 00:17:38,140 get a print out that has about a 425 00:17:35,050 --> 00:17:40,390 dozen slides per sheet. A really 426 00:17:38,140 --> 00:17:43,180 awful thing that happens is the person 427 00:17:40,390 --> 00:17:44,740 goes over, and then, "Oh, that's what the 428 00:17:43,180 --> 00:17:46,240 next slide is about." The next slide 429 00:17:44,740 --> 00:17:47,920 shouldn't surprise you, but it happens all 430 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,360 the time: they hit 'next' and then they 431 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:52,210 find out what the next part of the talk 432 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:54,460 is about. That's easy to happen, but 433 00:17:52,210 --> 00:17:56,290 if you have on the table in front of you 434 00:17:54,460 --> 00:17:58,420 the whole talk on three sheets of paper, 435 00:17:56,290 --> 00:18:00,580 which can be done, you're going to know 436 00:17:58,420 --> 00:18:03,040 the next slide. The hard part about a 437 00:18:00,580 --> 00:18:05,680 transition is you start it before you 438 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:07,510 get to the next thing. You can't do a 439 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,730 good transition if you don't know 440 00:18:07,510 --> 00:18:11,740 exactly what the next slide is, and it's 441 00:18:09,730 --> 00:18:13,240 very difficult to do it without notes. 442 00:18:11,740 --> 00:18:15,160 It was a challenge for me, and I only have 443 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:18,610 four slides, and I practiced my talk 444 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:22,360 with Sally this morning. 445 00:18:18,610 --> 00:18:27,970 It is a stressful situation. What I do is, 446 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:29,789 draw on the sheets of paper which has 447 00:18:27,970 --> 00:18:36,059 each of the slides. 448 00:18:29,789 --> 00:18:38,190 I draw an L to indicate where 449 00:18:36,059 --> 00:18:39,779 is the end of each part. I need to 450 00:18:38,190 --> 00:18:40,679 know when is a transition. 451 00:18:39,779 --> 00:18:43,409 I can unobtrusively just glance down 452 00:18:40,679 --> 00:18:48,389 at the table and see it. 453 00:18:43,409 --> 00:18:51,210 To try to actually answer your question, 454 00:18:48,389 --> 00:18:54,090 you may want to just leap and 455 00:18:51,210 --> 00:18:55,710 do the transition - maybe a slightly more 456 00:18:54,090 --> 00:18:58,470 elaborate transition, and get to the next 457 00:18:55,710 --> 00:19:02,249 part and get people caught up. 458 00:18:58,470 --> 00:19:04,440 You need preparation in order to do this. 459 00:19:02,249 --> 00:19:06,389 No one just wings talks 460 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,639 (except for Loek). No one wings good talks. 461 00:19:06,389 --> 00:19:14,429 People prepare them and write them out. 462 00:19:08,639 --> 00:19:17,580 I don't think you can over-prepare a job talk. 463 00:19:14,429 --> 00:19:20,399 You need to have down cold the transitions. 464 00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:21,479 Koutsoliotas: Transitions - I think of 465 00:19:20,399 --> 00:19:23,129 it as, there's different 466 00:19:21,479 --> 00:19:25,289 sections to the talk and some sections 467 00:19:23,129 --> 00:19:27,119 can get really technical and people can 468 00:19:25,289 --> 00:19:28,559 kind of doze off, especially if 469 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:31,109 they're on the edge of understanding to 470 00:19:28,559 --> 00:19:33,059 begin with. So I really like this 471 00:19:31,109 --> 00:19:35,129 idea of, when you get to the end of the 472 00:19:33,059 --> 00:19:37,019 technical part, you just step 473 00:19:35,129 --> 00:19:38,999 aside and say, "so now that we've done the 474 00:19:37,019 --> 00:19:40,409 technical details, what we've shown is 475 00:19:38,999 --> 00:19:42,330 blah blah blah and we're going to be 476 00:19:40,409 --> 00:19:44,519 able to use this piece to be able to 477 00:19:42,330 --> 00:19:46,769 show this...". All of the sudden 478 00:19:44,519 --> 00:19:48,539 it's like you've been 479 00:19:46,769 --> 00:19:49,889 granted a pardon to say, 'well, I 480 00:19:48,539 --> 00:19:52,349 don't understand that technical stuff, 481 00:19:49,889 --> 00:19:53,879 but now I know the piece that 482 00:19:52,349 --> 00:19:55,769 matters and that's a piece that I need 483 00:19:53,879 --> 00:19:57,119 to carry forth.' That's a good way of 484 00:19:55,769 --> 00:19:58,919 recovering if you feel like you're 485 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:01,379 losing people: say "so what we've just 486 00:19:58,919 --> 00:20:03,479 done so what I hope I've shown 487 00:20:01,379 --> 00:20:04,739 you is blah blah blah and so now we're 488 00:20:03,479 --> 00:20:06,869 going to use it to do this...." 489 00:20:04,739 --> 00:20:09,029 You need to be 490 00:20:06,869 --> 00:20:10,799 familiar with the structure of 491 00:20:09,029 --> 00:20:12,690 your talk so that you can gather people up. 492 00:20:10,799 --> 00:20:14,729 It is like this: 493 00:20:12,690 --> 00:20:16,169 as time goes by they 494 00:20:14,729 --> 00:20:17,609 spread out and you've got to gather them 495 00:20:16,169 --> 00:20:18,550 again after the transition and then they 496 00:20:17,609 --> 00:20:20,320 spread out and gather again. 497 00:20:18,550 --> 00:20:22,220 Hopefully everyone ends at the same 498 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:30,679 point. 499 00:20:22,220 --> 00:20:30,679 [Music]