1
00:00:01,610 --> 00:00:05,819
I'm Kent Morrison of the

2
00:00:04,049 --> 00:00:07,859
American Institute of mathematics.

3
00:00:05,819 --> 00:00:10,650
We're here for three days in San Jose

4
00:00:07,859 --> 00:00:12,599
for a workshop with 15 young postdocs

5
00:00:10,650 --> 00:00:16,529
in mathematics departments.  As postdocs they're

6
00:00:12,599 --> 00:00:19,260
in temporary positions and they have a big

7
00:00:16,529 --> 00:00:23,070
question on their mind: where's my next job?

8
00:00:19,260 --> 00:00:25,289
This workshop is meant to help them

9
00:00:23,070 --> 00:00:27,330
understand the variety of academic

10
00:00:25,289 --> 00:00:29,369
careers and prepare their application materials

11
00:00:27,330 --> 00:00:31,349
for that search for tenure-track job --

12
00:00:29,369 --> 00:00:33,000
a permanent position that they could be in

13
00:00:31,349 --> 00:00:36,540
for their entire academic careers.

14
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:38,730
Barcelo: This is a sensitive time for the postdocs.

15
00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:41,340
It's a period of their careers

16
00:00:38,730 --> 00:00:43,559
where some of them have just

17
00:00:41,340 --> 00:00:45,960
finished their PhD a year or two ago.

18
00:00:43,559 --> 00:00:48,360
They're in postdoctoral positions

19
00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,969
right now.  They're applying for a new

20
00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,989
position so they are not sure at all how

21
00:00:50,969 --> 00:00:54,329
the process works - they're totally new to it.

22
00:00:51,989 --> 00:00:55,800
Morrison: As postdocs they're based

23
00:00:54,329 --> 00:00:58,590
at research universities

24
00:00:55,800 --> 00:01:00,449
or research institutes, but the tenure

25
00:00:58,590 --> 00:01:02,910
track positions they're seeking are

26
00:01:00,449 --> 00:01:04,409
going to be of a much broader variety.

27
00:01:02,910 --> 00:01:06,479
Conrey: It gives them a chance to think about

28
00:01:04,409 --> 00:01:08,070
what kind of job they might want.

29
00:01:06,479 --> 00:01:10,590
Not all the jobs are the same: there are

30
00:01:08,070 --> 00:01:13,040
research positions that really focus on having

31
00:01:10,590 --> 00:01:16,439
a large output of research.  There are other

32
00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:18,990
positions that balance more teaching and

33
00:01:16,439 --> 00:01:20,549
committee work and advising students and

34
00:01:18,990 --> 00:01:22,950
working with students - especially undergraduates.

35
00:01:20,549 --> 00:01:24,570
Morrison: What we are really doing here

36
00:01:22,950 --> 00:01:26,640
is pulling back the curtain on the

37
00:01:24,570 --> 00:01:30,299
hiring process.

38
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:32,250
Conrey: For those three days the postdocs are focused

39
00:01:30,299 --> 00:01:34,470
entirely on how to make a good research statement,

40
00:01:32,250 --> 00:01:38,009
a good teaching statement, how to give

41
00:01:34,470 --> 00:01:40,500
a good research talk and teaching talk and

42
00:01:38,009 --> 00:01:43,020
what things to look for in an interview.

43
00:01:40,500 --> 00:01:45,270
Morrison:  We have experienced faculty.  We have four

44
00:01:43,020 --> 00:01:48,420
facilitators who are each working with

45
00:01:45,270 --> 00:01:50,189
three or four of the postdocs.

46
00:01:48,420 --> 00:01:52,710
Conrey: It's so easy to write your research statement

47
00:01:50,189 --> 00:01:55,380
where you are lost in technical

48
00:01:52,710 --> 00:01:58,560
jargon after one paragraph or

49
00:01:55,380 --> 00:02:00,750
even one or two sentences.  Being able

50
00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,850
to write and communicate about what it

51
00:02:00,750 --> 00:02:04,860
is you're trying to do, in a way that

52
00:02:02,850 --> 00:02:06,780
even the general public can understand.

53
00:02:04,860 --> 00:02:08,910
I think is really important.  It's easy for

54
00:02:06,780 --> 00:02:11,459
Barcelo: It's easy for us to write technical

55
00:02:08,910 --> 00:02:12,510
mathematics, but to present our work in a way

56
00:02:11,459 --> 00:02:16,470
that's digestible to a nonexpert,

57
00:02:12,510 --> 00:02:18,629
it's important.

58
00:02:16,470 --> 00:02:20,159
Since it's hands on, they do improve their CV,

59
00:02:18,629 --> 00:02:22,019
they do improve their research statement,

60
00:02:20,159 --> 00:02:24,180
they do improve their teaching statement.

61
00:02:22,019 --> 00:02:26,970
Conrey: Right, and the statements are read by somebody

62
00:02:24,180 --> 00:02:29,760
who doesn't know the students ahead of time.

63
00:02:26,970 --> 00:02:32,760
Barcelo: Yes, I think it's very valuable

64
00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:35,250
to get input, indeed from people

65
00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,750
that you do not know and therefore you

66
00:02:35,250 --> 00:02:39,720
are more careful - you listen more

67
00:02:36,750 --> 00:02:41,609
attentively to the critiques.

68
00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,349
It's important that also some of them are not

69
00:02:41,609 --> 00:02:45,690
in your area so they can give you a

70
00:02:43,349 --> 00:02:48,120
different perspective than someone that

71
00:02:45,690 --> 00:02:50,790
can maybe correct your research

72
00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:53,370
statement in terms of the mathematics,

73
00:02:50,790 --> 00:02:56,099
but may not give you as good advice as

74
00:02:53,370 --> 00:03:01,890
someone that's done that for many years

75
00:02:56,099 --> 00:03:10,349
and reviewed thousands of applications.

76
00:03:01,890 --> 00:03:10,349
[Music]