The job market

(This is a break from the instanton-phobia sequence.  That will resume soon.)

Since we are getting into the academic job market season, it maybe seemed appropriate to have a quick post about this before I move to MSRI for the fall.  Some of this is more for people going on the market in a future cycle.  I would like to have some more posts on this as well. 

@Mentors: Hopefully, at the beginning of working with your mentee, you asked them what type of position they want, and geared your mentorship towards helping them achieve that.  That's great!  Now's a good chance to ask if you haven't.  Don't forget to check in with them every year or so if this has changed.  Sometimes students come to love research more than they thought, some develop despise for academia, find a calling for teaching, or have a personal reason suddenly necessitate a geographic constraint.  These things change, it's ok, and it's helpful for everyone if you know this earlier rather than later.  Mentees don't always feel comfortable saying these things until it's too late, so make sure to talk with them about it.  

Sometimes a mentee's distribution of efforts does not seem commensurate with the track they are on, e.g. you think they are spending too much time on teaching or too much time on a project you think will not pay off.  My current opinion is that it is ok to let them know what the expectations are for their current position and the type of positions they want to apply for, but that it is their choice for how they focus their mathematical efforts.  I know that this can be difficult if you think their optimal strategy should be to get to a higher position first and then enact their plans, but it is ultimately their choice.  (Of course, it is not ok for them to just abdicate the general responsibilities of the position.)

@Mentees: Here are some quick tidbits that come to mind.  

- Your advisor may not know about all aspects of the job market, so make sure to seek out advice from others as well.  They might really only know about positions for one type of position.  For example, if you want a teaching-focused position, your materials and focus should look different than for research postdocs; it might be beneficial to ask someone else in your department or in your other spheres for help with preparing those applications.  

- You don't owe anyone and you don't have to accept an offer.  It's more important you are happy than for a department or advisor to get something they want.  There will be other people after you, but your happiness cannot be as easily replaced.          

- If you need a teaching letter, ask the person writing it to observe your teaching.  (This is not as relevant for certain research postdocs.)  

- It can look good to have your own funding as a postdoc (e.g. NSF grants, AMS-Simons travel grants, etc.)  Even if you do not get one, applying will be useful for laying a blueprint for a research statement and also helps get your name out in the community.

- Submit your applications on time.  Sometimes it takes a little before the committees get going, but a list can get culled quickly and late additions often don't get as serious of a lookover, if at all.  (It's still better to submit late than not at all.)

- Members of hiring committees have very different opinions and weights for what is important.  If you are a postdoc with 20 Annals papers, but never taught or did service, I probably would not support your file.  Others might kill for such a candidate.  Some care a lot about the research statement, while I don't get much out of most of them.  I like reading in letters how great a departmental citizen someone is.   I'm not sure what my advice is here, but just know that the "right" or "best" application isn't a one-size-fits-all situation.  This is probably for the best.  I think it is most enjoyable to end up at an institution where you feel supported doing the activities you care about, not where 50% of the department doesn't think you should be there.