Week 3 of the RGK Center fellowship has come and gone. The time here in Austin has gone by so fast. I'm really going to miss being around all of the friends that I've met out here. Every day I feel like I'm learning so much more about the nonprofit sector.
No.
Retract that.
Every day I feel like I'm learning so much more about academia and research in general. In 3 weeks I have learned more from Dr. Frumkin (the director of the RGK Center and also the director of this fellowship program) and the 6 other doctoral students than I could have ever learned in a semester of taking a course.
This 3rd week of the program was primarily focused on individual research and writing. We had a lot of time to work on our papers. But, we did manage to get out a bit and do some sight seeing in Austin!
Dr. Frumkin also held a session on career advice. And, MAN O' MAN were all of the doctoral students listening! Every pen in the room was moving about a mile a minute. (No kidding!)
I can't cover everything that we discussed during our two hour session, but I will provide an overview of the areas that Dr. Fumkin addressed.
1.) The dissertation: There has to be a "sparkle" to your dissertation... something that is attention getting and that will make you stand out. Don't underestimate the power of the dissertation topic!We also continued our discussion through out the week and we really got so much advice about the dissertation process (a phase that many of us are now upon), funding opportunities, and dissertation competition time lines.
2.) The adviser: Have an adviser that believes in you. There are four different combinations of advisers: helpful, low reputation; not helpful, low reputation; helpful, high reputation; not helpful, high reputation. Ideally, you want someone who's helpful, high reputation. If you can't get that then go for either not helpful, high reputation or helpful, low reputation. However, you don't want an adviser who is not helpful and has a low reputation.
3.) The job talk: Have something that's interesting! You want to stand out. Practice delivering it many times!
4.) Publications: Get at least one publication accepted while you're still in graduate school.
5.) Interviews: Don't underestimate the power of personality. It matters ALOT!
6.) Negotiating: Once you are offered the job, probe (but ever so gently) to see if there are other resources available to you (e.g., summer salary support, research support, etc.)
7.) Managing research: You have to be good at managing ideas in order to be good at research. So have a production system and be able to handle multiple projects at once. Don't put all of your eggs into one basket.
8.) Collaboration: It's good to have a mix of solo projects and collaborations. But, don't let collaboration be all that you do. Find a collaborator who compliments your strengths.
9.) Funding: Getting money is an art. Find funders who share your interests.
10.) Rejections: Your research will be rejected.
11.) Reputations: You're promoted based on reputation. You have to have a reputation for doing interesting work.
12.) Teaching: Balance between teaching and research. Teaching brings fresh ideas, but you don't want it to consume your time.
13.) Service: If you're going to do service work then make sure you do it well.
14.) Tenure: A critical thing that you want to work for. However, strive for normality on your road to obtaining it.
I am so thankful to be a part of such an amazing fellowship opportunity!
2 comments:
Those 14 points you just made are sooooo powerful. The one on "advisors" struck home for me because of what I went through selecting the "right" advisor. A PhD program is much more than academic it can be a very political process.
Leon,
I'm glad that the points were able to be of use! Selecting the "right" advisor is definitely a political process! Dr. Frumkin is VERY smart and the fellowship is so amazing. If you don't graduate in the next year I hope you will apply. He's creative and intelligent yet pragmatic and strategic. I know very few fellowships like the RGK program.
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