I’ve been associated with the job-hunting pro-
cess from most angles for the past 40 years. I don’t
Q2
: Which employers would be
delighted to have me on
apply for jobs anymore, but I still write in support
their faculty or staff?
of people looking for jobs, sit on hiring commit-
Call the answer here List 2.
tees, go to job talks, meet job applicants, and eat
Now, let’s think about the lists and their possi-
job dinners. To me, the most striking aspects of
ble overlaps. I’ve already argued that List 1 should
the whole process are that so many job hunters
not be empty, but what about List 2? If it is
are using the market strategy, that they send out
empty, perhaps you haven’t thought hard enough
so many applications, and that so many get inter-
about the options open to you or fully explored
viewed at each place.
the places that might employ you. (I’m assuming
My informal estimate is that more than 90% of job
times are normal, by which I mean the absence
hunters are using the market strategy (perhaps more
of some common cause that might lead to there
than 95%), that the number of applications sent out
being few jobs overall, such as a deep national
averages 10–20 (or more), and that the number inter-
recession. In normal times, a high proportion of
viewed for each job averages six or more. Of course,
people with new PhDs in probability and statistics
all these figures are intimately connected. I think this
find employment.) Or, perhaps you’re being far
leads to many suboptimal placements.
too modest about your abilities. The job market is
My modest proposal is not as striking as Jonathan
no place for displays of false modesty. Where have
Swift’s from 1729, but I am guessing it is no more
people completing PhDs from your university
likely to gain widespread support. It is that more of
gone in the past? What do your advisor and other
you adopt the individual strategy. Perhaps, in time,
referees think? Is it possible that between everyone,
those who do can change the way things are done,
you cannot come up with a place that would be
something I believe will benefit all involved.
delighted to employ you? If so, that should be a
How might an individual strategy work? For a
serious worry for all concerned.
start, it requires you to know the answer to a few
If there is some overlap between lists, I’ll
simple questions. I have found that many people
Terry Speed splits his
declare you well-calibrated and ask you to move time between being a
answer “Where would you like to work?” with
to the next stage. (I understand we haven’t let the
statistics professor at the
“The best possible place among those that will have
employers speak yet, so this is all in your mind so
university of California,
me.” This is not an answer to the question; it just Berkeley (January–May)
far. Please be patient.) If there is no overlap, then
tells me you are adopting the market strategy. So,
and being the head of
some recalibration is needed. You are in danger of
here’s a game we might play to get at the matter,
the biostatistics divi-
committing errors of the Groucho Marx kind: You
though in a better world, it should not be a game,
sion at the Walter and
want to work at places you don’t think will take
Eliza Hall Institute of
but evidence of forethought, seriousness of intent,
you, and you don’t want to work at places that
Medical Research (June–
and having done your homework in this business of
you think will take you. The job market is not
December). He has been
job hunting. an editorial board mem-
a place where your reach should go beyond your
ber of the Journal of
grasp—you should aspire to work places where
Computational Biology,
this is a realistic prospect, if not a certainty. The Journal of the American
Q1
: Where Would I Immediately
best appointments are those where the job hunter
Statistical Association,
Accept a Job Offer?
is happy to have caught the job and the hunted is
and the Australian
and New Zealand
equally happy to have been caught.
That is, without thinking of other places that might
Journal of Statistics.
How do you arrange for List 1 and List 2 to
be better, without bargaining. Call this List 1. It
overlap—and that this is based on reality, not
should not be empty, otherwise what are you doing
just your imagination? I see two conditions that
applying for a job? (Note that I’m omitting refer-
need to apply. The first is that your research, and
ence to details such as salary, start-up funds, etc. If
teaching if relevant, must be up to the standard
these considerations preclude you from answering
expected at the places on List 1. Is it? If you can-
my question, please move on to another article.)
not assess with reasonable accuracy your chances
SEPTEMbER 2009 AMSTAT NEwS 35
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