GETTING A JOB AT A

RESEARCH SCHOOL

Joanne’s Top 10 Tips

GETTING A JOB AT A

RESEARCH SCHOOL

Joanne’s Top 10 Tips

JOANNE OXLEYRotman School of Management

University of Toronto

JOANNE OXLEYRotman School of Management

University of Toronto

1 – Do Good Work!1 – Do Good Work!

Develop a topic / question / context /debate that you really care about

Remember that the goal is deep understanding, not just getting the “right” answer

LISTEN to and HEAR feedback – check back to make sure you got it

Engage in the conversation

2 – Remember that it’s YOUR job2 – Remember that it’s YOUR job

Reflect on your own priorities

Seek information from faculty, former students, your own cohort

Cast a wide net in the first instance – would you take this job over unemployment?

Develop a short list of “dream jobs” for focused attention

3 – Optimize your packet3 – Optimize your packet

Work, rework and polish your dissertation summary – this is the written equivalent of your “elevator speech”

Energize your letter writers (see Tip #1!)

Don’t put anything on your CV that you cannot discuss coherently (or ideally that you are keen to share)

4 – Leverage your network4 – Leverage your network

See Tip #1 – if you’ve been doing good work you’ll already have a network!

Don’t be afraid to contact people or send a packet even if you haven’t seen a job announcement – enlist your advisors if possible

5 – Preparing for your job talk and interviews5 – Preparing for your job talk and interviews

Practice, practice, practice

Don’t forget your elevator speech (30 second, 2-minute, 5-minute versions)

Do your homework – look up news about school and backgrounds / interests of all faculty on your schedule – look for common ground – be curious!

Follow up – thank you notes, scholarly exchanges

6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – Do Good Work!6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – Do Good Work!