Faculty advisor/ graduate student relationship "fit"....

I recently talked with a PhD student, in his fourth year, to try and grasp the "advisor/student" relationship in graduate school.  When applying to a graduate program, the admissions office looks at GPA, GRE scores, work experience, research experience, and how well YOU "fit" into the program.  Throughout the PhD program, students work on research with an assigned advisor that shares similar research interests with the student.  From informational interviews I've conducted, the degree of "fitness" between the student and advisor has a significant influence on, not only admission to the program, but to the success (burnout, motivation, satsifaction, etc.) of the student.  This seems to be a grey area for potential students applying to such programs, as none of this information is online.  Sure, you can scroll through the different interests listed under the faculty page on the universities website but their interests are usually vague and do they really reflect the current interests of the faculty advisors?  Some common themes I have heard from interviews with PhD students is that advisor interests change, just like everyone's interests change.  Another theme is that programs can change rapidly.  Don't believe the U.S. news statistical ranking for your program because the senior faculty member might have left that very year, resulting in new faculty and a reorganization of the structure.  Who knows what the current culture, research opportunities, and applied opportunities are at your  potential program?  The current students.  I submit that as you prepare to apply to graduate programs, do your research online and then call or email some current students.  Reach out to them and get them on the phone so you can ask them hard questions like "What don't you like about the program?" and "What kind of applied/research opportunities are there" or "What companies are you interning for?" so you can get real answers to your questions (emails can be misleading).  From what I have gathered, most of the applied/research opportunities exist because of a relationship that someone (i.e. school itself, a particular advisor, alumni, etc.) has with the company and you should be asking if that relationship will exist when you get there.  The last thing you want to walk into is a 4 year commitment with an advisor that isn't interested in your research or who doesn't have connections/network that will help get you on your desired career path.

Some additional helpful material here: http://heibeck.freeshell.org/Grad_Advice/how2b/how.2b.html

The job search....

Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”  If you have been using the same tactics to network, get interviews, and find a job AND you are still jobless…..it’s time to change your strategy. 

Start with your “introductory tool”: your resume.  While reviewing your resume, you need to remember that it is JUST a tool; it doesn’t sell you, it just tells you.  Keep it brief.  Stay away from “resume clichés”.  Everything you write should have a purpose; after reading each sentence, consider what the interviewer will perceive from that sentence.  Get it peer reviewed; have professional and creative individuals you are familiar with review it and give you feedback on, not only, how to improve it but if they think it “fits” you and what they perceive from reading it.

                If you are getting first interviews, but no call backs, don’t be afraid to ask them why.  Be assertive and call them and ask.  It won’t hurt your standing with them because let’s face it…they didn’t want you.  At least you can get feedback, improve, and change to be better prepared for the next company you interview with.  The problem might not have been you but may have been your references; review who they are.  How long has it been since you contacted them?  How did you leave the company? You always have to consider outside perspectives; you can’t know what mood, attitude, etc. your references are going to be in when they get a call from your perspective employer, so use professional, reliable references.

                The thing is that there are so many factors that have contributed to you being jobless right now.  The faster you can identify them, and change, the better your chances for job success will be.  Read, talk to people, join discussion groups, find out what you are doing wrong, and change.  You can find a job.  Just remember, if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.  Change and adapt. 

Here is a start:

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/09/why_you_still_havent_gotten_a.html#disqus_thread

http://newgradlife.blogspot.com/

Succeeding from failure...

Brilliant article.  This is a fantastic idea that takes a "societal negative" and views it in a positive way that will benefit, not only ourselves, but our organization.  I thought it was interesting that he stated that a person who has  a "tendency to dodge direct questions with a Miss America-style answer may indeed be a great asset to someone else's company, but it's not a great fit for success at mine."  This is a completely unorthodox way of thinking; most executives seek that perfect employee who doesn't fail and produces the desired results.  Understanding this concept and creating an atmosphere where our employees can admit failure and teach others' the lessons they learned will create a culture within our organization that will facilitate a great deal of efficiency and progression.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/12/why_i_hire_people_who_fail.html