Questions tagged [job]

On the duties, responsibilities, titles, and benefits associated with an academic job. (For questions on searching for an academic job, use 'job-search' instead.)

According to Business Dictionary:

A group of homogeneous tasks related by similarity of functions. When performed by an employee in an exchange for pay, a job consists of duties, responsibilities, and tasks (performance elements) that are (1) defined and specific, and (2) can be accomplished, quantified, measured, and rated. From a wider perspective, a job is synonymous with a role and includes the physical and social aspects of a work environment. Often, individuals identify themselves with their job or role (foreman, supervisor, engineer, etc.) and derive motivation from its uniqueness or usefulness.

See also the Dictionary.com definition:

a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price.

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As a new faculty member, how do I avoid the Peter Principle?

Quoth the Wikipedia: "The Peter Principle is a proposition that states that the members of an organization where promotion is based on achievement, success, and merit will eventually be promoted beyond their level of ability. The principle is…
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Is it reasonable to request to temporarily keep a laptop after a postdoc contract has finished?

I am a postdoc whose contract has finished, and I am in the process of applying for industry jobs. However, I have multiple papers making their way through the submission and review process. My institution is demanding my laptop back, but I don't…
Aca Demic
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Research "employment" options for students graduating midyear?

Some students, particularly in the US, face the dilemma of graduating at the end of a fall semester or quarter, but then have the prospect of not having a PhD position start until the following fall. For students for whom working would be an…
aeismail
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Email a department head as student recommending a professor for a tenure position

I’m an undergrad student at a small liberal arts school, and while communicating with a professor whom I’ve had a course with, they mentioned they are applying for a tenure position in the department I am majoring in. Is it appropriate for me to…
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Navigating the Thorny Issue of Receiving Job Offers While in a PhD Program

Question I'm wondering about people's experiences with navigating job offers while pursuing a Ph.D. How did you make the decision to stay or leave? If you left, how did you break the news? Were you satisfied with the decision you made? Context I'm…
bfoste01
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What's my job title?

I'm currently a graduate student that conducts the labs for a statistics course. The labs themselves only form a part of the course and the other part consists of lectures where they get a theoretical background of the subject. I'm not sure what I…
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When you get paid to do research, but you're not a graduate student/PI, is it mandatory to put in extra time?

When I was an undergraduate student volunteering in laboratories, I recall times where I would come in on weekends to work on plating cells, running experiments, etc. This was something I did on my own accord because I was getting professional…
John F
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If I don't get a job but am told I'm the second-choice candidate, is it reasonable to think I am indeed the second choice candidate?

Inspired by Dave L Renfro's answer here and Interpreting the statement "We received an extremely strong pool of applications this year." in US grad school decision letters If I apply for a postdoc (or tenure-track, etc.) position, fail to get the…
Allure
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Details to include on the cover letter for sourcing part-time tutoring/marking positions

Many universities have a job section and invite prospective applicants to submit their CVs that (as I understand) are placed in a database and sourced if a part/time tutoring or marking role comes up. The database (as I understand) is searchable.…
Javeer Baker
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What do I write on my CV when I was not affiliated?

I had a six month period between two jobs (I already had the offer), in which I was not affiliated with any institution. The reason was an urgent surgical operation. In these months I still did (without a contract ) research with my alma mater…
Diazepam
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What are job regulations for early career researchers in US compared to Germany?

In Germany, the job of a scientist for the public sector is regulated in a way that on time limited contracts which are the general case you can work at most 6 years before achieving your PhD and at most 6 after it …
J. Doe
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How is my position named?

My advisor is responsible for assigning teachers to conducting excercises to lectures. Since there is a lot of students (and groups) sometimes last year students help by taking excercises in some groups. For the past 5 months I've been employed by…
Mike
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Applying for two position at the same department

There are two advertised positions at one department. The department is approx. 30 people. So it is not a large institution where my two applications would be "lost". I am sure if I apply for both positions it will end up at the same…
user3624251
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PhD in Quantum Computing - useful outside of academia?

I'm thinking of applying for a PhD in Quantum Computing at Oxford. Suppose I later on decided that academia wasn't right for me. Would such a title still be useful for looking for jobs in different fields or would it be a waste of 3 years that would…
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In choosing a postdoc, how should I prioritize mentorship versus research opportunity?

I am an experimental physicist looking for postdocs in applied physics and materials science. In choosing groups to inquire about a position, I am trying to determine how to prioritize potential mentorship versus potential research opportunity. I…
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