Analisis : Pendidikan

Salamun'alaik

Petikan daripada saifulislam.com.

Sedangkan Socrates berjuang bermati-matian untuk memberitahu masyarakat Athens bahawa matlamat pendidikan adalah untuk menyempurnakan watak seorang manusia, memulihkan akal agar terguna secara bijaksana dan melatih murid-murid agar berdialektik dan tidak kekok mengemukakan soalan dalam mencari kefahaman.

i. Menyempurnakan watak seorang manusia.

ii. Memulihkan akal agar terguna secara bijaksana.

iii. Melatih murid-murid agar berdialektik dan tidak kekok mengemukakan soalan dalam mencari kefahaman.

A list of books on finding an academic job

Following are some books I read and found helpful on search for an academic job:

• Cracking the Academia Nut: A Guide to Preparing for Your Academic Career by Margaret L. Newhouse, Ph.D. © 1997, paperback, 173 pages Office of Career Services, Harvard University
• Written by former director of Harvard University Office of Career Office, this nice little book provides guidance from the early stage as a graduate student to the first years as a junior professor. It also includes sample CVs and cover letters. Not exactly targeted for students in engineering field, but the general advice is still valuable. It seems out-of-print on Amazon, but you can purchase from Harvard University Office of Career Office for $15.00($5.00 for Harvard College/GSAS students and alumni) (617) 495-2595.

• Tomorrow's Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering by Richard M. Reis, Stanford University New York : IEEE Press, c1997. (Thanks Ting Zhu to bring this book to my attention)
  
  • Well-targeted for applicants in science and engineering. Concise structure and writing make reading pleasant. Case examples of real applicants are another shining point of this book. $11.53 on Amazon.com.

• The Chicago Guide to Your Academic Career: A Portable Mentor for Scholars From Graduate School Through Tenure, by John Goldsmith, John Komlos, and Penny Schine Gold (University of Chicago Press, 2001)
  • A panel conversation style book by three professors somewhat associated with the University of Chicago. The book is not well-organized but includes some helpful hints. If you're very short in time, you may skip this one.

This list is by no means complete, and you should use it with caution (for example, see here for a critics on the Chicago book).

Comments on the above books and/or recommendation of more references are welcome.

Copy paste from iMechanica

Looking for a job in academia?

Finding an academic job is like finding a perfect match. Universities advertise openings, you choose a list of places to apply. Nowadays an opening can easily attract hundreds of applicants, of which several are invited for on-campus interview. When the whole process is over, there might be a perfect match between you and a department (Congratulations!), while sometimes there is not.

I have just served on an advising panel in my department recently. The panel aimed to advise graduate students and postdocs on how to secure a faculty job. The crying needs for advice reminded me of the same situation when I was looking for a job. So I'd like to bring this issue to iMechanica for discussion, for the benefit of our students -- future mechanicians.

Here are some of my own observations:

• Start to prepare as early as possible. The application process takes time and energy, so start early. Even at the early stage as a graduate student, you may want to start to explore what an academic job is like. For example, you may want to start from reading some background materials on academic job search (see a list of books in this comment).

• Talk to people for advice. Your advisor is of course your best choice for the following reasons: 1. She knows you the best, both your strength and weakness. Your advisor can more accurately position where you stand in the job market. 2. She was once in the same boat as you are now. You can get advice from a successful former applicant. 3. She must have served in faculty search committees. You can then get advice from the side of search committees. You may also talk to other faculty members for general advices.

• Take advantage of local career services. When I discovered and used such services from the Career Office in my previous institution, I was amazed how much I could benefit from them, and also was very surprised how poor such excellent services were used by job applicants. A series of workshops addressing different issues along the application process make you feel more confident. A career advisor who has reviewed thousands of CVs can definitely improve yours (which is very critical. Think about how to stand out of hundreds of applications!) So go search your institution for career services and make best use of them.

If you are looking for an academic job, please feel free to comment and ask questions. More experienced mechanicians might be happy to share their thoughts and experience.

Copy paste from iMechanica