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Quickmick

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  1. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from 38379879379 in Very Worried:: Is My Application Competitive Enough (low GPA)   
    Just a couple of observations, I hope they help a little. 
    For the GPA; from your description it sounds like it has been trending down (from Dean's list to here). I might speak to it; mine did the reverse and I didn't discuss it. It might put to rest any concerns this trend raises; if there is a personal statement maybe address it there. 
    Regarding the school list, I would suggest you consider taking a different approach. Graduate school is all about fit (and if you get niche specialization, all of your future jobs will be about fit). How do you fit with them and how do they fit with you. I would define exactly (or as close to it as you can) what you want to study/what questions you would like to probe, then look for scholars who are working on the same thing. From that list you can derive your school list and determine where you have a reasonable chance of applying. I reached out to every professor I was interested in working with before I applied.
    I think you will find success, though the GPA may be an impediment to top tier schools.
    good luck
    QM
  2. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from serpentstone in Very Worried:: Is My Application Competitive Enough (low GPA)   
    Just a couple of observations, I hope they help a little. 
    For the GPA; from your description it sounds like it has been trending down (from Dean's list to here). I might speak to it; mine did the reverse and I didn't discuss it. It might put to rest any concerns this trend raises; if there is a personal statement maybe address it there. 
    Regarding the school list, I would suggest you consider taking a different approach. Graduate school is all about fit (and if you get niche specialization, all of your future jobs will be about fit). How do you fit with them and how do they fit with you. I would define exactly (or as close to it as you can) what you want to study/what questions you would like to probe, then look for scholars who are working on the same thing. From that list you can derive your school list and determine where you have a reasonable chance of applying. I reached out to every professor I was interested in working with before I applied.
    I think you will find success, though the GPA may be an impediment to top tier schools.
    good luck
    QM
  3. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from bh1ge3u1hqwdjb in Demonstrated Interest for PhD Applications   
    MS was at the admissions level (unless faculty went out of their way to step in). PhD was the chat board/vote.
  4. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Dov3 in Very Worried:: Is My Application Competitive Enough (low GPA)   
    Just a couple of observations, I hope they help a little. 
    For the GPA; from your description it sounds like it has been trending down (from Dean's list to here). I might speak to it; mine did the reverse and I didn't discuss it. It might put to rest any concerns this trend raises; if there is a personal statement maybe address it there. 
    Regarding the school list, I would suggest you consider taking a different approach. Graduate school is all about fit (and if you get niche specialization, all of your future jobs will be about fit). How do you fit with them and how do they fit with you. I would define exactly (or as close to it as you can) what you want to study/what questions you would like to probe, then look for scholars who are working on the same thing. From that list you can derive your school list and determine where you have a reasonable chance of applying. I reached out to every professor I was interested in working with before I applied.
    I think you will find success, though the GPA may be an impediment to top tier schools.
    good luck
    QM
  5. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Beals in living the dream: tough but possible (interview process)   
    Hello GC!
    Hope you are all doing well. I wanted to share the process I went though to land what appears to be the ideal job for me. I graduated in the spring and was working on a post-doc with a pending promotion to the research track. I applied to a few faculty positions (1 no, 2 no word yet, but likely no) and knew my materials were compelling, but with publications in review I was not top tier. I was doing exciting work that I enjoyed and the future was bright; the main issue I had was the salary structure. As a non-traditional student I have 20 years of practical experience. So, I see myself as a mid-career professional who happened to get a research degree to leverage my experience into a niche application. For pay purposes, the system wanted to value me as a recent graduate and it just wasn't aligned with what I thought my value should be. 
    I was forwarded a job posting with an NGO in a leadership position directly aligned with my values and in a space that would allow me to apply and operationalize my research and the qualifications they wanted were a near exact match to my combined private sector/academic background so I applied. During my graduate work I realized that part of the process was meant to broaden my horizon and that maybe I shouldn't be too tied to the tenure track dream, as being overly focused on one outcome might stifle my ability to see other opportunities. This is a very specific role in hyper-focused boutique organization and the posting still attracted about 80 applicants. From the 80, 70 were culled before having the opportunity to speak with anyone. Translation: your materials need to be perfect and on point. First round interview took 10 to 6 and was with the recruiter. Second round 6 to 3 and third round 3 to the finalists; at this point I am pretty sure I was the only finalist remaining for the fourth round. I was offered and accepted the job. The process is emotionally taxing and difficult, but getting the result you want is possible. At the final table everyone one is uber-qualified so I tried (much as with grad school applications) to focus on fit. The other piece I tried to stress revolved around soft skills (creativity, communication, emotional IQ) as I hoped those could set me apart.
    Thought I would share the process in case it helps someone gearing up for it. If you have specific questions you can message me. Take care, the role you belong in does exist and is attainable, but you might have to really search for it and when it comes along, go all-in to get it. 
    Best,
    QM
  6. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from MCH_Hopeful_2021 in living the dream: tough but possible (interview process)   
    Hello GC!
    Hope you are all doing well. I wanted to share the process I went though to land what appears to be the ideal job for me. I graduated in the spring and was working on a post-doc with a pending promotion to the research track. I applied to a few faculty positions (1 no, 2 no word yet, but likely no) and knew my materials were compelling, but with publications in review I was not top tier. I was doing exciting work that I enjoyed and the future was bright; the main issue I had was the salary structure. As a non-traditional student I have 20 years of practical experience. So, I see myself as a mid-career professional who happened to get a research degree to leverage my experience into a niche application. For pay purposes, the system wanted to value me as a recent graduate and it just wasn't aligned with what I thought my value should be. 
    I was forwarded a job posting with an NGO in a leadership position directly aligned with my values and in a space that would allow me to apply and operationalize my research and the qualifications they wanted were a near exact match to my combined private sector/academic background so I applied. During my graduate work I realized that part of the process was meant to broaden my horizon and that maybe I shouldn't be too tied to the tenure track dream, as being overly focused on one outcome might stifle my ability to see other opportunities. This is a very specific role in hyper-focused boutique organization and the posting still attracted about 80 applicants. From the 80, 70 were culled before having the opportunity to speak with anyone. Translation: your materials need to be perfect and on point. First round interview took 10 to 6 and was with the recruiter. Second round 6 to 3 and third round 3 to the finalists; at this point I am pretty sure I was the only finalist remaining for the fourth round. I was offered and accepted the job. The process is emotionally taxing and difficult, but getting the result you want is possible. At the final table everyone one is uber-qualified so I tried (much as with grad school applications) to focus on fit. The other piece I tried to stress revolved around soft skills (creativity, communication, emotional IQ) as I hoped those could set me apart.
    Thought I would share the process in case it helps someone gearing up for it. If you have specific questions you can message me. Take care, the role you belong in does exist and is attainable, but you might have to really search for it and when it comes along, go all-in to get it. 
    Best,
    QM
  7. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from milara in Placing into traditional department with interdisciplinary PhD?   
    This is a great topic. I earned my doctorate in a STEM field that is designed to be interdisciplinary; I have quant training (R), ArcGIS, policy, sustainability econ, etc. While this makes great thinkers, these qualifications are difficult to place squarely in one field. In this case, your path will be determined in many ways by what you focused most on, what you write papers about, and what you present. That being said, it feels like the tower understands the importance of well rounded thinkers,but isn't so sure what to do with them once they have been forged. The flip side, as @milara does a great job describing, is that you might be in position to make novel trans-disciplinary contributions to one or more fields, though it might be hard to get people to be willing to take the intellectual risk on the idea. For what its worth, the majority of people that have gone through my program end up doing agency/NGO/consulting/quant work or stay in the academy as career track researchers; but that is partly a function of individual choices and the difficult academic job market generally. For academic postings, I looked for positions that clearly valued the interdisciplinary approach but that had specificity aligned with my strongest suits.
    I don't know if this adds much clarity to your situation, but I hope it illustrates that you are not alone and that there is hope!
     
  8. Like
    Quickmick reacted to milara in Placing into traditional department with interdisciplinary PhD?   
    Hi @jujubea! I'm wondering if you have any insight to add.

    Here's what I can say, in case @sentinell is still interested in an answer. I have an interdisciplinary doctorate in computer science/communication studies. My undergraduate degree was in Physics and my masters in Journalism. Although my program only required that I pass 3/4 of each qualifying exam, I sat the whole computer science qualifying exam and passed on my first try. All of my publications were in computer science venues, all but one class I TA'd were computer science classes, and my lab/advisor was populated completely with computer scientists. My advisor did not have an joint appointment -- his only appointment was in the Computer Science department.
    I have landed interviews for postdocs in both disciplines. The postdoc I ended up accepting was in the area of online political communication, on a project that was heavily using computational methods. I chose it because I felt I wanted to improve social science skills that had been neglected as a doctoral student.

    I have also managed to get a few interviews for assistant professorships in both disciplines. What I've found is that the communication studies people really value my computer science background. They see it as an asset. The computer scientists, on the other hand, only seem to invite me for interviews for appointments that are specifically interdisciplinary (such as in the area of Ethical AI). When they interview me, they ask a lot of questions that make it sound to me like they are trying to determine: am I really a CS person or a social science person? Despite the fact that my entire doctoral career was heavily skewed towards the computational, my years working as a journalist, the interdisciplinary nature of the program I chose, and the fact that I took a postdoc in a Comm Studies department seems to convince them that I am not One Of Them.

    I would say that your own experience as an interdisciplinary researcher will depend on the disciplines you combined, and whether you published in all of your disciplines, or just one. But I think everyone's experience will be different.
  9. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Faith786 in Congratulations Dr.   
    Hello all. Yesterday was eventful, I successfully defended my dissertation! It is a bit surreal as you spend so much time getting ready that when it happens it is kind of an odd sensation. There are not a lot of milestones in life that only happen once and this is certainly one of them. I know a lot of you are at the beginning of this journey so thought I would share a few things that seemed to help me on the way. While you need some smarts and great ideas, this degree is generally one of perseverance.
    Try to be humble and keep an attitude that is full of gratitude.
    Play well with others, but be assertive as needed.
    You can't say thank you too many times.
    This time can be filled with professional growth and personal growth.
    When you speak, remember that many are listening and most of those are willing to share what you say.
    You will probably have to leave your comfort zone.
    "I don't know," is never a wrong answer.
    Have fun.
    Don't let a bad day color your week or a bad week color your month, this is a long haul so keep your eye on the prize. I have really enjoyed being a part of the Gradcafe community so hope this helps one of you. For me, things don't change much; I will be taking care of some edits ahead of a May graduation then will keep showing up to work as funding has been secured for me to operationalize my research. I hope you have good luck and find what you are looking for.
    Take care,
    QM
     
     
     
     
  10. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Faith786 in Database for post docs (social science)   
    I keep an eye on this:
    https://www.higheredjobs.com
     
  11. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from good luck out there! in Congratulations Dr.   
    Hello all. Yesterday was eventful, I successfully defended my dissertation! It is a bit surreal as you spend so much time getting ready that when it happens it is kind of an odd sensation. There are not a lot of milestones in life that only happen once and this is certainly one of them. I know a lot of you are at the beginning of this journey so thought I would share a few things that seemed to help me on the way. While you need some smarts and great ideas, this degree is generally one of perseverance.
    Try to be humble and keep an attitude that is full of gratitude.
    Play well with others, but be assertive as needed.
    You can't say thank you too many times.
    This time can be filled with professional growth and personal growth.
    When you speak, remember that many are listening and most of those are willing to share what you say.
    You will probably have to leave your comfort zone.
    "I don't know," is never a wrong answer.
    Have fun.
    Don't let a bad day color your week or a bad week color your month, this is a long haul so keep your eye on the prize. I have really enjoyed being a part of the Gradcafe community so hope this helps one of you. For me, things don't change much; I will be taking care of some edits ahead of a May graduation then will keep showing up to work as funding has been secured for me to operationalize my research. I hope you have good luck and find what you are looking for.
    Take care,
    QM
     
     
     
     
  12. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Adelaide9216 in Congratulations Dr.   
    Hello all. Yesterday was eventful, I successfully defended my dissertation! It is a bit surreal as you spend so much time getting ready that when it happens it is kind of an odd sensation. There are not a lot of milestones in life that only happen once and this is certainly one of them. I know a lot of you are at the beginning of this journey so thought I would share a few things that seemed to help me on the way. While you need some smarts and great ideas, this degree is generally one of perseverance.
    Try to be humble and keep an attitude that is full of gratitude.
    Play well with others, but be assertive as needed.
    You can't say thank you too many times.
    This time can be filled with professional growth and personal growth.
    When you speak, remember that many are listening and most of those are willing to share what you say.
    You will probably have to leave your comfort zone.
    "I don't know," is never a wrong answer.
    Have fun.
    Don't let a bad day color your week or a bad week color your month, this is a long haul so keep your eye on the prize. I have really enjoyed being a part of the Gradcafe community so hope this helps one of you. For me, things don't change much; I will be taking care of some edits ahead of a May graduation then will keep showing up to work as funding has been secured for me to operationalize my research. I hope you have good luck and find what you are looking for.
    Take care,
    QM
     
     
     
     
  13. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Faith786 in Higher ed salary data   
    Link to survey of salary data https://www.higheredjobs.com/salary/default.cfm?utm_source=09_17_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SalarySurveyJobSeekers
     
    Hope you find it helpful!
  14. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Faith786 in Coronavirus and academic job hiring for 20-21   
    Hello @purplepepper ! Before I had something secured I was searching for jobs fairly regularly. I may be confused, but if you are speaking of being hired to start in the fall of 2020, jobs started getting posting in the fall of 2019, and I saw many jobs offered in the Nov-Jan window. I would think that regardless of the virus, the timeline to interview and vet applicants would mean that many offers have already been extended. Just logistically, if I am considering moving for a faculty job, I would want to know in the spring if it was going to happen as I have to take steps to sell a house, pack, find a place to live, etc.
    My thinking is that with many institutions in a state of flux, increased levels of uncertainty, and recent market activity, we may see fewer professionals leaving the workplace or looking to move in the short term, which would tend to influence decisions made in 2020-21, thus impact 2021-2022 but this is only a guess.
    This article has some helpful information about the timelines generally : https://www.higheredjobs.com/articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=491
    Good luck I hope you find what you are looking for and if I am missing something please let me know, I think I might be confused, as the post title is hiring fo20-21 but then you say 'for next cycle,' which may mean 21-22?
    Q
     
  15. Upvote
    Quickmick reacted to DataCrusader in How to choose the right journals for publications   
    One quick way to choose is to see what journal you’re paper has cited most frequently - doesn’t always work but sometimes helps narrow the list down
  16. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from Sigaba in Was I wrong to help my professor   
    It sounds like she might be more upset about the "unpaid" part than the actual helping? I second the possibility of overreacting...
  17. Upvote
    Quickmick reacted to itheproofofstupidity in What Industry Jobs are Actually Out There for STEM PhDs?   
    I currently work in data science at a national financial services company and my colleagues come from diverse PhD backgrounds including applied math, statistics, operations research, microbiology, physics, and even non-traditionally-STEM fields like economics. I have often heard it joked that data science is the welfare career for STEM PhDs. It's a stable job with good benefits for STEM PhDs who don't want to work in academia. 
  18. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from NeilM in hip hip   
    After a challenging couple of weeks (written exams two weeks ago) I successfully completed the orals this morning and am pleased to share that I have passed my comps and am ABD.
     
    hip hip
     
    Basically, though, it just means I get to keep going to work!  
     
    Good luck everyone, hope you are well and your summer gets off to a good start.
     
    ~QM
     
  19. Like
    Quickmick got a reaction from Bmay80 in help!! are loans worth it for an amazing school??   
    Agree with @Bmay80 in terms of looking at an amortization calc. like this https://studentloanhero.com/calculators/student-loan-deferment-calculator/
    It is important to remember that you will be charged interest while you are in school, the only deferred part are the payments. So if you borrow 60k in three years you will owe 70k and will be on the hook for around 800$ a month for a decade. ouch. Also remember that at some point you might want to buy a house and your student loan debt counts against your DTI ratio so might be a deal breaker.
    good luck!
  20. Upvote
    Quickmick reacted to GeoDUDE! in Is there any good graduate school in Atmospheric Science in USA?   
    It depends on what you want to study in atmospheric science. 
    Among the best are Scripps, Woods Hole Joint Program, UC Irvine. University of Rhode Island and Uni Hawaii are also great programs. You will find that all earth science disciplines  are scattered across different departments due to the interdisciplinary  nature of the earth sciences. 
  21. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from laleph in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Hello all! I haven't been popping in, but thought I would update anyone interested on how it all shook out. I aimed very high with my history apps and did not get admitted. I tried (unsuccessfully) to make the case that my MS Environmental Science could help me contribute in a novel way to the study of Environmental History. It may not be that they didn't like the idea, but just not how I approached it. I will admit that there were a couple of other weak spots in my app.
    That being said, the adcomm at my MS institution unanimously voted to admit me to the PhD program were I will continue my work in Coastal and Marine System Science in Socio-Economics. This is a good fit, and this process has confirmed that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. The funding is great, my colleagues are noteworthy, and the time to degree is a lot shorter than if I 'restarted' in the humanities. History, it seems, will remain an avocation--although I think I might have an Environmental Anthro chapter in my dissertation.
    Generally things are good. My data came in and is showing some significant results, I presented it last week at a conference, and have submitted a draft for an early June defense. I will spend the summer getting it published, and the data set looks to be robust enough to warrant a second pub which should also go out the door late summer. Oh, and I am closing on a house next week!
    If I had it to do over I wouldn't change a thing. I put my best materials together and knew it was a long shot (for the types of programs I applied) going in, so have no regrets. I was walking into my research institute the other day and found myself thinking that I like every day more than the previous one...which is a cool place to be.
    I hope everyone is at peace with how the cycle worked out...good, bad, or ugly...and I wish you all the best moving forward.
     
  22. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from NoirFemme in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Hello all! I haven't been popping in, but thought I would update anyone interested on how it all shook out. I aimed very high with my history apps and did not get admitted. I tried (unsuccessfully) to make the case that my MS Environmental Science could help me contribute in a novel way to the study of Environmental History. It may not be that they didn't like the idea, but just not how I approached it. I will admit that there were a couple of other weak spots in my app.
    That being said, the adcomm at my MS institution unanimously voted to admit me to the PhD program were I will continue my work in Coastal and Marine System Science in Socio-Economics. This is a good fit, and this process has confirmed that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. The funding is great, my colleagues are noteworthy, and the time to degree is a lot shorter than if I 'restarted' in the humanities. History, it seems, will remain an avocation--although I think I might have an Environmental Anthro chapter in my dissertation.
    Generally things are good. My data came in and is showing some significant results, I presented it last week at a conference, and have submitted a draft for an early June defense. I will spend the summer getting it published, and the data set looks to be robust enough to warrant a second pub which should also go out the door late summer. Oh, and I am closing on a house next week!
    If I had it to do over I wouldn't change a thing. I put my best materials together and knew it was a long shot (for the types of programs I applied) going in, so have no regrets. I was walking into my research institute the other day and found myself thinking that I like every day more than the previous one...which is a cool place to be.
    I hope everyone is at peace with how the cycle worked out...good, bad, or ugly...and I wish you all the best moving forward.
     
  23. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from museum_geek in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Hello all! I haven't been popping in, but thought I would update anyone interested on how it all shook out. I aimed very high with my history apps and did not get admitted. I tried (unsuccessfully) to make the case that my MS Environmental Science could help me contribute in a novel way to the study of Environmental History. It may not be that they didn't like the idea, but just not how I approached it. I will admit that there were a couple of other weak spots in my app.
    That being said, the adcomm at my MS institution unanimously voted to admit me to the PhD program were I will continue my work in Coastal and Marine System Science in Socio-Economics. This is a good fit, and this process has confirmed that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. The funding is great, my colleagues are noteworthy, and the time to degree is a lot shorter than if I 'restarted' in the humanities. History, it seems, will remain an avocation--although I think I might have an Environmental Anthro chapter in my dissertation.
    Generally things are good. My data came in and is showing some significant results, I presented it last week at a conference, and have submitted a draft for an early June defense. I will spend the summer getting it published, and the data set looks to be robust enough to warrant a second pub which should also go out the door late summer. Oh, and I am closing on a house next week!
    If I had it to do over I wouldn't change a thing. I put my best materials together and knew it was a long shot (for the types of programs I applied) going in, so have no regrets. I was walking into my research institute the other day and found myself thinking that I like every day more than the previous one...which is a cool place to be.
    I hope everyone is at peace with how the cycle worked out...good, bad, or ugly...and I wish you all the best moving forward.
     
  24. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from nevermind in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Hello all! I haven't been popping in, but thought I would update anyone interested on how it all shook out. I aimed very high with my history apps and did not get admitted. I tried (unsuccessfully) to make the case that my MS Environmental Science could help me contribute in a novel way to the study of Environmental History. It may not be that they didn't like the idea, but just not how I approached it. I will admit that there were a couple of other weak spots in my app.
    That being said, the adcomm at my MS institution unanimously voted to admit me to the PhD program were I will continue my work in Coastal and Marine System Science in Socio-Economics. This is a good fit, and this process has confirmed that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. The funding is great, my colleagues are noteworthy, and the time to degree is a lot shorter than if I 'restarted' in the humanities. History, it seems, will remain an avocation--although I think I might have an Environmental Anthro chapter in my dissertation.
    Generally things are good. My data came in and is showing some significant results, I presented it last week at a conference, and have submitted a draft for an early June defense. I will spend the summer getting it published, and the data set looks to be robust enough to warrant a second pub which should also go out the door late summer. Oh, and I am closing on a house next week!
    If I had it to do over I wouldn't change a thing. I put my best materials together and knew it was a long shot (for the types of programs I applied) going in, so have no regrets. I was walking into my research institute the other day and found myself thinking that I like every day more than the previous one...which is a cool place to be.
    I hope everyone is at peace with how the cycle worked out...good, bad, or ugly...and I wish you all the best moving forward.
     
  25. Upvote
    Quickmick got a reaction from RageoftheMonkey in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Hello all! I haven't been popping in, but thought I would update anyone interested on how it all shook out. I aimed very high with my history apps and did not get admitted. I tried (unsuccessfully) to make the case that my MS Environmental Science could help me contribute in a novel way to the study of Environmental History. It may not be that they didn't like the idea, but just not how I approached it. I will admit that there were a couple of other weak spots in my app.
    That being said, the adcomm at my MS institution unanimously voted to admit me to the PhD program were I will continue my work in Coastal and Marine System Science in Socio-Economics. This is a good fit, and this process has confirmed that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. The funding is great, my colleagues are noteworthy, and the time to degree is a lot shorter than if I 'restarted' in the humanities. History, it seems, will remain an avocation--although I think I might have an Environmental Anthro chapter in my dissertation.
    Generally things are good. My data came in and is showing some significant results, I presented it last week at a conference, and have submitted a draft for an early June defense. I will spend the summer getting it published, and the data set looks to be robust enough to warrant a second pub which should also go out the door late summer. Oh, and I am closing on a house next week!
    If I had it to do over I wouldn't change a thing. I put my best materials together and knew it was a long shot (for the types of programs I applied) going in, so have no regrets. I was walking into my research institute the other day and found myself thinking that I like every day more than the previous one...which is a cool place to be.
    I hope everyone is at peace with how the cycle worked out...good, bad, or ugly...and I wish you all the best moving forward.
     
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