On placing your PhD student at the right job (or learning to be patient).
When I take on a Ph.D. student, it usually involves a somewhat brutal conversation.
It involves two warnings & a promise.
(1) I can be overly candid - so grow a thick skin.
(2) I do not promise to deliver papers - you must do the work.
(3) I will stick with you until you find the right job.
The first is because, well, I sometimes have the mouth of a sailor - especially after a rejection or when tired.
In the words of my friend, "Language!"
The second is because, well, some students think that because I am prolific, I will make them prolific.
It is eye-opening for them when they realize how much I work & that I expect them to work to earn paper acceptances.
Note: I do not expect them to work my hours; they should be smarter than me about time management.
The third is because, well, I tell my students that the metric for successful advising is (a) they are happy in ten years & (b) they earn tenure at a place they are happy with.
So, I stick with them because I like to succeed!
This is tricky because if the student isn't happy in their first job, I'll help them search for a second job.
It's a long-term commitment to support their career - assuming they do their part - & work hard on their research & teaching.
What does that mean? I'll provide a reference, work on papers, & coach them through their search - as if they were a rookie if necessary - until they place at a job, they feel valued & can have an impact.
And sometimes, that means supporting a student long past graduation.
Why do it? Why commit to supporting a student for the long haul?
First, it was how I was socialized.
I had dinner this past week with the person who was PhD program coordinator in my first year at FSU.
This person still talks to me like I'm 25, still gives me good advice, & has never wavered in their support for me.
How could I not do the same? For my PhD students?
Second, it is how we build a better academy.
If advisors do not support their students, how can we expect our students to treat others well?
Third, academic families are more than just an idea.
Advising a #PhDstudent takes hundreds of hours of work, during which, you build bonds of loyalty & trust.
BC, I trust my now-graduated students; I often refer my new students to them for help.
I can only do so, & expect my senior students to pass along tacit knowledge to my new students if I honor my original commitment to support them.
Fourth, I only work with people that I like.
While I am not close to all my students, I like them - even the curmudgeons.
It's easy to continue to support them.
Finally, life isn't simple.
Sometimes, it takes a while to find the right job.
It takes patience - for the student and the advisor.
Yet, it's worth the wait.
I get no greater pleasure than seeing my students happy and in the right job!
Best of luck!
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jason-thatcher-0329764_phdstudent-activity-6994160136260886528-PztN?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
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