The Nightmare of Networking
We live in a reality where getting a graduate degree does not mean you are automatically qualified for a job. In fact, according to a recent NSF study , 42.1% of 2014 PhD graduates reported no definite job commitments at the time of graduation. This number is a bit debated but we all know recent grads who sent out hundreds of applications and were forced to take whatever job they could get. Want a tenure track job? An industry position? A place in the government? You will send out tens if not hundreds of applications to these positions and hear nothing back, but it’s not necessarily because you are not qualified. Jobs like these are not a dime a dozen these days, and employers get so many applications that no matter how good your resume looks you are likely to get looked over. So how do you get your name to the top of the pile? You probably already know the answer: make yourself known. Network with the right people at the right time and make sure they remember you. ...