Sorry things have been slow around here. I over-committed myself a bit this year, and got really swamped at the end of the semester. On that note, I have a query for all of you! My college has started a cool formal mentoring program for new faculty, and I've been asked to be a mentor. Because in my experience transitioning to a new job can be difficult (particularly one's first job!), and because there are all sorts of "traps" new faculty can fall into, I thought it might be good to crowd-source tips for new hires--particularly, tips on things to do and things to avoid. Some things are fairly obvious and commonly mentioned:
- Know your tenure requirements.
- Don't over-commit/say "yes" to everything.
- If you're in a job where research matters, make sure to set aside time for research.
- Always have multiple papers under review (mid-tenure and tenure review come quickly!).
But I'd really curious to hear from readers. Do you have any tips to share on things new hires should do or avoid? If so, do you have any helpful tips for how to do/avoid those things?
Hi Marcus,
I would add, make sure you enjoy your job! It was hard to get, and it was part of a dream. So do not think of all the dreary or challenging parts. Celebrate the opportunity to teach students a subject you enjoy.
Posted by: With a job | 12/19/2017 at 01:41 PM