ESN Blog Reading List
Looking for more good reading on following Jesus on the academic pathway? View other reading lists.
Finishing graduate school is a major achievement to celebrate. You probably also have some questions about what comes next. Browse our list of resources and ideas for thinking through next steps.
Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences: One Postdoc’s Journey
We have recently featured series about surviving graduate school from a humanities PhD and life as a faculty member from an anthropologist. Now we begin a series about finding a postdoc in the sciences and flourishing in the process. Guest writer Kelly Seaton, currently a postdoc at Duke University, will grace the blog for the ...Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences: Where Should I Begin?
This is the second in Kelly Seaton’s series on Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences. Previously: One Postdoc’s Journey. ~ Mike Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. In my last post, ...Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences: Identifying the Right Position
Kelly Seaton continues her series on finding a postdoc in the sciences. Previously: One Postdoc’s Journey, Where Should I Begin? Once you have decided to pursue a postdoc position and have a reasonable idea what you would like to study or where you want to live, the next step is to find a position that is ...Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences: Nailing the Interview
Kelly Seaton continues her series on finding a postdoc in the sciences. Previously: One Postdoc’s Journey, Where Should I Begin?, Identifying the Right Position What questions do you have about the postdoc interview process? Do you have any interview experiences or advice to share? Photo credit: solarnu via Flickr Once you have submitted your applications and landed an ...Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences: Starting Your New Position
Kelly Seaton concludes her series on finding a postdoc in the sciences. Previously: One Postdoc’s Journey, Where Should I Begin?, Identifying the Right Position, Nailing the Interview. Kelly is also working on a list of resources for finding a postdoc, which we’ll publish as soon as it’s ready. I think one of the happiest days ...Scholar’s Compass Unchartered Territories: Hearing God’s Voice
Lauri Swann reflects on listening for God's voice in unchartered territories.Scholar’s Compass Unchartered Territories: Obedience
Further into unchartered territories: Lauri Swann talks about obedience at #ScholarsCompass.Scholar’s Compass Unchartered Territories: Faith
Faith in the middle of unchartered territories: Lauri Swann wraps up her series at #ScholarsCompass.The Job Search, Part 1: The Application
Since September and October in many ways start the job year (with the first MLA list for humanities people and the posts on different job wikis), if you're on the market and are not already applying, you will soon. Here are some thoughts about “the will of God†and that stage.The Job Search, Part 2: The Interview Process
You have written a good letter—so good in fact that now you have some interviews scheduled. These could range from a phone call to some form of video conference. As you will learn, this means you are now in a group of roughly 15-20 people, down from the mammoth pool of 100-200 who applied. You may never have thought that Anonymous U or Nowhere U would call for an interview. And yet, here you are.The Job Search, Part 3: The Campus Visit
What makes for a great campus visit? How does it fit into the will of God?The Job Search, Post 4: Decision
You've sent hundreds of applications, done the phone interviews, and gone on the campus visits. Now you have to decide.The Job Search, Post 5: Moving Into God’s Will
So you have it all done–salary, contract, even your office location. You might even have your teaching schedule lined up. What do you do now?Leaving Academia, Part 1
For the better part of a decade, my life ambition was to become a professor. I was confident that hard work and a few providential breaks would land me a tenure-track political science professor position. I believed that God had called me to a life in the academy, to be a witness pointing peers and students to Christ.Leaving Academia, Part 2
Now what? As it became clear that I would not have an academic job, I felt lost and overwhelmed. Having given no serious thought to a non-academic career, I wondered if my academic apprenticeship had any value in preparing me for life outside the academy.Leaving Academia, Part 3
When I started applying for non-academic jobs, I felt directionless and did not know how to start. Providentially, I stumbled upon the simple realization that I can leverage skills and expertise gained in graduate experience to navigate these new unknowns. By adopting familiar practices of research, replication, and resilience, I became more organized, confident, and ultimately successful in the job application process.Consider the Ravens (Scholar’s Compass)
If I were to sum up my last five years in one word, it would be “changeâ€. I have lived in four different houses, worked three different jobs, lived on two continents, gotten married, gone to grad school, and had a child.I Found a Postdoc in the Sciences: Now What? (Pt 1)
Postdocs occupy a weird, liminal space in the path of the scholar.I Found a Postdoc in the Sciences: Now What? (Pt 2)
We figured it was time for a follow-up on what to do once you've found the postdoc you were looking for.New ESN Reading Lists: Career Stages & Four Faculty Loves
New ESN Reading Lists Are you looking for a quick guide to some of our key starting point resources here at the ESN blog? We’ve designed a resource page that offers some great starting points for each career stage, and for InterVarsity’s Four Faculty Loves. Browse these if you’re looking for individual reading or small group conversation ...Formative Spaces for Postdocs: Opportunities in the Liminal
The opportunities for postdoc spiritual support groups are liminal!
View additional reading lists under the Career Stages category: