Gena Asher | Oct. 16, 2007
 |
| Jacob Groshek |
Ph.D. student Jacob Groshek’s planning and persistence have paid off. He already has a faculty position lined up for August 2008, just a few weeks after he plans to receive his Ph.D.
Groshek will teach visual media and continue his research on the Internet and democracy as an assistant professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
“They were looking for someone with interest areas such as mine,” said Groshek, who has been working on his degree since August 2004. “And I’m impressed by the dynamic faculty.”
Launching an academic career can be daunting. Groshek started an informal search during the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference’s job placement service in 2006 and tapped into that again this past August.
“This was good experience in terms of getting used to what it is like to hear academic interview questions,” he said. These are slightly different from questions interviewers ask for other types of jobs. “You may be asked to address a wide variety of topics from classical theorists to how to run SPSS software.”
Once a candidate clears the AEJMC or other preliminary interviews, he or she may be asked to visit schools for a more formal interview.
Last week, University of Iowa associate professor Gigi Durham visited the school to talk about preparation for academic careers. She advised job hunters to prepare curriculum vitae, to attend conferences and make presentations as frequently as possible and to be prepared to handle questions and ask your own.
Groshek thought Durham’s advice was sound.
“Attending conferences and pursuing publication really are important,” he said. “That helps you in terms of looking good on paper and being an attractive candidate on your CV, but this also gets you used to talking about your research.”
Groshek and his wife and infant son will move to Iowa next year and are looking forward to being part of a Big 12 school.
“The school and the area are similar to IU and Bloomington, so we’re happy about that,” he said. His wife will continue her master’s degree work in Iowa State. “And, we’re both from Wisconsin, so our families will be a lot closer to us.”
Groshek will teach visual media and continue his research on the Internet and democracy as an assistant professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
“They were looking for someone with interest areas such as mine,” said Groshek, who has been working on his degree since August 2004. “And I’m impressed by the dynamic faculty.”
More:Read University of Iowa’s Gigi Durham’s advice on pursuing an academic career.
|
“This was good experience in terms of getting used to what it is like to hear academic interview questions,” he said. These are slightly different from questions interviewers ask for other types of jobs. “You may be asked to address a wide variety of topics from classical theorists to how to run SPSS software.”
Once a candidate clears the AEJMC or other preliminary interviews, he or she may be asked to visit schools for a more formal interview.
Last week, University of Iowa associate professor Gigi Durham visited the school to talk about preparation for academic careers. She advised job hunters to prepare curriculum vitae, to attend conferences and make presentations as frequently as possible and to be prepared to handle questions and ask your own.
Groshek thought Durham’s advice was sound.
“Attending conferences and pursuing publication really are important,” he said. “That helps you in terms of looking good on paper and being an attractive candidate on your CV, but this also gets you used to talking about your research.”
Groshek and his wife and infant son will move to Iowa next year and are looking forward to being part of a Big 12 school.
“The school and the area are similar to IU and Bloomington, so we’re happy about that,” he said. His wife will continue her master’s degree work in Iowa State. “And, we’re both from Wisconsin, so our families will be a lot closer to us.”
Questions? Comments? Email the Web editor.
