Looking for advice for kick-starting their careers in academia, Binghamton University graduate students gathered in the University Union to hear about everything from interviewing to networking from young professionals.

Thursday’s panel was co-sponsored by the Graduate Community of Scholars (GCS) and the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development. Comprised of Siobhan Hart, a professor of anthropology, Brian Callahan, a professor of chemistry, and Amber Doiron, a professor of biomedical engineering, the panel covered a variety of topics to provide insight to students applying for jobs in academia and what to expect throughout the process.

The GCS has held this panel previously in the past, but coordinator Gail Musante said they thought it was important to put together a panel with professors from different areas.

“Different disciplines require different perspectives and different ways to get jobs,” Musante said. “We thought it would be helpful to get young faculty who had recently gone through the job search experience and could share it with people from different departments.”

Different fields have different job search processes, according to Callahan, describing his stint in the pharmaceutical industry as a chemist between his undergraduate and graduate educations. When he was ready to apply for jobs in academia, he said he created customized cover letters for each research group he was applying to.

“I applied to 10 to 15 groups, and I tried to focus my applications on places that I could see myself going and where the science really interested me,” Callahan said. “I customized every cover letter expressing those points.”

According to Doiron, applying to jobs is a time-consuming process. The panelists stressed the importance of putting aside specific times to fill out applications and how important networking is in the job search. Doiron said that conferences are a positive experience for those entering the job market.

“I’m a huge introvert and hate talking to people, but conferences are really important,” Doiron said. “You can reach out to people that come up to your poster and talk to them and find out if they have open positions. A lot of conferences now have career connection days where you can make connections. Make sure you have your CV ready that you can hand it to people on the spot.”

Doiron also outlined the process of interviewing for an academic position. According to him, the process will likely begin with a Skype or phone interview lasting around an hour and if you move forward, will be followed up with an in-person interview. He stressed the importance of always being alert and professional during in-person interviews.

“The in-person interview lasts two to three days and can be a bordering-on-hellish experience,” Doiron said. “Your day is packed, and you’re meeting a lot of people. You need to be on at all times. Do not fool yourself, if you’d made a personal connection with someone that you’ve just met that, [thinking] ‘This is my friend,’ instead of, ‘This is the person who is interviewing me.’”

According to Alysa Pomer, a Ph.D. candidate studying anthropology entering her final year, it’s important to know what to expect when entering the job market, and that is why she attended the panel.

“I need to know what I’ll be looking into in both academia and non-academia jobs,” Pomer said. “I need to know what to expect during the process and really need any advice I can get.”