A RecentCandidateA RecentCandidate

Noah A. Smith{cs,clsp}.jhu.edu {lti,mld}.scs.cmu.edu

Noah A. Smith{cs,clsp}.jhu.edu {lti,mld}.scs.cmu.edu

Outline, Per InstructionsOutline, Per Instructions

• Background & Career History• Advice I Found Helpful• What I Wish I Knew Last Fall• Surprises• Industry and Academia

• Background & Career History• Advice I Found Helpful• What I Wish I Knew Last Fall• Surprises• Industry and Academia

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

B.A.(Ling.)

B.S.(CS)

M.S.E.(CS)

Ph.D.(CS)

core NLP

unsupervised learning

statistical MT

NLP algorithms

w c c j

c c w c

cc w

c c

linguistics t

U. of MarylandU. of Maryland Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University CMUCMU

U. of U. of

EdinburghEdinburgh

New York U.

New York U.

MSRMSR

2007

degrees

institutions

interests and publicationst

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w

AdviceAdvice

• Don’t plan on getting much else done (except maybe in January)

• Apply as broadly as you can. • Strong recommendation letters

are crucial.• Use a dossier service.• Spend time on your application

materials (C.V., statements).

• Don’t plan on getting much else done (except maybe in January)

• Apply as broadly as you can. • Strong recommendation letters

are crucial.• Use a dossier service.• Spend time on your application

materials (C.V., statements).

AdviceAdvice

Job Talk AdviceJob Talk AdvicePractice lots with your advisor(You can learn to talk like Eisner!)When at work, down the pub, in your

housePractice for your parentsAnd practice for your spouse!You’ll be sick of your talk, I expectBut practice is the wayTo improve, to perfect.

Practice lots with your advisor(You can learn to talk like Eisner!)When at work, down the pub, in your

housePractice for your parentsAnd practice for your spouse!You’ll be sick of your talk, I expectBut practice is the wayTo improve, to perfect.

What I Wish I’d KnownWhat I Wish I’d Known• The market is

unpredictable.• Departments aren’t

synchronized, but you can usually beg for time.

• Job talk advice does not unify.

• Life is not fair.

• The market is unpredictable.

• Departments aren’t synchronized, but you can usually beg for time.

• Job talk advice does not unify.

• Life is not fair.

SurprisesSurprises• Others on the market are not the enemy.

• Me: lots of email/chat with 5+ competitors.• You’re an adult now!

• People default to respecting you (mostly)• People will challenge you• People assume you already know How It Works

(until you ask)• You must play ambassador for NLP!

• And your lab, department, school …

• Others on the market are not the enemy.• Me: lots of email/chat with 5+ competitors.

• You’re an adult now!• People default to respecting you (mostly)• People will challenge you• People assume you already know How It Works

(until you ask)• You must play ambassador for NLP!

• And your lab, department, school …

Differences between Industry and AcademiaDifferences between

Industry and Academia

Interviews for research positions vary little (talk + 2 days of one-on-one meetings).

And they’ll offer similar (starting) salaries.

Interviews for research positions vary little (talk + 2 days of one-on-one meetings).

And they’ll offer similar (starting) salaries.

Parting ShotsParting Shots

• Skip the wine at interview dinners.

• Get plenty of rest.

• Gmail yourself notes every night.

• Join frequent flier programs.

• If you buy me a drink, I’ll tell you

about getting married during my

job search and the two body

problem.

• Good luck!

• Skip the wine at interview dinners.

• Get plenty of rest.

• Gmail yourself notes every night.

• Join frequent flier programs.

• If you buy me a drink, I’ll tell you

about getting married during my

job search and the two body

problem.

• Good luck!