Ten Helpful Hints to New Black Ph.Ds in Academia
By Dr. Samuel Myers, University of Minnesota
- Focus all
of your energy and attention on revising and submitting your chapters to appropriate
journals.
- At least for now and the next four years or so, do not consult; you can make money later
- Try not to get involved in too many committees
- Avoid controversy and departmental politics. You can do that after you have tenure
- Submit sooner than later.
- Avoid the temptation to make papers perfect. They will never be perfect. Get them in good enough shape, sharpen them -- hire a technical editor if needed -- and send them off.
- Avoid trying to put everything into a single paper. If one paper is too long, delete the excess and include it in another venue after you get tenure (e.g. chapters in books, etc)
- Heed the advice of the
referees.
- If you get a revise and resubmit, do exactly what the referees ask.
- Detail how you addressed what the referee requested.
- Avoid arguing with the referee. In most instances, it will only cause the referee to reject on the second round.
- Don't take rejection
personally.
- Nobody likes rejection. In the economics profession, rejection letters are often more harsh and more ugly than in many other professions. It is not about YOU.
- Many rejection letters for those who publish on issues of race, have a tone that smacks at racism. Ugly, harsh and unbecoming comments when you challenge conventional wisdom about race and markets. However, the referee does not think it is racist because ugly, harsh and unbecoming comments are the norm.
- Do not fight back. The time and effort spent in responding to an unfair rejection is time and effort not spent on revising and resubmitting to another journal. There are literally thousands of journals out there. Find the right one.
- Immediately focus on your
next major project.
- Have a concrete research agenda on the table the moment you submit your first chapter for publication.
- Think of this research agenda as a second dissertation.
- Sketch out three articles that you would want to write from this new agenda and pursue the modeling, data, analysis that would be needed to write these three articles.
- Think of where you want to submit these papers before you write them. Before you begin the research.
- Do not waste time writing
funding proposals.
- The politics of grants and funding is disconnected from merit and qualifications.
- You really don't need money to write your papers and publish.
- Consider partnering with senior people who have money or who are experienced fund raisers. They love to work with rising stars. But be sure that you have as many papers sole authored as you have co-authored with senior people.
- If you must write
proposals, go to NSF or other prestigous outlets.
- Serves as a proving ground for your ideas.
- NSF proposal is like first draft of your next article.
- Be in the market at all
times.
- The best time to make vertical moves is early in your career.
- Lateral moves make sense only if you are unhappy where you are. Never make lateral moves for money alone.
- If you are unhappy where you are, but you are very productive, do not make a lateral move: wait until a vertical opportunity comes about.
- Consider seriously the counteroffers your department makes. If they really want you, and value you, this is worth more than the unknown in a lateral move.
- Know who your friends and
supporters are.
- If possible, obtain copies of letters of recommendation in your files.
- Never ask someone to write a letter without having complete certainty as to what they will write. If in doubt, ask them. Also ask for a copy.
- Send copies of your papers to all of your peers and top people in the field. Correspond with those who reply.
- Go to the meetings.
- Present lots of papers. WEA, Econometric Society, SEA, APPAM if appropriate.
- Be visible.
- Be prepared. Very prepared.
- Attend the business sessions. Learn how the organization operates.
- Meet your discussants. Meet the editors.
Have Fun. Enjoy this important stage in your life.