The Myth About Online Job Searches

The Internet has lulled job-seekers into thinking that with a few mouse clicks the perfect offer will show up in their mailbox. Those who have been in the job market will enthusiastically attest to the fact that Internet job searches are anything but easy. In fact, the Internet has made it more difficult, not easy, for employers and job seekers to find one another. Somewhat like the dating game it is confusing and downright painful. The rules of the game are arbitrary and mysterious and while both (employer and employee) claim to enthusiastically seek the other with open arms, neither is finding the experience pleasant nor productive. Over the next few weeks, I will critique the career websites of several Fortune 100 firms and show how some firms may be turning off potential employees! Share your experiences about on-line job searches.

Attack of the Blog – Lessons Learned

Alfred State College is famous for many things, the most recent being a message board (inaccurately classified as a blog) that attracted national attention because of its relentless and vile attacks on system and campus administrators, faculty, staff, and family members. I was the President of Alfred State College when the board was first launched by two campus administrators who were reassigned to faculty. The story was covered in the popular media. 

I learned some important lessons through this experience and would like to share my experiences with other Presidents and PR Directors who may face similar challenges. I don’t have all the answers, and I invite your comments and insights about what an educational institution must do when staff or students with questionable motives use social media software to create communciations that appear to be legitimate forums.

How to Get that Job Offer

Open the Chronicle of Higher Ed and other such higher education journals and there are plenty of openings for tenure-track positions.This does not mean that it is easy to find a job! Finding a job of your liking in a school of your choice is both an art and a science.

Candidates are anixous and eager to find an ideal job. Search Committees, on the other hand, tell horror stories about candidates, from the arrogant to the flippant, from the well-prepared to the clueless, that could have had the job had they not blundered their way through the interview. Having served on more Search Committees than I care to confess, here are a few thoughts for the newly minted Ph.D. seeking the perfect job, or just a job. 

Letterman style, here is a list of Top 10 Things to do to get your ideal job!

Gratitude, Giving, and Growing: The Lasting Lessons of Tsunami

The horrific Tsunami of 2004 shifted parts of the earth, wiped out islands, and forever reshaped coastlines. The tidal wave destroyed lives and wiped out entire communities. Buildings disappeared and wealth vanished. Children were orphaned, women widowed, and twins separated. In the blink of an eye, a life-feeding ocean became a weapon of mass destruction, with no targeted enemy and no compelling reason or strategy for total destruction. The enemy was quite simply anything and everything that came in the way of the unstoppable wave. Death came unexpectedly and took what it wanted, shamelessly, heartlessly, and relentlessly. It was a game of Russian roulette and so many lost their lives simply because, and only because, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was as simple as that and as cruel as that.

The Three C’s of College Campus Climate

The Three Cs to survival in academia for tenure-track faculty or junior faculty are Climate, Culture, and Collegiality, according to a new study by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), a research project based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. More than 4,500 junior faculty from 51 colleges participated in the survey. See highlights of the report.

What is interesting about this report is that implementing its findings won’t cost money.

International Consulting

Dr. Uma G. Gupta has more than 15 years of experience in higher education administration in the United States and has served as a consultant to several US corporations. She is also a highly sought after speaker. She has presented many seminars and workshops to senior executives and middle management in industry and academia on a wide range of topics. In particular, Dr. Gupta is available for online consulting and coaching educators and managers in India and South-east Asia. Dr. Gupta is an expert in the following areas:

1. Strategic Planning for colleges and universities.
2. Building Alliances with US institutions.
3. Talent Recruitment and Retention.
4. Organizational Development and Leadership Building.
5. Project Management

She can be reached at guptaguma@gmail.com

Preparing and Winning Tenure

The worry about receiving tenure starts almost the first day one lands a job as a tenure-track Assistant Professor. "What do I need to do to get tenure?" is a question junior faculty ask almost every day of their lives for the first five or six years of their academic career. There are facts and myths about what one needs to do to receive tenure. Over the next few months, experts from academia will share advice on what junior faculty can do to receive tenure. Here are a few pointers from me: