tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post1800202629873669728..comments2024-03-22T08:09:49.951+05:30Comments on Academic Garden: My job search storyKaneenika Sinhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09637162315100503271noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-65199820738517365232015-07-14T16:26:28.196+05:302015-07-14T16:26:28.196+05:30Hi NW, Thanks for the comment. I agree completely ...Hi NW, Thanks for the comment. I agree completely with all your observations. In retrospect, I do see a few things differently (from when I wrote the post), but have never regretted the decision. Kaneenika Sinhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09637162315100503271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-52266648723471467272015-07-14T16:04:29.080+05:302015-07-14T16:04:29.080+05:30Hi Kaneenika,
I came across this post after readi...Hi Kaneenika,<br /><br />I came across this post after reading about your work in the mint article.<br /><br />It was a nice and honest post, many of the things I can relate to having been through PhD and post-doc selection processes. I think the choice between the head and the heart is a classic in every job search, and I have faced it thrice already. In all the cases, the final decision has been based on a gut feeling, and I have never regretted my decisions. <br /><br />I'm not surprised by your account of the treatment you received at the various institutes. The old and established places are often quite secure about getting good applications, as a result they usually come across as ters and even rude. The new and promising ones, on the other had, have to fight the disadvantage of not having a reputation to attract the best talent, exactly at a time when they most need it, if they are ambitious. It's an old trick of the game to make an early job offer, knowing that the candidate will then come under some pressure to decide soon, likely before he/she has other offers. This also means that they are much more concerned about also taking care of the candidate, once the candidate has chosen to come to them. I think that matters a lot for the well-being (which is what everything is about, in the end), so you certainly made a good choice. NWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-83171328522667281262012-09-03T21:02:04.187+05:302012-09-03T21:02:04.187+05:30Dear New Professor,
A very interesting article in...Dear New Professor,<br /><br />A very interesting article indeed. My wife and I are both completing our PhDs soon and have similar plans to come back to India.<br />Just like you were, we are also really confused about these O-type and N-type institutes. If that 'marital status' thing was really serious, I guess we're in for a bigger treat as both of us would be trying to get a job at the same institute.Prashanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18413405813678163163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-10944951859170595782011-12-22T14:15:46.314+05:302011-12-22T14:15:46.314+05:30Guys I would like you to read the post regarding J...Guys I would like you to read the post regarding <b><a href="http://www.sooperarticles.com/careers-articles/recruitment-articles/job-seekers-should-stay-positive-job-outlook-improves-741620.html" rel="nofollow">Job Seekers Should Stay Positive as Job Outlook Improves</a></b> posted at http://www.sooperarticles.com/careers-articles/recruitment-articles/job-seekers-should-stay-positive-job-outlook-improves-741620.html maybe you could gain something from that article.Adminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02097420226632616789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-87411104479319733182011-11-14T10:08:29.563+05:302011-11-14T10:08:29.563+05:30Hello,
A new venture- India Bioscience (www.india...Hello,<br /><br />A new venture- India Bioscience (www.indiabioscience.org) was started with the aim of providing information about Indian lifescience research/institutions. We hope to have a greater impact over time. At present, this is an effort by a few faculty around India and two employees at IBS. It would be great, to have someone such as yourself contributing to our blogs/opinions so people considering returning to India would have some relevant information- the good and the bad. If you are not comfortable, it would be still nice to hear from you- any suggestions, comments as to what would have helped you when you were applying for positions.<br />my mail is amurthi@gmail.com<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Athulprabha MurthiAthulaprabha Murthihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02101217745980249852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-59601787509239193822011-08-07T08:51:29.450+05:302011-08-07T08:51:29.450+05:30I came across your blog through Abi. Must say that...I came across your blog through Abi. Must say that when I read this post, i wa thinking along the line of Dr. Jadhav. I am glad that you handled that comment really well. <br /><br />Congrats on making such a brave decision to join a new place! Best of luck!<br /><br />PS I returned back two months back after a Phd in NA as well though joined industry. So far it has been going good and I will follow this blog for your insights.Milieuhttp://neomilieu.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-15100499811804053142011-08-07T02:03:59.787+05:302011-08-07T02:03:59.787+05:30By the way, why are you not married yet!! :-) :-)By the way, why are you not married yet!! :-) :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-70170777116022929292011-08-07T02:01:39.654+05:302011-08-07T02:01:39.654+05:30I know a true incident about the spouse/marriage i...I know a true incident about the spouse/marriage issue at the time of selection. One for my friends got an offer from a new IIT and her husband is also about to complete PhD. Her new employer was not bothered about her status but she tried to get her husband there by mentioning and doing little bargain for her husband! She get another offer and did not join take first offer. the first institute called up and said that we can do something for your husband etc!!<br /><br /><br />Also, I feel employers wants to know the marital status to know whether you are going to stick to that job or will change depending on your spouse job! After all, they will be equally interested in retaining !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-30188281575233104002011-08-06T17:09:19.831+05:302011-08-06T17:09:19.831+05:30Enjoyed your blog. Came across it last night. All ...Enjoyed your blog. Came across it last night. All your articles are interesting and very positive. My wife and I can guess what N1, O2 and O3 are. If our guesses are correct, then I work at O3 and I attended your job talk at O2 (which I enjoyed). After reading your entries, both of us feel interested about visiting N1 and will do so the next time we visit N1 city sometime this year. You are making a very important contribution by allaying the apprehensions of people who are looking for jobs in the N institutes. Keep writing, you are very good at it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-60258953695765436992011-08-05T23:03:09.559+05:302011-08-05T23:03:09.559+05:30The way N1 treated your application and recruited ...The way N1 treated your application and recruited you is really wonderful. I hope the head honchos of the other institutions read about it. May be someday you can write an article (in a popular science/education magazine) based on this posting. <br /><br />best wishes<br />Chitta Baralchittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06399786901342253324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-44212896474452102852011-08-05T19:09:34.022+05:302011-08-05T19:09:34.022+05:30Thanks for your comment Ajit. I see what you are t...Thanks for your comment Ajit. I see what you are trying to say. Now, a few months into my job in India, I have got used to being asked about my marital status and also realize that most of the time, it is only because in our culture, people assume easy familiarity and ask questions without any "hidden" intentions. So, I am learning to take it easy :) In fact, sometimes the conversations are hilarious.<br /><br />However, I did not know this at the time of my interview and interpreted it differently. Till that point of time, I was only interacting with friends who were in the USA job market and as per them, it is illegal to ask any questions about the marital status of a job candidate during the interview process.Kaneenika Sinhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09637162315100503271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-74395720217330932442011-08-05T15:26:46.784+05:302011-08-05T15:26:46.784+05:30Re. your question on being asked about your marita...Re. your question on being asked about your marital status. <br /><br />It just happened to remind me of what Prof. Mary Boas had narrated in the "To the Students" pages of her famous book on mathematics for physical sciences. I quote her: <br /><br />quote:<br />There is a story about a young mathematics instructor who asked an older professor "What do you say when students ask about the practical applications of some mathematical topic?" The experienced professor said "I tell them!"<br />unquote.<br /><br />Tch, NewProfWhatever, ...it doesn't work that way in India---not the way you imagine. Sexism has nothing to do with it. Yes, I am a man, and I have sometimes been asked that question, too. (Since I have changed jobs a lot, the "sometimes" here actually means: "oftentimes.") <br /><br />When people in India ask such questions, very often, they are just trying to place you the person in some kind of a social or cultural context on which they could relate to you in a more informal way---and hardly anything more. <br /><br />No, I am not being wooly-wishy types in saying so. I have worked long in India (both before, in between, and after spending a total 7 years in the USA, for both graduate school and work). I know that by the time Indians at all come to asking you this question in a personal settings (as against ticking boxes on the application form), 9 times out of 10 (or may be 99 times out of 100), they have already made up their mind that you are basically worth hiring, and, *therefore*, they almost inadvertently are, in a way, trying to find a bit more about what you are and how you react, at a bit closer personal level. (And, probably don't always know enough of tact to know how to go about doing that). <br /><br />If your marital status were to matter, they would have dropped you much earlier in the selection process. <br /><br />Now, I know a thing or two about being dropped early enough in the selection process, too. I have been dropped in job applications by *all* potential employers for *six* full *years* in this *new* India. Also, for PhD admissions at IITs, in the same new India. Neither of which would have happened in the old (pre-1990s) India in which I had done both my graduate studies and 5+ years of jobs. And, I have been dropped despite my being a man, despite being a higher caste Hindu, and right in my own home-state (Maharashtra).<br /><br />So, my point is: Don't rush to your conclusions. Since the 1975 Women's year, it's been fashionable, nay, even obligatory for (by now) a generation of women to cry victim-hood at the first perceived instance of sexism, but reality isn't always like that. <br /><br />And, BTW, I am a divorcee of a brief marriage 20 years ago, and still a single (not out of my choice). When people ask me, I *tell* them. In my experience, the situation invariably becomes awkward to *them*. Invariably, they try to change the topic, after a brief silence. Usually, once out of the interview office (say once we are having the lunch or a cup of coffee), someone or the other tries to me offer me a word or two of moral support. (Usually, they are incompetent on smoothly performing that part, too! But, more importantly, invariably, they also are genuinely well-meaning.)<br /><br />Tch... It's India which you know already, NewProfWhatever. Just keep that in mind. ... Now if your purpose is to keep talking to your American friends and all, then that's fine, too. Then, what you say does make sense. But then, a public blog is just that. Public.<br /><br /><br />Best,<br /><br />--Ajit<br />PS: Recommended reading: A few pieces by Times of India's columnist Jug Suraiya, on the scenes at Indian wedding, on how Indian relatives take you for granted, etc. However, recommended *out* is watching Meera Nair's child molestation-featuring movie "Monsoon Wedding." In the Indian work context, what the first view conveys applies far more often or accurately than what the second one does.<br /><br />PPS: Yes, I always write at exasperating/killing length---even my casual comments are no exception.Ajit R. Jadhavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02194541129055576042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-88006788716043287312011-08-05T13:03:13.317+05:302011-08-05T13:03:13.317+05:30This comment has been removed by the author.chittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06399786901342253324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-32621936014846434422011-08-05T09:59:30.389+05:302011-08-05T09:59:30.389+05:30Hello, Vijay and Professor Sanghi,
I am delighted ...Hello, Vijay and Professor Sanghi,<br />I am delighted to hear from both of you.<br />Vijay, I also responded to your comment on nanopolitan and would like to say the same thing: it is a good idea to apply widely to many institutes and not write off any new ones before visiting them. <br />The current generation of job-seekers in India is very lucky because of the wide variety of academic jobs available and we should take full advantage of that.<br /><br />Professor Sanghi, thanks for your answer to my questions. I have been following your blog for some time and enjoy reading your mature and well-informed perspective on many important issues in Indian academia.<br />I think I can roughly guess where you were questioned about not being from that region :) I had a similar experience.Kaneenika Sinhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09637162315100503271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-68241094003117887702011-08-04T23:38:17.490+05:302011-08-04T23:38:17.490+05:30Thanks for your blog. To answer your questions, it...Thanks for your blog. To answer your questions, it has been almost 2 decades since I went through the decision to return to India and join academia. My decision to join IIT Kanpur was because I was an alumnus of this place, knew all the faculty members well, knew that it had the best social setting, extremely friendly, and they, of course, treated me very well when I visited them. So basically, non-academic reasons for joining IITK.<br /><br />I wasn't asked my marital status, but at one of the Institutes, several faculty members (more than 10) asked me why I applied to that institute when I am not from that region and I don't know the local language.Dheeraj Sanghihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06367519409840642182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-36816235296130084292011-08-04T22:55:11.100+05:302011-08-04T22:55:11.100+05:30Hi New Prof in New India,
I really enjoyed this po...Hi New Prof in New India,<br />I really enjoyed this post. Its wonderful for those joining new places in particular but also for those looking for faculty positions anywhere to hear about your experiences. You write politely and well and I am sure no one will take offense if you identify the places you are writing about. N1 can only become better and even more responsive! I would love to recommend N1 to others and perhaps apply myself if only I knew where it is :-)). In any case congrats and thanks to Nanopolitan for pointing me here. Keep writing.<br />Best wishes <br />Vijay<br />K. VijayRaghavan, BangaloreVijayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00906122390237442828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-64795423130544796472011-04-21T01:06:03.614+05:302011-04-21T01:06:03.614+05:30Anon,
most of the PhD students in my department ...Anon, <br />most of the PhD students in my department either moved here from O-type institutes along with their supervisors or had already done short-term projects with the department before. Their supervisors have been fairly satisfied with their progress. <br />I will start supervising my first PhD student starting next semester. His performance in the selection interview was outstanding and one of the reasons he may have preferred joining N1 instead of any O is his specific interest in my research area, which is not currently represented in many institutes. <br /><br />So, yes, although, as per your guess, the best students are likely to go to O2/3, N1 type places are also getting good talent, because there are more qualified students eager to do a PhD than there are faculty members willing to supervise them. <br /><br />Glad to hear that this blog might be of help to you. Feel free to ask more questions. All the very best with your job search.Kaneenika Sinhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09637162315100503271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-8572336654870554252011-04-20T13:35:37.203+05:302011-04-20T13:35:37.203+05:30I think I can make a decent guess about what N1, O...I think I can make a decent guess about what N1, O2 and O3 are. <br /><br />I have a question for you: are you happy with the quality of students at N1? If these institutions are what I think they are, O2 probably has the best students followed by O2, followed by N1. Are you satisfied with the progress made by your research students? <br /><br />Thanks for writing the blog! As someone looking at a future academic career in India, I'm sure this is going to be a great resource.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-76923468845296451412011-04-18T21:39:46.245+05:302011-04-18T21:39:46.245+05:30Thank you for your comment and your wishes, M. I...Thank you for your comment and your wishes, M. I felt exactly what you said when I was on one of the campuses. <br />Good luck to you too.Kaneenika Sinhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09637162315100503271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666533678212268526.post-71268866603819658472011-04-18T20:16:29.311+05:302011-04-18T20:16:29.311+05:30Congratulations! Sometime old established places a...Congratulations! Sometime old established places are very arrogant because they have been given special treatment for number of years. You made a right decision. Good luck.Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10584913409533409346noreply@blogger.com