Message from the Secretary

Penny M. Hopkins

Got Job?

My department has just finished national searches to fill two faculty positions. During that process it occurred to me that our searches would have been easier if SICB had a Placement Service like some of the other scientific societies do. Of the eight people that we interviewed, only one was a member of SICB. It seems likely that there were other candidates in the society that we may have missed for lack of identification. I would like to take this opportunity to raise the question as to whether we need or want to have a more effective Placement Service than what we have now. I would be happy to spearhead such an effort, but only if there were lots people who think it would be a good idea.
The way that I envision such a service would be that departments in the process of searching for new faculty could post an advertisement on a special "Jobs Available" section of the SICB web page at any time during the year. These ads would also be available at a special placement table during the Annual Meeting. Graduates and Post-docs looking for positions would also be able to post mini-c.v.'s on a special "Candidates" page on the SICB web page. These, too, would be made available at the annual meeting. Sign-up sheets would be on hand at the Annual Meeting for potential employers to interview potential faculty on site.
Other services that this Placement Service might be able to perform could include posting on the Web Site helpful handbooks of information on such topics as how to start looking for a job, what a job application should look like, what to expect on an interview, how to prepare a dynamite interview seminar, how to negotiate a contract etc etc.
A number of participants will be able to give input into such a service. The Web Master, Burke Inc, the Society Secretary, and representatives from the Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Affairs Committee and the Graduate Student Support Committee could share responsibility for making certain that such a service is helpful to all involved. At this time, there is a very helpful job listing page on the SICB Web Page. We would like expand our services so that both job announcements and miniC.V.s can be posted in a timely manner. We would also like to provide opportunities for employers and potential employees to get together for interviews at the Annual Meeting. Having a more extensive job placement service on the web page will increase communication between members of our society and increase the efficiency of both department job hunts and candidates hunting for jobs.
Let me know what you think by e-mailing me at phopkins@ou.edu.

Sincerely,
Penny M. Hopkins, Chair
Search Committee for Cell and Developmental Biologists
Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Presidential Professor of Zoology