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	<title><![CDATA[BOL: Related items]]></title>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/related/22068?</link>
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/news/view/19992/binc-examination-2015</guid>
	<pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:23:37 -0600</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/news/view/19992/binc-examination-2015</link>
	<title><![CDATA[BINC examination 2015 !!!]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Pondicherry University,Puducherry,on behalf of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, will conduct the BINC examination in 2015. The objective of this examination is to certify bioinformatics professionals, trained formally as well as self-trained.Registration for BINC examination 2015 will open soon.</p><p>Pondicherry University Puducherry has been identified as a nodal agency by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India to coordinate this examination along with nine centres namely, Pune University, Pune; Anna University, Chennai; Calcatta University (WBUT) Kolkata; Institute of Bioinformatics &amp; Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore; North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad; University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati.</p><p>In the BINC 2013 examination,17 candidates were certified. DBT has agreed to fund Research fellowships for all the BINC qualified Indian nationals to pursue Ph.D. in Indian Institutes/Universities. Note that the candidate must possess a postgraduate degree(or equivalent) &amp; meet the criteria of the institutes/universities in order to avail research fellowship. In addition, cash prize of Rs. 10,000/- will be awarded to the top 10 BINC qualifiers.<br /><br /></p><p>More at http://210.212.230.224:9999/BINC/</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Jitendra Narayan</dc:creator>
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22050/binc-sample-question-paper</guid>
	<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2015 09:15:09 -0500</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22050/binc-sample-question-paper</link>
	<title><![CDATA[BINC Sample Question Paper !!!]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>BINC sample question paper round THREE ...</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Jitendra Narayan</dc:creator>
	<enclosure url="https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/download/22050" length="316" type="text/plain" />
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/news/view/22017/binc-2015</guid>
	<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2015 20:35:27 -0500</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/news/view/22017/binc-2015</link>
	<title><![CDATA[BINC 2015 !!!]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Pondicherry University,Puducherry,on behalf of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, will conduct the BINC examination in2015. The objective of this examination is to certify bioinformatics professionals, trained formally as well as self-trained.Registration will open from March 9,2015 to April 30,2015. Pondicherry University, Puducherry has been identified as a nodal agency by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India to coordinate this examination along with nine centres namely, Pune University, Pune; Anna University, Chennai; Calcutta University, Kolkata; Institute of Bioinformatics &amp; Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore; North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad; University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati. In the BINC 2013 examination,17 candidates were certified. DBT has agreed to fund Research fellowships for all the BINC qualified Indian nationals to pursue Ph.D. in Indian Institutes/Universities. Note that the candidate must possess a postgraduate degree(or equivalent) &amp; meet the criteria of the institutes/universities in order to avail research fellowship. In addition, cash prize of Rs. 10,000/- will be awarded to the top 10 BINC qualifiers.</p><p>More at http://www.binc.co.in/College/Index_New.aspx</p><p>BINC notification http://www.binc.co.in/PdfDocuments/Notification.pdf</p><p>Few dates to remember:</p><p>Starting of online submission of application: March 9, 2015<br />Last date for submission of application: April 30,2015<br />Examination consists of two parts:<br />Part I (Paper I) : June 7, 2015 (10 AM-12 PM)<br />Part II ( Paper II &amp; III) :June 28, 2015 (9 AM-12 PM &amp; 2 PM-4 PM)</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Rahul Nayak</dc:creator>
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22053/binc-sample-question-paper</guid>
	<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2015 09:16:18 -0500</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22053/binc-sample-question-paper</link>
	<title><![CDATA[BINC Sample Question Paper !!!]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>BINC sample question paper. Wish you all the best for BINC examination.</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Jitendra Narayan</dc:creator>
	<enclosure url="https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/download/22053" length="4041" type="text/plain" />
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22044/binc-sample-question-paper</guid>
	<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2015 09:12:39 -0500</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22044/binc-sample-question-paper</link>
	<title><![CDATA[BINC Sample Question Paper !!!]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>BINC sample question paper for round ONE.</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Jitendra Narayan</dc:creator>
	<enclosure url="https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/download/22044" length="1260" type="text/plain" />
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22047/binc-sample-question-paper</guid>
	<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2015 09:14:14 -0500</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/view/22047/binc-sample-question-paper</link>
	<title><![CDATA[BINC Sample Question Paper !!!]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>BINC sample question paper round TWO.</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Jitendra Narayan</dc:creator>
	<enclosure url="https://bioinformaticsonline.com/file/download/22047" length="1621" type="text/plain" />
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/poll/view/19921/which-of-the-followings-are-the-best-place-to-study-bioinformatics</guid>
	<pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2014 00:20:30 -0600</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/poll/view/19921/which-of-the-followings-are-the-best-place-to-study-bioinformatics</link>
	<title><![CDATA[Which of the followings are the best place to study Bioinformatics ?]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Bioinformatics is a major growth area and qualified Bioinformaticians are in high demand. An explosion in biological data has resulted from genome projects, next generation sequencing and other 'omics' techniques. Bioinformatics provides the tools to analyse and exploit such data sets.<br /><br />Can you please suggest me the best place to study bioinformatics ( Grad/PostGrad).</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Reshma Khatun</dc:creator>
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/blog/view/21096/how-to-prepare-your-bioinformatics-cv</guid>
	<pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2015 01:50:01 -0600</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/blog/view/21096/how-to-prepare-your-bioinformatics-cv</link>
	<title><![CDATA[How to Prepare your Bioinformatics CV ?]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Preparing a CV is also an art as well as a requirement for a person applying for a job .<br /> Curriculum Vitae is the first impression on the employer so it should be the best.How It can be the best can be learnt.Here is a link where you can get guidelines on how CV can be prepared and a sample also. Preparing your own Curriculum Vitae can seem a daunting task, quite apart from what to put in and what to leave out, describing your own strengths and abilities isn't easy. What we have tried to do with the following guidelines is to make the whole process a much easier one and ensure that you end up with a professional document which shows you how to pitch your skills and stand out from the crowd. In the current economic and employment climate, employers are looking to consistently improve on productivity and match a prospective employee's skills and experience with the job needs, both now and in the future.<br /> <strong><br /> Presentation and layout</strong><br /> Always ensure that your CV is laser-printed on white, good quality paper, use a clean typeface and don't go smaller than 12 point.<br /> The use of sub-headings (e.g. Personal details, career history, etc.) will help potential employers glean the information they require with ease.<br /> There should be clear spaces between category headings for easy clarification and definition.<br /> Your name, address and phone number(s) should form the start of the document. If you are giving a work number add the following - 'please use with discretion.'<br /> Commencing with your present or most recent employer, state your career history. Then list your professional qualifications. If you have been working for many years list your academic qualifications and a very brief mention as to your college or schooling.<br /> If you are just commencing your working life, having previously been a student, provide more in depth knowledge regarding your academic achievements to date.<br /> <br /> <strong>Content</strong></p><p>Starting with your current or most recent employment provide details of your position as follows:</p><ul>
<li>A chronological CV should be arranged in reverse chronological order. It should be apparent immediately where you are now.</li>
<li>Remember that an application form is limited to the few things that a particular institution wants to know about everybody. A CV lets you give information that is unique to you. Add all your key accomplishments and activities in the initial draft. In subsequent drafts, you can remove information that may not be pertinent.</li>
<li>Resist the temptation to append explanatory sentences or language, which will distract the reader from the basic information being presented. The language of a CV is abbreviated and succinct. When applying for residency training, you will have the opportunity to express yourself in a personal or biographical statement. In the future, when applying for a job or some other type of position, you will want to include an appropriate cover letter with your CV to explain your particular qualifications and strengths for the position.</li>
<li>Don&rsquo;t despair if your CV doesn&rsquo;t resemble those of other students who are applying to the same residency program. Everybody&rsquo;s CV is different. Even if everyone used the same format suggested in this section, your CV will not resemble others&rsquo; because it doesn&rsquo;t have the same content. No residency program director is looking for a specific CV style. You will receive points for neatness, and readability.</li>
<li>Be honest. If you haven&rsquo;t accomplished anything in a particular category, leave it out. Don&rsquo;t create accomplishments to fill in the spaces. You can be specific about your level of participation in a project or activity, but don&rsquo;t be misleading (i.e., you can say you coordinated membership recruitment for your AMSA chapter, but don&rsquo;t say you were &ldquo;president&rdquo; unless you were).</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>Job title - time that you have held this position</li>
<li>The key tasks and responsibilities that comprise this role's requirements - notable achievements whilst in the role</li>
<li>Where possible quantify your achievements with precise facts and figures, e.g. managed junior staff, handled department budget, prepared management reports</li>
<li>Expand on the skills you are using in your current job which you believe will be valuable in the position(s) for which you are applying</li>
</ul><p>It is not necessary to state the reason you are leaving your current position. This will be a topic for conversation when you are invited for interview or can be covered in your letter of application.<br /> For all previous employment, unless one appointment was more significant than your current or last position, keep details brief i.e. the name of the company, job title, period of employment and the job.<br /> Be sure there are no gaps in your career history - unless for example you took a year out to travel, in which case make reference to this under Interests/Hobbies.<br /> If you are a student just starting work, give any evidence you can to demonstrate your practical skills e.g. school prefect, event organisation, member of sports team, contributor to college magazine or voluntary work.<br /><br /> You are under no obligation to disclose marital status, age or whether or not you have children unless these are specific criteria for selection for a position that you are interested in.<br /> Consider what examples (interests/ hobbies) you can give to show that you match the selection criteria.<br /><br /> If they want someone to work as part of a large team, remember to say if you belong to a local organisation or if you are part of a sports team.<br /><br /> If they want someone who will work on their own for large periods of time, make reference to an Open University course you are considering undertaking.<br /><br /> Your primary objective is to convince the prospective employer that you have the requisite skills, experience and hunger to do the job.<br /><br /> Your CV should be no more than two A4 pages and as every employer is different remember to customise your CV to every job you go after.</p><p>There are abundant books on the contents and presentation of a general CV. A BMJ article published in 1978, offering doctors guidance on how to prepare a CV, has been reprinted in the widely read How to do it series.1 2 A survey among postgraduate deans and training advisers at regional colleges found that the contents and presentation of a model CV for doctors in training has been published.3 It is perhaps surprising to note that these models differ significantly from one another. Although they may be useful as starting points, their differences tend to create confusion and anxiety among students. I would argue that these differences exist because the content and presentation of the "ideal" CV vary considerably among individual applicants, the stage of their careers, and the purposes for which the CV is used. It is impossible to create a generic CV. I have therefore not attempted to draw up another model CV. Rather, the purpose of this article is to outline the general principles and important practical points in preparing a good CV. General principles on contents Before finalising your CV for a particular purpose you must be sure of your objectives, whether it is used as an initial screening or the only selection instrument, and the criteria against which it is judged. What details, and how many of them, to include in your CV depends on these factors. I shall illustrate with examples relevant to medical students.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> (1) Job application Your objective is to get the job. In a job application, the CV is used for two purposes: as an initial screening instrument for shortlisting candidates and as a framework for discussion during the interview. The explicit criteria used for shortlisting are usually given in the job advertisement. For some organisations, separate lists of essential and desirable criteria are given. Alternatively, you can get a good idea of the basic requirements from the job description. Your CV must clearly highlight these criteria, preferably on the first page. These usually include: formal qualifications; registration with the General Medical Council; and the prescribed experience. It is sometimes easy to forget to mention items specifically asked for in the job description (for example, a valid driving licence). The implicit criteria are less easy to pinpoint. For example, how much detail on your BSc dissertation and publications should you include? Should you make a long list of extracurricular activities, interests outside medicine, and positions of responsibility? If you admit to a wide range of extracurricular activities and interests, would you be considered as a candidate with a well balanced mature personality or will it be interpreted to mean that you will have little time or interest to do your job? There are no easy answers. Common sense might tell you that BSc dissertation and publications are more important in application for teaching hospital or research posts, but less important for district hospital posts. Conversely, you might think that interests outside medicine are more important for posts in district hospitals or in general practice. This is, however, not always true. A few consultants at district hospital are highly academic. Information gathered from students and doctors working under the professor or consultant concerned may be vital. Alternatively, it is worth while doing your homework by looking up your prospective consultant in the medical directory. This may occasionally prompt you to include information that you might otherwise have left out. For example, you may find that the consultant qualified in Scotland and has previously worked in Scotland for a considerable time, and you may decide to add in your CV that you studied in a Scottish secondary school. Since the CV is only used as for initial screening, you need not go into your previous experience or extracurricular activities in too much detail. Highlight only the most significant points, and leave the details for the interview. If you are applying for a clinical post, one of your referees should be a consultant for whom you have worked as a student. You should ask for permission to use his/her name before submitting your application.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> (2) Application for research scholarship or PhD studentship The CV and application form are sometimes used as the sole selection instrument, and you must make enquiries before you submit your application. Clearly, academic ability is the main criterion for selection, and you should include as much information relevant to your academic ability and interests as you can. Examples are your A levels, your BSc dissertation, any publications (even in the form of a letter in newspaper), any experience as an editor (for example, for your school magazine). Your extracurricular activities are less important, and you can simply give a short list. At least one of the referees should be an academic - for example, your previous supervisor in your BSc degree.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> (3) Application to join a clinical course in another medical school Preclinical students who have completed an intercalated degree often have the option of applying to join a clinical course in another medical school, although it may become more difficult to do so with the introduction of the new GMC curriculum. Your CV is usually used for shortlisting candidates for interview. The criteria differ slightly among medical schools, but both academic ability and contribution to university life are important. Hence, not only should you highlight your academic achievements but you must also highlight your participation in the university (for example, in sports or music).&nbsp;<br /> <br /> (4) For the information of your tutor or counsellor For most medical schools, you are allocated a tutor who provides both academic and non-academic support and monitors your progress throughout your study on a confidential basis. Students are sometimes asked to submit their up to date CV to their tutors for information. Assuming that the tutors are helpful there is little to gain from over emphasising your strengths or hiding your weaknesses. Once you become a doctor in training after you qualify you will need to undergo an annual assessment of your progress. It serves to certify that you have reached a satisfactory standard, but it is also used as an aid to identify and help with your weaknesses. You may find it difficult to balance these two purposes in presenting your CV. General principles on presentation Now that all students are computer literate, there should be few problems in preparing a well presented CV. The following list serves as a reminder on how to present your CV effectively: Spelling or grammar mistakes - do not rely purely on the spell check on your computer. Ask friends to proofread your CV for you. Consistency - The use of punctuation to open and close sentences, justification, and fonts should be consistent. Readability - The headings should be clear. The font size should be no less than 12 point. Basic criteria - The basic criteria should be easily located, preferably on the first page. Length - The length of your CV increases as you progress up the professional ladder. For students, it should generally be no more than three pages. Quality of print - The CV should be printed on good quality paper, preferably using a laser printer. Practical points In this article, I argue that different versions of a CV may be required for different purposes. Even applications for different posts in the same specialty may require slightly different versions. Also, CVs need to be updated regularly. This would have been time consuming to achieve in the past, but it is now quite simple, with the aid of a basic word processing package. A master CV containing all relevant information should be prepared and saved as a computer file. This should be continuously kept up to date. When the need for a CV arises, it can be tailormade by editing the master document. It is important to save each of these edited versions separately, with the file names indicating the date when it was created and the purpose. It is also important to prepare a cover letter to go with the CV. Key messages A good CV is essential for successful progression up the medical professional ladder The contents of the CV should be tailormade for the purpose it is used for and the criteria against which it is judged. It is important to gather information about these criteria first The CV must be technically well presented, with the basic criteria easily located Information technology has made it simple to regularly update our CVs and allows preparation of different versions of a CV for different purposes with relative ease.</p><p><strong>Reference:</strong></p><p>Prepare a curriculum vitae. BMJ 1978;25(2):1478-9.<br /> O'Brien E. Prepare a curriculum vitae. In: Reece D, ed.&nbsp;<br /> How to do it. Vol 1. London: BMJ Publishing Group, 1995 Chambler AF, Chapman-Sheath PJ, Pearse MF.&nbsp;<br /> A model curriculum vitae: what are the trainers looking for? Hosp Med 1998;59(4):324-6.</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Neel</dc:creator>
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/news/view/22073/bcil-bioinformatics-bitp-application</guid>
	<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2015 04:34:56 -0500</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/news/view/22073/bcil-bioinformatics-bitp-application</link>
	<title><![CDATA[BCIL Bioinformatics BITP Application !!]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>BCIL Bioinformatics BITP Application Form 2015 logoGrab latest Information! Biotech Consortium India Limited has announced a notification for offering admission in Biotech Industrial Training Program. The organization has invited online application from 7th April 2015 BCIL Admission 2015. BCIL has conducted an entrance exam which is scheduled on 20th June 2015. Candidates those who are looking for this program just go for it and don&rsquo;t miss this opportunity.<br /><br />To apply for Biotech Industrial Training Programme the candidates should have 50% marks in B.Tech/BE/M.Tech Degree in Bio technology, bio process technology and other related disciplines form any recognized institution. The organization has decided application fee of Rs.500/- for all candidates and that should be paid through demand draft. Applicants who satisfy the organization requirement, they can take their steps forward.<br /><br />Candidates should submit the online application before 10th May 2015. After registering the online application you need to take the hard copy of it and send through post. Print out of this application should be reached before 15th May 2015. All the latest updates like selection process, exam syllabus and other related information are updated soon at the main URL of the department and aspirants should keep in touch with this site. Further details of BCIL Bioinformatics BITP Application Form 2015 are explained below.<br /><br />Organization: Biotech Consortium India Limited<br /><br />Website URL: www.bcil.nic.in<br /><br />Location: New Delhi<br /><br />Course Name: Biotech Industrial Training Program<br /><br />Exam Name: BCIL Entrance Exam<br /><br />Educational Details: Applicants should complete their B.Tech/M.Tech/BE programs in Neuro- Science, Agricultural, Bio technology, bio process technology and other related disciplines having 50% aggregate from any authorized university.<br /><br />Application Fee: For all candidates application fee is Rs.500/- and it will be paid through Demand Draft drawn in favour of BCIL, New Delhi.<br /><br />How to Apply: Candidates who are willing to apply for this program they can apply through online mode. Then send the hard copy of registered application form to through post.<br /><br />Important Dates<br /><br />Opening Date of Submission Online Application Form: 7h April 2015<br /><br />Closing Date of Submission of Online Application Form: 10th May 2015<br /><br />Last Date of Receipt of Application Form: 15th May 2015<br /><br />Exam Date: 20th June 2015</p><p>More at http://bcil.nic.in/default.htm</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Pranjali Yadav</dc:creator>
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	<guid isPermaLink="true">https://bioinformaticsonline.com/blog/view/21257/bioinformatics-phds-cover-letter</guid>
	<pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2015 12:48:52 -0600</pubDate>
	<link>https://bioinformaticsonline.com/blog/view/21257/bioinformatics-phds-cover-letter</link>
	<title><![CDATA[Bioinformatics PhDs - Cover Letter]]></title>
	<description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Overview</strong><br />The reception your cover letter will receive is more varied and unpredictable than the other elements of your application packet.&nbsp; Some readers, especially at large research universities, will skip it entirely, and focus instead on more direct indicators of your academic achievements and potential: the CV, letters, and writing sample.&nbsp; Most often, however, your cover letter works in tandem with your CV, and represents your best opportunity to communicate directly with your target audience prior to an interview.<br /><br />The cover letter should not simply repeat the information contained in the CV; rather it should elaborate and frame the aspects of your academic training and background that you want search committee members to have uppermost in their minds as they consider your candidacy.&nbsp; At a minimum, it should contain a clear statement of your research and teaching interests, and how your qualifications match the requirements of the job description. Many disciplines have their own conventions and protocols for application materials including the cover letter. Be sure to show a draft of your letter to your chair or the department's placement advisor.<br /><br />There is no perfect or even preferred style of cover letter save that tone should be that of a confident professional.&nbsp; Departments aren't interested in hiring graduate students (they already have enough of those).&nbsp; They are looking for serious scholars/teachers who will make interesting, congenial, and productive colleagues. While it is probably not a good use of your time to tailor your letter for each opening, you will probably need at least two base versions that emphasize different elements (You would not want to use the same cover letter to apply to Oberlin as UC Irvine). You may want to customize the letters for the three to five jobs most attractive to you.<br /><br />Your cover letter should not exceed a page and a half or two at the most.&nbsp; No one will read a four-page letter, and your apparent inability to communicate your credentials in a concise manner is not to your advantage. Every line of your letter should serve a demonstrable purpose. Some people have gotten excellent jobs with a brief, boilerplate letter containing no more than a short intro, a paragraph on their research, and a couple of sentences on their teaching. Others use letters that discuss in very specific terms how they, their research, and their teaching would "fit" within the existing department and institutional setting. The choice of style is up to you, and should reflect what makes you feel most comfortable and most positive about your credentials.<br /><br />There are, however, circumstances where a longer, more annotated version is more likely to be helpful. The issues you should take into account when making this decision are:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The size of the department/institution<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The extent to which your research is mainstream and its significance readily apparent<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The extent to which your qualifications diverge from those mentioned in the job ad<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The extent to which the institution to which you are applying differs from UC Berkeley and the relative importance of teaching versus research<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Unusual circumstances or career paths<br /><br />Size matters. The larger the department, the less detailed your letter needs to be.&nbsp; If there are already six people working in your sub-field, they can assess and translate the significance of your work to others in the department.&nbsp; If, however, you will be the only history of science person or the only physical anthropologist in the department, the search committee and others will likely need more help from you to understand the import of your work.&nbsp; Remember, if they are searching for your specialty they are understaffed in your area, and even if there is more than one person in your sub-field she/he may be on leave or otherwise uninvolved in the search.<br /><br />Similarly, smaller departments are more likely to be concerned than larger ones about the specific courses you are prepared to teach.&nbsp; If there are certain core courses your position needs to cover, make it unambiguously clear that you are prepared to do so even if you haven't taught them already.<br /><br />As a rule of thumb, the more your profile diverges from the specifics of the job description (or the norm, such that it exists), the more likely you will want to say more about why you are nonetheless a strong candidate.&nbsp; By doing so you can turn a question mark into an advantage.&nbsp; Highlight your strengths, and if you have time perform a little research on the department (see below) so you can explain how you would add to the department in ways that they might otherwise not have considered.&nbsp; Job descriptions are not always etched in stone. If you're very interested in the job, call the department and ask to speak to someone on the search committee.&nbsp; If that's too intimidating, call the departmental assistant or secretary. They can at least tell you if it&rsquo;s a new position or replacement which in turn can indicate whether they really need someone who can teach The Politics of Southern Africa or if Middle Eastern Politics would do just as well.&nbsp; They may well be willing to sacrifice a course in an area that the ad specified in order to get the extra teaching experience or innovative research that you have to offer, but only if you give them the opportunity and explain what they'd get in return.<br /><br />&nbsp;If you've taken an unusually long time to finish because you spent three years learning a new language in order to prepare for two years of original research or some other factor that enriches what you have to offer as a teacher or a scholar, let them know about it.&nbsp; Learning a new language, for example, is an indicator of your commitment to serious scholarship.&nbsp; Think of a way to put a positive valence on an aspect of your CV that you believe is likely to raise questions or doubts.<br /><br />As hard as it may be for not-yet-employed-but-soon-to-be academics like yourselves to believe, there are some individuals and departments that are intimidated by you and your institutional pedigree.&nbsp; There are many fine schools and departments that are convinced that every Berkeley graduate student is only interested in a position at Harvard, Princeton, or (hold your nose) Stanford.&nbsp; If it is a small liberal arts college, they may also assume that you view teaching and advising undergraduates strictly as a necessary evil. Ergo, why interview someone who will either look down their nose at us, and/or desert us for greener pastures as soon as their third book has been published and Yale comes calling.&nbsp; They often don't seem to realize that Berkeley graduate students are sincerely interested in a wide range of academic settings for a variety of reasons personal and professional, and, perhaps more to the point, Yale rarely "comes calling."&nbsp; An even greater burden of proof exists if a quick scan of your CV reveals that your all of your experience in higher education has occurred in a large, elite, research-oriented setting. How can you overcome this potential obstacle especially if you're very interested in a school that you have reason to believe may be suspicious of Berkeley PhDs?<br /><br />It's probably not advisable to write in a cover letter that they shouldn't be intimidated by lil' old you (i.e., "I'm really not very good; in fact, my advisor says I'm her worst graduate student in twenty years."), but there are ways to indicate a sincere interest in their department.&nbsp; One means is to do a little research, and briefly discuss how you might fit into the department and the institutional community-at-large.&nbsp; There are numerous articles written by faculty about the search process that state explicitly the positive impact it can have on their impression of a candidate to see evidence that that he/she has taken the time to learn something about them. Researching a department and its associated programs/research centers has never been easier.&nbsp; Virtually all colleges and universities are online, and their web addresses can be easily located using Education/Universities link.<br /><br />A second way to address fears of imminent flight is to provide evidence of ties to the area, the university, or lifestyle.&nbsp;&nbsp; If you are from the Midwest, have family nearby, or even if you just spent an enjoyable summer there, add a line about it and your desire to return to your cover letter for Purdue or Wayne State.&nbsp; If you did your undergraduate work at a similar type of institution, draw their attention to that link.&nbsp; Don't assume that they will notice where you got your BA on your CV, and make the connection.<br /><br />If you are applying to small, liberal arts colleges, don't just list the courses you've taught with a line of boilerplate about how important you take your teaching responsibilities to be. These days, a good, small college has a list price of about $30,000 a year, and close contact with people like you is one of their key selling points to parents and potential students. You are expected to be more than a lecturer, and your ability to convey your recognition of that fact and a sincere interest in working closely with students matters. Advising, participating in non-academic activities, watching your students grow and mature inside the classroom and out (and having an influence on that process) can be among the most rewarding aspects of the profession.&nbsp; If you value these broader elements of being a professor, let them know. In particular, if your own experience has been limited to large universities, think about describing an episode where you had a positive impact on the development of a student and the satisfaction you derived from helping him or her. At many small colleges, and large universities (including Berkeley) as well, one of the most significant pedagogical trends is fostering greater student involvement in faculty research.&nbsp; If you can articulate how this might occur for you and their students in a brief but thoughtful manner, it can alleviate some of the concerns occasioned by your Berkeley background.<br /><br />Your letter typically will have four segments: the introduction, research, teaching, and the closing.<br /><br /><strong>Introduction</strong><br />Be sure to identify the position you are applying for by rank and sub-field in the first sentence or two.&nbsp; It is not uncommon for departments to be engaged in more than one search in a given year, and large departments may have more than one in your sub-field.&nbsp; If it is an open rank position and you are applying as an assistant professor, in most cases you and your record of accomplishments will not be directly compared with those of more experienced candidates applying for it at the associate or full professor level.&nbsp; Rather, applicants are assessed based on where they are in their career path, and you have every chance of successfully competing against them.<br /><br />If you have finished, mention it up front. If not, state when you expect to file - no later than June 2003.&nbsp; Many readers will view your optimistic prediction with a skeptical eye, and anything you can say that makes the claim appear more credible (e.g., "I have written and my chair has reviewed four of the six chapters.") can help mitigate their concerns.&nbsp; You can put such a statement in the introduction or wait until you discuss the dissertation itself.<br /><br />If your discipline holds its annual meeting in the summer or early fall (i.e., before application deadlines) and you had an excellent conference interview, make reference to it in the cover letter including the names of the faculty with whom you spoke.&nbsp; By the time people actually start to read files, months may have passed and even the strongest of impressions can fade.&nbsp; But they can be rehabilitated and revived, especially if you can remind them of a specific strength, ability, or issue that seemed particularly salient during the interview.<br />Research<br />Unless you are applying to a school that cares only about your teaching (increasingly rare), a description of your research generally follows next.&nbsp; The challenge here is not simply to describe your research, but to frame it in terms of your sub-field and discipline. The search committee, hasn't lived, eaten and breathed Post-Edwardian Hermeneutics for the past five years the way you have. And they haven't been there every step of the torturous process like your friends and significant others. So forgive them for not immediately recognizing your research at first blush for the path-breaking work that it is.<br /><br />Departments want to know that in hiring you, they are adding someone who will make a future contribution to the discipline and enhance the reputation of the department. However, they are often ill-equipped to understand exactly how that will be true in your particular case. Many disciplines are sufficiently broad that leading or cutting-edge research in one sub-field is barely intelligible to those in others.&nbsp; In addition, when you became a candidate for the short list, your file will be read by department members outside your specialty, and, oftentimes later on in the process, by individuals outside your discipline as well. You need to describe the forest in which your tree resides, and explain why it matters in terms of the broader trends and issues within your discipline. Obviously, if your work is focused on one of the classic conundrums of your field, much less in the way of providing perspective is necessary than if you are addressing an emergent issue or employing an unconventional approach.<br /><br />If your research is particularly novel or cutting-edge, any markers of broader acceptance by other, more established scholars or scholarly organs in your field can ameliorate possible concerns about its relevance and potential importance.&nbsp; In discussing your work, note the recognition it has received in the form of competitive grants, awards, publications in refereed journals, and/or presentations at major conferences.<br /><br />It is also important to mention where you expect your research to go after the completion of your dissertation and the publications that will flow from it.&nbsp; They, especially at research-oriented institutions, want to know at least in broad terms where you expect to go from here.&nbsp; They want to see evidence of a scholarly agenda that extends beyond the dissertation.&nbsp; You don't need to have pages written or titles blocked out, but you need to tell them in a paragraph, (two at the most) about what questions intrigue you, and how you expect to go about finding the answers to them.&nbsp; These questions for future research may have been generated by the findings of your dissertation, unusual data uncovered during your fieldwork, or interesting side issues that you were forced to put off in order to keep your dissertation taut and focused.&nbsp; Think twice about mentioning future projects that appear entirely unrelated to your current work. Departments will want you to be firmly established in one area before you go off into another.<br /><br />The relative importance of teaching versus research is a continuous and not a discrete variable.&nbsp; Even schools that emphasize teaching in their job listing will generally want evidence of scholarly engagement and publishing potential. It is a very competitive market for students out there, and virtually all institutions are under pressure to sell themselves via the quality of their faculty to the limited number of good students in the applicant pool.&nbsp; A good marker for the relative importance of teaching versus research is the teaching load.&nbsp; An institution with a 3-2 teaching load (a total of five courses taught per two-semester year) will expect more in the way of and value research more highly than one with a 3-3 load.<br /><br />If you work in a capital-intensive area, mention your track record of gaining grants and other sources of external funding.<br /><strong>Teaching</strong><br />In a similar fashion, the more the institution you are applying to diverges from Berkeley and the more your profile differs from the job description, the more expansive you should be in talking about your teaching and what you have to offer their students.&nbsp; If you have won a teaching award at Berkeley, don't make them wait until they read your CV to discover that fact.<br /><br />For letters sent to large universities where you will be expected to teach large, lecture courses and graduate seminars, little is needed except to convey that you have the necessary experience and/or background.&nbsp; Since the dominant pedagogical style is the same as that found at Berkeley, it will be assumed that you will be able to do the same for them.<br /><br />If you have TA'd some of the courses that (based on the job description) you would be expected to offer, let them know.&nbsp; If you have not had that opportunity, but your fields and research fall within the domain of the job description, you may want to add a line about how well prepared you are to teach such courses based on your training and research.<br /><br />If your profile does not correspond exactly to the description found in the job announcement, but you believe that you could nonetheless teach the required courses, explain the basis for your confidence. What strength would you bring to the department that would more than make up for your "otherness"?&nbsp; Departments may decide that they don't "need" another conventional European historian if you can convince them that you can handle the core courses and offer something new that they don't currently cover as well. In this case especially, think about doing some research so you can speak in more specific terms about how you would fit into and enhance the department's offerings. Help them visualize how you would strengthen them as a department.<br /><br />Small colleges will want to know that you are able to teach on a more intimate basis and are prepared to take the time to do it well. If you give them three generic lines about how "important" you consider your teaching responsibilities, don't expect much of a positive response.&nbsp; Spend a couple of paragraphs describing your teaching experience and philosophy, and how you would take advantage of the opportunity to create you own courses.<br /><br />If you've had the opportunity to design and teach your own course, tell them, briefly, how you went about it and the choices you made. Don't just say you're a good teacher, tell them why. Look over your teaching evaluations and pick out one or two consistent strengths to highlight. Drawing on your experience, talk about how you engage students and enhance their skills (especially writing) and intellectual development.<br /><br />For good, small colleges, the quality of the teaching offered to students is their stock-in- trade.&nbsp; Even the most research-oriented, small colleges take teaching undergraduates very seriously. You need to demonstrate that you take it seriously as well, and can talk about it using more than vague generalities and shop-worn cliches.<br />Closing/Enclosures<br />Wrap it up quickly.&nbsp; If you are going to be traveling for any significant portion of the job search season be sure to let them know how they can contact you (email, cellphone and/or a Pacific Bell message center account are particularly good options).<br /><br />Before closing, include a sentence where you list the materials you have enclosed (e.g., CV, dissertation abstract, transcripts, teaching statement/portfolio, writing samples, etc.) and are having sent separately (letters of recommendation).&nbsp; You will often be assembling multiple packets at the same time (as in midnight October 14th, midnight November 14th, etc.) for jobs that ask for different combinations of enclosures.&nbsp; In addition to telling them what they should have received, it serves as a handy list for you to check before sealing the envelope.<br /><br />Should you send a writing sample, even if they haven't asked for one? Unless the norm in your discipline is to never send more than they ask for, if you've been smart and have already run off thirty copies at two cents per page (that's only sixty cents for a thirty page chapter) by all means send it.&nbsp; That way it's in the file should someone become interested in you and want to read more.</p>]]></description>
	<dc:creator>Martin Jones</dc:creator>
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