The end of the semester has almost been like Christmas for the Career Services Library. Here are some of our recent additions to the library that you can come by and read now or when you return from break!
Behind the Academic Curtain: How to Find Success and Happiness with a PhD by Frank F. Furstenberg. From the publisher: More people than ever are going to graduate school to seek a PhD these days. When they get there, they discover a bewildering environment: a rapid immersion in their discipline, a keen competition for resources, and uncertain options for their future, whether inside or outside of academia. Life with a PhD can begin to resemble an unsolvable maze. In Behind the Academic Curtain, Frank F. Furstenberg offers a clear and user-friendly map to this maze. Drawing on decades of experience in academia, he provides a comprehensive, empirically grounded, and, most important of all, practical guide to academic life.
While the greatest anxieties for PhD candidates and postgrads are often centered on getting that tenure-track dream job, each stage of an academic career poses a series of distinctive problems. Furstenberg divides these stages into five chapters that cover the entire trajectory of an academic life, including how to make use of a PhD outside of academia. From finding the right job to earning tenure, from managing teaching loads to conducting research, from working on committees to easing into retirement, he illuminates all the challenges and opportunities an academic can expect to encounter. Each chapter is designed for easy consultation, with copious signposts, helpful suggestions, and a bevy of questions that all academics should ask themselves throughout their career, whether at a major university, junior college, or a nonacademic organization. An honest and up-to-date portrayal of how this life really works, Behind the Academic Curtain is an essential companion for any scholar, at any stage of his or her career.
Dr. Furstenberg is is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Sociology Emeritus right here at the University of Pennsylvania!
Working in American Theater by Jim Volz
From the publisher: This is the indispensable career guide for anyone interested in the theatre: the complete A to Z culled from industry expert Jim Volz’s experience and interviews with many voices in the theatre community. This guide is your first port of call from how to get your foot in the door to where, when and how to advance your career. In addition to advice, inspiration and strategies for all working practitioners, not just actors, it also features extensive listings and directories for regional companies, commercial theatre, festivals, touring companies, university theatres and children’s productions.
This book updates and replaces our previous holding, The Backstage Guide to Regional Theater, which was an extremely popular title in the library.
Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock & Sara Laschever
From the publisher: Combining fascinating research with revealing commentary from hundreds of women, this groundbreaking book explores the personal and societal reasons women seldom ask for what they need, want, and deserve at home and at work–and shows how they can develop this crucial skill.
By neglecting to negotiate her starting salary for her first job, a woman may sacrifice over half a million dollars in earnings by the end of her career. Yet, as research reveals, men are four times more likely to ask for higher pay than are women with the same qualifications. From career promotions to help with child care, studies show time and again that women don’t ask–and frequently don’t even realize that they can. Women Don’t Ask offers real-life examples of the differences between the negotiating habits of men and women, and guides women in retooling their attitudes and approaches.
Also recently added to our collection is the companion book, Ask For It, by the same authors.
The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty by Samir P. Desi & Kajani Katta
From the publisher: Did you know that the interview is the most important factor in admissions decisions? What can you do to achieve maximum success during the interview?
In 2011, the AAMC published a survey that evaluated the importance of 12 variables on admissions decisions. These variables included total MCAT scores, science and math GPA, and the interview. The interview was rated the most important factor, receiving a score of 4.5 (scale of 1 [not important] to 5 [extremely important]).
High GPA and MCAT scores do not guarantee admission. In the aforementioned study, approximately 8% of applicants with undergraduate GPAs and total MCAT scores of at least 3.8 and 39, respectively, failed to gain admission. As you can see, the interview is never just a formality. It can absolutely make or break your chances of acceptance.
All of these books and more can be found an enjoyed for your reference in the Career Services Library. We look forward to having you come by in the new year!
Thank you for the “Women Don’t Ask” recommendation – that is a new one to me, and I can’t wait to read it. Work life balance is already difficult enough for most women, and yes, so many sell themselves short during salary negotiations.
Can’t wait to read that one, glad I stumbled upon this blog post. Happy Holidays!