• Feature Article: It’s Never Too Soon and It’s Never Too Late

The Academic Ladder

The online newsletter for academics from graduate students to
tenured professors. Brought to you by AcademicLadder.com and
Gina J. Hiatt, Ph.D.

Today's Topic (Jan 12 2005);
Are you keeping your long term goals in mind? Long-term
planning and goal setting is correlated with career success.

Dear Subscriber,

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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• Feature Article: It’s Never Too Soon and It’s Never Too Late
• Book of the Week
• Resources, Recommendations, and Reviews
• Ask the Coach
• How to Change or Cancel your Subscription

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It’s Never Too Soon and It’s Never Too Late - Gina Hiatt, Ph.D
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IT'S NEVER TOO SOON

No matter where you are in your academic career, it’s never too
soon to plan for your academic future. Although it may seem
impossible, you should think about your goals for one, five or
even ten years in the future. Decisions you make right now can
have a huge impact on your career. Just a little advance
thinking can avoid problems later.

Grad Students
--------------------------------------------------------------
If you are selecting your dissertation topic, think about:

1. What kind of career you are hoping for? Academic or other?

2. What is the availability of positions for people graduating
within your specific domain? Of course, you should pursue what
you are passionate about; but frequently, people have more than
one passion!

3. Will that dissertation advisor be helpful and supportive?
What kind of record does (s)he have with his/her former grad
students in terms of how many finish their dissertations within
a reasonable time period? What kind of person would you work
best with – do you need a hands-on advisor or do you prefer to
check in from time to time? Find out if you and the potential
advisor are a good match.

Post Doc, Researcher, and Faculty
--------------------------------------------------------------

Even if you are only a few months into your new position, ask
yourself this: 

1. What 3 people would you ask to write you a recommendation?

2. Do you have an idea of what they would say about you?

3. If you are further out in your career, do you have a
publication schedule in mind?

4. If you continue to write and publish at your current rate,
will you make tenure? If no, then what positive steps can you
take to change this state of affairs?

Practical Tips and Action Steps
--------------------------------------------------------------

1. Make 3 “quick and dirty” timelines – for the next year, five
years, and ten years. Don’t spend more than five minutes on
each – the idea is to get yourself thinking. Leave some blank
space to be filled in later

2. Allow yourself to dream big – it’s ok to have an exciting
vision of the future.

3. Keep these timelines in mind over the next week or so, and
fill in some of the blanks.

4. Is there anything you should do right now to make sure those
future visions come true? Try to think in terms of small,
concrete steps, such as:
     a. I will visit one other researcher’s lab today to start
        networking
     b. I will spend 10 minutes looking at the paper I am
        writing to see if it can be broken into two publications

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

Don’t get nervous if you now realize what plans you should have
made in the past. Just start planning now – in 5 years you’ll be
glad you did. The small steps you take today will add up to big
differences in your life.

© Gina Hiatt, PhD
Gina is a dissertation and tenure coach. She helps academics,
from grad students wondering about their dissertation topic to
faculty members who want to maintain a high level of research
and writing, to reach their goals more quickly and less painfully.
 

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Ready to finish your dissertation?
Coaching can help you complete it more quickly with less pain.
Call or write Gina about individual or group coaching.
 
Overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being a junior
professor, or worried about getting tenured?  Call or write
Gina about individual coaching or her writing/time management
groups.

Stay tuned to this newsletter, which will give you hints,
reminders and practical suggestions for staying on track and
creating the career you deserve. And check out the writing/time
management groups on our website!
http://www.academicladder.com

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Book of the Week
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"Professors As Writers" by Robert Boice
Read this book if you're wondering why you have so much
trouble writing. By studying professors who wrote easily and
then using their techniques to train struggling writers,
Robert Boice was able to provide concrete suggestions that
work. This is a small book with a lot of impact.
Buy It Now!
http://www.academicladder.com/cmd.php?ad=117910

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Resources, Recommendations and Reviews
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Take an online assessment

Would you like to assess your progress on your dissertation or
on the climb to tenure? Check out the assessments on the website.
http://www.academicladder.com/cmd.php?ad=117909

What is Tenure Coaching?
http://www.academicladder.com/cmd.php?ad=117991

What is Dissertation Coaching?
http://www.academicladder.com/cmd.php?ad=117992

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their day. They can sign up at the website.
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Ask the Coach
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Have a question that you would like to have addressed in this
newsletter? Send it to mailto:questions@academicladder.com
and you could see your question answered in the next issue!

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In Our NEXT ISSUE:  Dealing with Entitled Students
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The Academic Ladder is published by
Gina J. Hiatt, Ph.D.,
6845 Elm Street, Suite 710
McLean, VA 22101.
Email Gina: mailto:gina@academicladder.com
Phone Gina: (703) 734-4945

All content ©2004 Gina J. Hiatt, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

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