The Compleat Academic

Book excerpt: A new career in academia can be a challenge. While academia's formal rules are published in faculty handbooks, its implicit rules are often difficult to discern. Like its first edition, this expanded volume contains practical advice to help new academics set the best course for a lasting and vibrant career. problems beginning social scientists will face. Leading academics share the lessons they have learned through their own hard experience. Individual chapters present the ins and outs of the hiring process; the advantages of a post-doctoral fellowship; expert strategies for managing a teaching load; insider and applicant advice for winning a research grant; detailed instructions for writing and publishing a journal article; and an explanation of intellectual property issues. The text also addresses the latter stages of a career. It offers suggestions for keeping one's career dynamic. Chapters that provide specific information for minorities, women and clinical psychologists are also included, and the volume even presents options for working outside of academia.