Apply Early
Top positions open early. Many recruit on a rolling basis. For the rolling ones, an early application is a non-trivial advantage due to the high search cost (of reviewing data tasks and conducting interviews). Have the following ready (i.e. written, reviewed by faculty / alumni / peers, rewritten, and proofread 3+ times on different days) by late August:
- CV
- Annotated transcripts
- Generic cover letter
- Writing sample / thesis
- A coding sample for each language you know
- 2~3 recommendation letters
- Some recommenders WILL wait until the very last minute to write you a letter
- Personal experience: I know someone who made it to / past the final interview but missed the job because their letter was submitted too late
- Around mid-late summer, send over to your recommenders:
- all your application materials
- a list of positions you are applying to, the JDs, how and by when to submit letters
- a list of your highlights / most significant research contributions / examples of your best qualities as a researcher
- After that, you should regularly (e.g. weekly) check in gently with your letter writers to answer any of their questions and to make sure they are on track
- Some recommenders WILL wait until the very last minute to write you a letter
Have 0 Typos
This is a common advice. Typos signal bad “attention to detail”, which some PIs value. The lack thereof leads researchers to make stupid mistakes that could cost days or weeks to fix, and it undermines the credibility of their research work and code. In your writing materials (cover letter, CV, and writing sample) you should try to reduce typos / errors, but don’t stress about it.
Personal experience: I got an offer from a position whose PI read my thesis which has a huge typo in the abstract.
Make Slides for Your Thesis
- You will almost always be asked about your thesis / independent research projects during interviews. A slide deck helps you present your thesis clearly and professionally. Consider using beamer.
- If you have 0 independent research projects, makes slides for the RA project to which you contributed the most
Craft HR-friendly Cover Letters
Depending on the position, your cover letter may be first screened by an HR with little quantitative background. The HR may have so many applications to review that they look for excuses to throw away yours. Don’t give them any excuse to. Don’t throw economics jargon everywhere - nobody will eventually read your jargons if the HR trashes your application. Be sincere and show your interest in the position. Ask your roommate majoring in studio arts to read it, and re-write until they feel compelled to hire / interview you.
Personal experience: in my junior year I applied to lots of summer RA positions with an insincere and poorly crafted cover letter full of technical jargons. I received only one offer and 0 other interviews, despite my advanced classes at Harvard, great technical skills, and extensive RA experience.
Bottom line: even if you could tell the counterfactual of every factual in the world, nobody cares unless the HR gives you a pass.
Annotate Your Transcripts
Middlebury’s transcript is not the clearest, and some top predocs (e.g. Amy Finkelstein) seek details of your courses not conveyed by the standard transcript. Annotate it to include your class year for each semester, textbooks used for each important class, alternative course names, etc.
Connect To Other Applicants
Competitive candidates usually get multiple offers. Some star candidates, when turning down offers, may express their appreciation to the offering PI by referring the job to their connections.
Personal experience: I know someone who got referred to, and eventually received an offer from, a top predoc from his friend who declined the offer.
Networking [tbc]
Before you decide to apply for a predoc position, talk to someone who work(ed) there. A short conversation can teach you a lot about the job, and sometimes you realize that you’d rather not apply.