Comments and Links Regarding Careers/Jobs/etc. for Undergrads, Grad students, and Postdocs in Astrophysics
Eric Mamajek (last updated 4/19/2016)
This was written before I left UR to take a new position working at
Jet Propulsion Laboratory - so it is somewhat dated, but hopefully
still useful.
The academic career path is not for everyone. I spent five years as an
undergrad at Penn State, one year doing a masters degree and
fellowship in Australia, five years as a grad student at University of
Arizona, then four years as a postdoc at CfA in Boston (hence fifteen
years total between graduating high school and getting a junior
faculty position). I've changed cities seven times since high school,
and at last count I was on my 22nd apartment/house. Needless to say, I
was pleased to have landed a tenure track position at UR after only
one postdoc. It has been a long journey, and I have met many people in
various stages in their careers along the way. It is hard to believe,
but I am now "mid-career" (yikes).
I would like to share with you some thoughts on "what I wish I had
known" along the way. The key is find out what is important to
you, to decide a direction and course of action, and to execute
it. You are the only one who can reasonably decide your career
direction. I hope that my comments here regarding becoming an
astronomer cause you to think about what trajectory you are on, why,
and whether you should consider a change in course. Remember that
everyone makes mistakes along the way, but it always helps to learn
from other people's mistakes first!
At all stages in your career you should be asking yourself what
kind of job would I enjoy doing? And not only the "field", but
what type of "activity" would you prefer? And its OK if that answer
changes over time -- I suspect that it does for most people. While my
early interests were in meteorology, geology, and other areas of
physics, I was fairly sure by the time I was a freshman undergraduate
that I wanted to be an astronomer. I was sure that I wanted to do
research, and pretty sure that I would enjoy teaching.
As a professor, my time is almost evenly split between research,
teaching, and service. The first two are probably
obvious to students, however the last may not be. All faculty have
different service components, and indeed we do service both for
"internally" the university and "externally" for our profession.
Examples of my "internal" service is chairing the astrophysics seminar
committee and serving on PhD defense and qualifying exam
committees. Examples of my "external" service is serving on the time
allocation committee for the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes, and
being lead editor on the conference proceedings for an IAU
symposium. At UR, we are expected to teach a course per
semester (and teach effectively!), and we are expected to be
productive researchers. This means building a research group,
involving students in our research activities, doing our
experiments/observations/etc., publishing our results, and applying
for funding to continue our research or start new projects (usually
from e.g. NASA, NSF, etc.). For all aspects, one needs to be an
effective communicator, both in terms of speaking and writing. One can
not work in a vacuum!
Nearly all jobs related to astronomy/astrophysics involve some
combination of research, teaching, and service.
And there are jobs along any extrema of those three axes (i.e. all
research, all teaching, all service). Also, there are three other
axes to think about regarding the type of astrophysics you're
interested in: theory, observation, and
instrumentation. There are a few rare phenoms who excel at all
three, but most people specialize along one (or at most two) of these
directions. So it is important to ask yourself early on what type of
position would be the most satisfying to you. That way you can tailor
your CV and experiences to that type of position before you apply to
that type of position.
Here is some watered-down advice at various places in the climb
to being an astronomer:
In high school, make sure you ace your physics and math classes
(but take your other classes seriously too; unbeknownst to me at the
time, two of my most valuable classes were typing and
Spanish!). Knowledge of the constellations and night sky is
unimportant (a surprise to some students!) -- but strong math and
science backgrounds are critical. English is also important as
you will spend more time writing than you can imagine. In terms of
other languages -- Spanish may be the most useful to the future
astronomer. At international astronomy meetings, English is
(ironically) the lingua franca. However, there are many current
observatories in - and future astronomical telescopes that will
be built in - Latin America (mainly Chile and Mexico; e.g. CTIO,
Gemini, SOAR, ESO, VLT, ELT, ALMA, GMT, LMT). Indeed, there is also a
growing number of physics experiments in Latin America as well:
e.g. Pierre Auger Observatory, HAWC, etc. There are many reasons for
this: availability of great sites (high, dry, low light pollution),
growing economies and growing numbers of scientists and engineers (and
hence abundance of local expertise), and the difficulty and/or
undesirability of building new large projects in e.g. USA, Canada,
Europe, etc. (lack of good sites, environmental and cultural concerns,
etc.). As it appears that a major portion of new astronomical projects
will be sited in Latin America, and given the growing number of
astronomers in those countries - I would suggest Spanish as the best
language to take in high school (I am also biased as my wife is
Chilean!). Other languages may be helpful in particularly settings
(French, German, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese), but the
international astronomy meetings and major astrophysics journals all
conduct their business in English. Weigh your options for colleges.
College is getting way too expensive -- more expensive is not always
best. Remember that you'll have to pay off all that debt when you're
out of grad school -- right around the time that you might think about
putting a down payment on a house! Make sure your prospective college
has a decent physics and/or astrophysics department with at least some
of the faculty doing research that you find interesting.
As an undergrad, do well in all of your classes, but
especially physics and math. Find a research project with a professor
to work on, either during the summer (preferable) or during the
semester. Sophomore year is probably the ideal time to start
research. If you can, apply to an REU program to do summer research at
another institution. Note that lots of research experience is no
substitution for good grades! I'm seeing more and more students
applying for grad school that have done nice research projects as
undergrads, but their physics/math/astronomy grades are not good
enough to convince a grad school admissions committee that they could
pass the hurdles of a physics-heavy graduate curriculum. The most
useful computer languages are probably compilable codes like C, C++,
and Fortran (simply because so much has already been written in these
languages) and script languages like Python (which is growing more
popular) and Perl. Lots of astronomical data analysis is done in IDL
and iraf. Java - while historically a popular language for many
applications - is not used by many scientists that I know. Whether
you are a Windows or Mac user, you'll have to learn the Unix/Linux
environment at some point. Grades are obviously important, so make
sure you are getting mostly As and A-s (Bs are not the end of the
world). Don't worry if your school has little or no astronomy
curriculum -- math and physics are key. Make sure that some professors
have gotten to know you, either through research (preferably) or
classwork -- you'll need letters from ~3 people when you apply for
graduate programs. Physics GRE scores are important, but I'm not
convinced that they are the best predictor of future success. Physics
GRE scores are usually looked at as defining a "threshold" level of
physics knowledge, i.e. below a certain level (which would vary
dept. to dept.) it may be very difficult to get into a graduate
program. If you don't yet have a CV - make one and update it from time
to time. Remember to have fun!
Between undergrad and graduate schools: This is something to
think about.
A) do you really, really want to go to grad school? B) if you do -- do
you really, really want to go right away? While the answer for most
graduate students is "yes", this may not be the best automatic choice
for you. In my senior year at PSU, I won a Fulbright fellowship which
enabled me to do research for a year at the Australian Defence Force
Academy in Canberra, Australia. This was one of the best years of my
life, and I would have missed it had I simply gone straight from
undergrad to grad school. Other people I know took time off to try
their hand at a "real" job (e.g. usually computer-related) or to do
something completely unrelated (a volunteer position). For most people
in their early 20s, they are not "tied down", so after graduation can
be a great time to do "something else". This also gives one time to
think about how badly you really want to spend the next 4-8
years in grad school! Some people miss academia and can't wait to
return. Others find meaningful employment in the "real world" and
never look back. Either way, a "short term" interlude doing something
else can be win-win if it helps you figure out what want to do in the
"long term".
Selecting a grad school and visits: this is a tough one
since every sees different positives and negatives in
astronomy/physics departments and universities. I have a few general
pieces of advice, in no particular order of importance (they're all
important).
Beware of a grad school where the graduate students, in general, do
not seem happy. You should be able to sense whether there is a
cloud of discontent over the majority of the grad population. Every
program will have a few malcontents, but if the majority of the grad
students seem unhappy, that is probably a good sign that you should
run screaming and look elsewhere. Be on the look out for
up-and-coming programs which may not have had the best reputation in
the past, but whose futures are looking brighter. Every student
seems to know which programs are "best" based on reputation. But
reputations can be dated, and those programs with a great reputation
may not be "best" for them in particular. Similarly, be on the look
out for up-and-coming faculty, who you may not of heard of before, but
whose futures are looking bright. One of the reasons that I went
to University of Arizona in the late 1990s was because there was more
than a handful of really great professors there doing really research
on topics that I found very interesting. But, I ended up being the
first PhD student of a guy who was a 32-year-old postdoc when I first
started working with him (Michael Meyer) and Arizona was smart enough
to hire him my first year of grad school. Some (not all) of the more
senior people with great reputations could also be slowly ramping down
their careers and working with fewer or no grad students - so they may
not be a viable advisor with a ~5 year time-horizon. I would also
claim that it is far too risky to go to a grad school based on the
work and reputation of one star faculty member. This is like
investing your retirement in a single stock -- it is far wiser to
hedge your nest egg with a balanced portfolio of high and low risk
investments. Translation: it is a good idea to go to a program where
you are reasonably confident that there are at least 3-5 people that
you think you could see yourself doing PhD thesis research with based
on your interest in their work. Some of the missing pieces of the
equation are: can a given professor take on another grad student when
you are looking for PhD work? And is that professor's personality one
that you could deal with for ~5 years? And are the students already
working for that professor/those professors happy, working on
interesting research, and generally optimistic about their future
prospects? Also, your ears should be tuned in to the reputation of
your potential advisors. Reputations -- both good and bad -- are
usually "earned" based on years of interactions between individuals
and their students, postdocs, and coworkers. A few bad stories may
start to paint a picture that a certain faculty member is not one that
you should work with. That being said, every student has a different
personality, as does every faculty member -- some people work well
together (sometimes surprisingly so), and some people realize that
they couldn't work together after only talking for a few minutes. Grad
school is a huge investment of your time and life -- but you can stack
the odds for a good experience and future dividends by being smart
when finding research advisors. Lastly, make sure the city hosting
your grad school feels right to you - this is obviously important
if you prefer certain types of weather, terrain, activities, or prefer
to be near friends or family. Don't dismiss the importance of this to
your psychological well-being.
Ah, grad students! So you've decided to spend the best years of
your life in front of a computer writing code, crunching data, and
writing a thesis! Take your "prelim" or "qualifying" exam very
seriously -- in whatever format it takes -- and study! That
being said, it is not the end of the world if you fail such an exam,
provided you pass the 2nd time. I know several astronomers who went on
to have successful careers that failed their first prelim or
qualifying exam. It looks great if you get a research or teaching
fellowship which helps pay the bills. These are rather competitive, so
getting a fellowship as a grad student looks great on your CV. It is
also good training for doing something that scientists need to way too
often: write proposals to fund their research! Picking the right
research advisor is tricky -- ideally you work with someone who's
personality you can tolerate (or enjoy), and who is working on
research that you enjoy (or can tolerate). It is also good to get to
know other professors -- you'll obviously need more letters and
eventually members of your PhD committee -- but also, you may decide
to switch research projects in your first or second year for various
reasons. Remember to give talks! Now is the time to get comfortable
getting up in front of a room and talking about your research, someone
else's research (journal club), or anything. You'll need to give good
talks in the future (job talks, conferences, etc.), so now is a good
time to practice in the "sandbox" of grad school. If you don't yet
have a CV - make a good one and update it from time to time. In your
last year -- apply for postdoc fellowships (e.g. Hubble, Einstein,
Sagan, NSF, etc.)! And start working on your job applications
materials early (i.e. ~August)! Remember to have fun!
Postdocs! Congratulations "doctor", you have a PhD diploma! Now
what? This can be the most frustrating part of the trip as sometimes
astronomers go through several short-term positions before they land
more permanent positions (meanwhile, other life changes may be making
this a rather tricky endeavor). While you may be being paid to do a
particular job for a professor/astronomer, you need to be thinking
about improving your chances for getting the next job. You should be
applying for tenure-track positions whenever you see a good position
come up in the AAS job register. Publish your work in a timely
manner. Go to conferences. Give talks. Make yourself known (hopefully
for good reasons). Network with other astronomers. Maybe join some
research groups working on different projects. Get on a review
committee -- either a time allocation committee (TAC; e.g. Hubble) or
a grant reviewing committee (e.g. NSF, NASA). Reading other people's
proposals will help you refine your own style in writing your
own. Keep thinking about what kind of position you really want:
professor at a research university? teaching at a small liberal arts
college? staff at national observatory? or something completely
different? Another new skill to master: learn to say NO! Your
time is valuable -- and some things are a waste of time, so think
before you agree to volunteer to do something. Remember, again, to
have fun!
If there is something to sum up success as a research scientist,
it might be:
"Work on interesting topics, learn to work effectively in
collaborations, do careful research and write quality research papers,
advertise your results, keep learning new skills, work with talented
colleagues whose specialties compliment your own skills, and
preferably work with supportive senior scientists who are familiar
with your work and can write effective letters of
recommendation."
I find the most challenging
part to be "learning new skills" as one needs periods of uninterupted
time to invest in this activity - and uninterupted time becomes more
and more scarce as you progress in your career.
Ideally you are working on a topic which you can easily explain to
a non-scientist in one or two sentences, and even they can appreciate
the relevance. I have encountered several mid-career and
late-career scientists over the years that felt there work was
unappreciated, and they would express frustration that it was
difficult to get funding and telescope time to pursue their
topics. After some questioning, I realized that they were working on
research topics that few astronomers were interested in - or topics
that were more "hot" a couple decades ago, but that few people were
working on now (i.e. "low-impact", or there work was somewhat
"incremental" - but few scientists cared for the "increment"!). Most
of the people that I have known that went to school for a degree in
astronomy and/or physics, whether they are still in a career where
they are doing research or teaching astronomy and physics, or not,
seem to be glad with the path they've taken... even if they are now
doing something very different.
You will also run into people that are bitter. That may have had
negative experiences either as undergrads, or in grad school, or as
postdocs. They may have had a bad advisor, or felt slighted,
underappreciated, over-pressured, or even discriminated against. Some
have left the field, and are quite proud of the fact, and enjoy
reminding people over and over (ad nauseum). No experiences are the
same. It is a good idea to listen to stories of the bad experiences,
to learn from them where applicable, and to hope that we can all do
better as a colleague, friend, or advisor. However, one person's bad
experiences or opinions shouldn't dissuade you from pursuing your
dreams.
Well, I'll update this page periodically in case I can think of more
useful things to say. This website is not meant to be exhaustive, but
I think I've covered the highlights. I've added the following links to
help you see what is out there in terms of jobs, and for the little
things that help along the way.
For All Students and Postdocs:
American Astronomical Society (AAS) Career Services - read the job profiles
AAS Job Listings: postdoc, faculty, staff positions. See what sorts of jobs are out there and what qualifications they are looking for.
ADS bibliographical query: find astrophysics papers on your favorite topics and by your favorite authors
"Scientist: Four golden lessons" by Steven Weinberg
AstroBetter - Tips and Tricks for Professional Astronomers
Undergrads:
Summer internship advice and opportunities - AstroBetter
So you want to go to graduate school in astronomy? - excellent practical advice from my former classmate Jane Rigby
AAS list of astronomy degree granting institutions
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer programs (while doing research at your home institution looks great, it also helps if you've done summer research somewhere else; deadlines vary by host)
NSF Graduate Student Fellowships (deadline is ~November).
Fulbright Program - an excellent way to spend a year abroad between undergrad and grad school.
Applying to the UR Physics/Astronomy Graduate Program: recently ranked second nationally in overall graduate student satisfaction!
Grad Students:
NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (deadline 1 Feb)
NASA Earth & Space Science Fellowship Program (deadline 1 Feb)
NSF Graduate Student Fellowships (in case you missed it as a senior ugrad; deadline is ~November).
Postdoctoral prize fellowships: Hubble, Einstein, Sagan, Clay, etc.. These and others start appearing in the AAS Job Listings in the summer, and usually have Oct-Nov deadlines.
Astrophysics Job Rumor Wiki: Faculty & Staff and Postdoc & Term
Suggested Reading
Planning for Graduate Studies in Physics and Related Fields (PDF) - Dennis Henry, American Association of Physics Teachers - a must read for undergraduate physics or astronomy majors
A Ph.D. is Not Enough! A Guide to Survival in Science by Peter J. Feibelman. Easily the best text on the subject both for advanced undergrads and graduate students. A breezy, but necessary 109-page read.
Tomorrow's Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering by Richard M. Reis. A worthwhile read, especially for newly minted PhDs/postdocs. An insightful look at academia and faculty jobs.
NASA ROSES solicited research programs & deadlines