208 F.E. Nwariaku

The answers will provide your HR office with a sketch of the potential job description, which will in turn determine the salary range. Many HR offices can also assist with the interview process.

Advertising

It is important to advertise these positions broadly. Most institutions have websites maintained by the HR department where local and outside candidates routinely check for information. It is also helpful to cast a wide net by calling your colleagues in other institutions or posting the position on scientific websites. Some useful websites for advertising include;

Science (http://recruit.sciencemag.org) Cell (http://www.cell.com)

Nature (http://www.nature.com)

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology’s Career Resources (http://career.faseb.org/careerweb/) Science’s Next Wave (http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/jobsnet.dtl)

Association for Women in Science (http://www.awis.org/jobbank.cfm)

References

Always check at least two references from prior employers, colleagues, or collaborators! We prefer a personal phone call or physical meeting, instead of email letters of reference, if possible. A personal phone call to the last employer is particularly important because many scientists are more comfortable providing honest feedback in person or on a phone call. The more referees you call, the more accurate your assessment. However one should avoid getting bogged down by numerous referee calls. Most people can get an accurate assessment after speaking to between 3 and 5 referees. Some guidelines for referee conversations include the following: