Introducing the ART of the Academic Job Talk
If you’re a doctoral candidate or postdoctoral fellow, let me guess where you are right now:
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You’ve forgotten why you fell in love with research in the first place
You’re wondering if academia is even for you, especially if you do research in areas that are under major scrutiny (e.g., health equity)
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You’ve spent years doing all the right things (e.g., conference presentations, publications) but now wonder if there will be any faculty jobs, given the unprecedented attacks on our universities
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You’re working hard on your teaching and research statements for your job market applications
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Introducing the ART of the Academic Job Talk
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a practice or two in front of your mentor and a few other faculty (none of whom are public speaking experts) and/or
Are there many ways to be effective outside of academia? Is there a shortage of academic jobs? 100 percent. But our universities (and science) will always need you and the other scientists in your generation to teach and do transformative research within the academy.
scrolling YouTube University and Reddit, hoping you can get your specific questions answered–and left feeling even more overwhelmed by conflicting advice
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I’m going to say something controversial. The biggest (controllable) hurdle to you getting an academic job isn’t your science. Rather, it has always been the academic job talk.
The problem is that you’ve been more or less forced to figure out how to give one of the most important talks of your career by either:
talking to the prior cohort of trainees in your department
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Is doing things bit by bit working for you?
Here’s the truth: nobody has taught you to give an academic job talk that allows you to confidently convey your unique value and your vision for your career. Public speaking programs and coaches that serve the general public are not specific enough to help aspiring faculty members and research scientists like you.
(Spoiler alert: it isn’t.)
You may have joined Toastmasters or thought about enrolling in a public speaking course at your university. You may have even signed up for a few private lessons with a public speaking coach to help you get over the jitters.
This is what I hear from faculty on academic search committees about why trainees/job market candidates aren’t getting the job offer:
You’ve pulled together all of this advice and practiced your talk as much as you can. Your application materials and initial interview are so good that you even get invited for a final flyout. Maybe two or three! But when it comes to the job talk, the confident scholar that the search committee was excited about seems to have disappeared. Your talk feels robotic, and you’re stumbling over your discussion of the data and methods you’ve been working on for years. You can’t seem to articulate why this research that you’ve spent years on is so vitally important.
Unable to communicate the big picture of their work
Can’t tell a story that brings along folks who may not be privy to the same narrow expertise
Can’t communicate complicated concepts (or methods) in a clear way for non-experts.
Doesn’t motivate the talk sufficiently
Doesn’t convince the audience that students will be excited to learn from their lectures
Crams too much information onto the slides in a tiny font
Doesn’t answer the questions directly, and doesn’t ask for clarification if the question is vague.
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As someone who’s served on multiple search committees, I am sorry to tell you that these complaints are all too true. But it makes me so sad because they mean that you, the brilliant trainee, don’t get the job you want, and that your amazing science gets buried. And that means we ALL lose.
Can I be real for a second, though? It’s not your fault. It’s a systemic issue. Between teaching, doing their own research, and increasing levels of service, your mentor likely doesn’t have time to give you the in-depth attention you need for a kick ass talk.
And…many faculty get jobs in spite of their job talks, not always because of them. Very few of them get classes or training in their graduate programs on how to give powerful and effective job talks in the first place.
Can I be real for a second, though? It’s not your fault. It’s a systemic issue. Between teaching, doing their own research, and increasing levels of service, your mentor likely doesn’t have time to give you the in-depth attention you need for a kick ass talk.
And…many faculty get jobs in spite of their job talks, not always because of them. Very few of them get classes or training in their graduate programs on how to give powerful and effective job talks in the first place.
Ready to talk?
Schedule your strategy session now.
Here’s the solution:
The easiest way to do this?
Mastering the art of scientific storytelling.
Storytelling is the secret sauce to make your vision come to life for both academic and non-academic audiences.
We often shy away from storytelling because we think people won’t take us seriously. But storytelling done right helps the audience remember better and connect to you and your work. It also helps you to better communicate the value of your research (win-win).
More than that, you need a repeatable system for doing this so that you can focus on your science and not spinning your wheels to put together a talk.
Ready to talk?
Schedule your strategy session now
Let’s Talk Next Steps
About me:
- Tianhao Liu
“I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Green during workshops for the Three Minute Thesis competition, and I was truly impressed by her ability to quickly grasp the core message of a research project and transform it into a clear, concise, and compelling explanation. Beyond that, she is an incredible teacher, skillfully guiding participants through the process of refining their communication skills and helping them present their research in an engaging and accessible way.”
“Dr. Green’s session on how to make presentations more effective was truly insightful and thought-provoking! It was definitely a great learning experience for doctoral students like me who want to present more confidently and effectively. Also, Dr. Green is not only knowledgeable but also very kind and funny—really appreciated the energy and encouragement!”
- Felipe Coelho
Here’s what I’m offering with the Art of the Academic Job Talk
Want these kinds of results? Let’s talk.
How do we deliver the system for improving your academic job talk with our 3-month ART of the Academic Job Talk program?
Phase 1: Crafting Your Research Story (Month 1)
Phase 1
Leverage data visualization to amplify the impact of your words
Spacious, intentional slides are a key part of supporting your arguments. Learn how to create slides that sell your ideas.
Communicate a short- and long-term research agenda for your work
Explaining your complicated research can be very challenging. Learn how to use storytelling to make academic research come to life for both academic and non-academic audiences
Learn and apply Tiffany’s Scientific Storytelling framework to articulate the big picture of your research
Learn to narrate complex research ideas simply, and cut down on academic jargon
Investing in your presentation skills is an investment in your future. Whether you’re preparing for a job talk, TEDx-style stage, a conference presentation, or a career-defining keynote, this program is designed to elevate your communication skills, boost your confidence, and ensure your message makes a lasting impact.
Phase 2
Learn how to intentionally plan your visual aids before you open presentation software
Improve your presentation design skills to give your work a visual edge
Phase 2: Crafting Your Visual Story (Month 2)
Phase 3
Use vocal variety to keep people engaged
Learn to choose the ‘right’ words to make your research accessible
Use gestures to make your research presentation even more powerful
Phase 3: Developing Skills in Speechcraft (Month 3)
Boring academic talks are the norm. We will change this by learning public speaking skills that will keep audiences engaged in your work and become excited about investing in you as a scholar.
Phase 4
Learn how to intentionally plan your visual aids before you open presentation software
Improve your presentation design skills to give your work a visual edge
Phase 4: Learning to Think on Your Feet (Month 3)
Audience Q and A is make it or break it time for many job market candidates. Learn to handle questions in a way that shows the scholar you are and will become.
Every month, we’ll track your progress to make sure you’re reaching your goals.
Ready to Get Started?
In addition:
You’ll have access to all recorded sessions for six months after the end of our time working together.
The details:
10-minute personalized Loom video assessment of your job talk (or any challenges you might have if the job talk isn’t drafted)
2x monthly group coaching calls. Each call will be a blend of instruction (e.g., on scientific storytelling) with practical examples that we’ll work on in real time. You’ll also get personalized feedback on your own job talk to ensure you’re on the right track.
Slack community. Post here for answers to your questions so that you can learn in a supportive, welcoming community.
In addition, if you are one of the first ten people who sign up before September 1st, you will receive one 1:1 60-minute session with me to review your job talk. Use this time however you’d like for job market advice or working out any details of your talk.
Investment
The investment will be $3,997 at regular pricing starting September 1, but for those who join early, you will receive $500 off your investment.
(We start September 15th.)
Your payment options:
1. One-time payment of $3497
2. Three monthly payments of $1,167
Bonus!
If you'd like live feedback, schedule a session.
Still have questions? I’m happy to answer them.
No program, including this one, can promise that you’ll receive a job offer. There are so many factors that go into a job offer, and you should run from anyone who makes this kind of unrealistic promise.
What I can guarantee is that if you put in the work, you’ll experience a transformation in your ability to articulate the story of your research and why it’s important. That skill will translate into many areas of your life. And, you will be more competitive as a finalist in job searches.
This program is definitely for you if you work in the social sciences and related fields like education and public health. I’ve also coached many people from the basic sciences as well. I’m not as familiar with hiring practices in fields like history, so let’s talk first to see if this would be a good fit for you.
All sessions will be held on Zoom. (Note, if you’re a university decision maker reading this, please reach out for a custom proposal for doing this program in person.)
No problem! I can help you craft your talk from scratch, refine your message, and structure your presentation for maximum impact.
Absolutely not! While having a draft can be helpful, this course will help you to build a competitive job talk from start to end.
If you show up and implement the frameworks and strategies that we discuss, you can expect to see a positive difference after the first month. If you already have a draft, you will have a revised (and more competitive) job talk within two weeks. If you’re starting from scratch, it might take a couple of weeks longer, but you will still have great results if you do the work.
Glad you’re in! You can get on the waiting list now, and the doors to enroll in the course will open on August 1.
Let’s talk about how I can help you articulate your unique value through scientific storytelling.
Send me an email at tiffany@thetlgconsulting.com or send me a LinkedIn DM here. We’ll chat and see whether this program is the right fit for you. If not, I’ll recommend some other resources that might be helpful.
