Recruitment 101 – by Kathryne Piazzola

Recruitment season is upon us once again. The CIE team is gearing up to travel to conferences and meet with qualified, diverse, prospective scholars for graduate and postdoctoral opportunities at Stony Brook. This time of year also brings to mind our current scholars who are planning to travel to a conference to present a poster or perhaps learn more about an organization. If this is you, here are three tips, based upon what we look for in potential candidates who stop by our table, for maximizing the effectiveness of your time in the conference exhibit hall.

  1. Come prepared: If you are approaching the table, you should be able to quickly and concisely explain to the representative(s) who you are, what research you are conducting and what types of information you are looking for (e.g. summer internships, graduate admissions, fellowships, postdoctoral/faculty positions). Recruitment representatives love when attendees have a copy of their CV to reference later. Make sure it has up-to-date contact information so that representatives are able to reach you for follow-up.
  2. Ask questions: We want to spend time with attendees who are truly interested in Stony Brook and the resources available to them through the Center for Inclusive Education. Attendees who ask questions and engage in mutual conversation stand out amongst the crowd. We suggest you research and pre-select questions to get you started. Do your homework about the institution you are approaching in advance of the conference. Know how your interests fit with their opportunities, and make this match known. Ask targeted questions about the institution that will help you understand your potential fit – “what is the culture like in the institution/lab/team?”; “why did you choose this institution/lab/team?”; and “what types of funding opportunities exist to support research?”. You also want to know “what is the average departmental time to degree for PhDs?”, and “what is the timeline of completion (including coursework, comprehensive exams and dissertation milestones)?”. As the conversation unfolds, more questions may come to mind, but hopefully you will be more comfortable to engage from this starting point.
  3. You are always networking: It’s possible that you may not have the specific qualifications a representative(s) is recruiting for at the time of the conference or meeting. However, you never know if a different opportunity will arise in which they will find you to be an ideal candidate. Whenever you are speaking with a representative, even if it is away from the recruitment table, you are networking. Be sure to smile, offer a firm handshake and engage in conversation. Follow-up with every person from whom you receive a business card or email address. The connections you make may seemingly have no immediate outcomes, but the network you build will have a ripple effect into your career.

AGEP-T FRAME and Turner Fellows have the opportunity to apply for conference travel support through these programs. Contact Karian Wright (AGEP-T FRAME) or Toni Sperzel (Turner) for details.  We recognize the impact these opportunities have on your professional development and career trajectory and would love to support your participation to make connections and build your professional network.

The CIE is particularly excited about two events we will be hosting, right here on the Stony Brook campus:

GEM Grad Lab – Saturday, October 24 – 9:00 am to 3:30 pm – LDS Center **tomorrow**

Graduate School Preview Day – Friday, November 20 – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm – Wang Center

If you are interested in experiencing what it’s like to serve as a recruitment representative, we  would love for you to join us at one of these events to represent the CIE and your graduate program – Please contact me (Kathryne Piazzola) for more information.

Alumni Voices: Dr. Sharonah Esther Fredrick

Every semester, the CIE will highlight the current work of an early career CIE alumnus. In recognition of the 2015 Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, we are featuring Sharonah Esther Fredrick, PhD in Hispanic Languages and Literature (December 2014). Dr. Fredrick currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS) at Arizona State University. We asked her a few questions about the journey leading up to her current position, as well as her hopes for the upcoming ACMRS Conference.

What factors influenced your decision to pursue a PhD in Hispanic Languages & Literature at Stony Brook?

At the age of 40, I embarked on my doctorate in Latin American literature after 17 years in international development and archaeology, in Argentina, Mexico and Israel. That pre-doctoral work took me to indigenous communities in Latin America, and to peace and reconciliation projects with Israeli and Palestinian professionals. Because I began (and finished) my doctorate at a later age, I wished it to have a genuine meaning in terms of my professional experience, and in terms of the daunting social reality faced by many Latino students in the US.

What do you remember most about your time as a Stony Brook PhD student?

In CIE, I was a Turner Fellow and participated constantly in research seminars and employment workshops. They were some of the most helpful experiences that I have had in all of academia, and in my professional life in general.

Can you share about your experience on the job market?

The irony of my time on the job market is that, while I did receive two other offers from searching in the conventional way, the one which interested me most by far was ACMRS. I heard about ACMRS by attending the annual conference, which really shows how important physical, “be there” networking is. Then, while I was in the finishing stages of my thesis, I applied for, and got, the position in which I am currently employed as the Assistant Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, at Arizona State University.

What do you hope to accomplish in your current position as the Assistant Director of ACMRS?

Through my teaching and writing, I hope to diversify the idea of Renaissance history, which often concentrates on Europe to the detriment of the areas conquered by Europe during that period. In the academic world, anti-indigenous prejudice is still palpable, intellectually and politically.

What are your future career goals?

If I project into the next ten years, I would like to see my career continue and blossom in terms of what I am currently doing: incorporating Latin American, African and indigenous studies more firmly into the field of general Early Modern and Renaissance studies, and widening the intercultural conversation regarding Early Modern cultural contact/ conquest/ and the grey areas in between.

Tell us about the conference that ACMRS is planning.

The 22nd Annual Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Interdisciplinary Conference will be held at the Embassy Suites in Scottsdale, AZ on February 4-6, 2016. ACMRS invites session and paper proposals that explore any topic related to the study and teaching of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and especially those that focus on the general theme of “Marginal Figures in the Global Middle Ages and Renaissance.” We encourage registration and proposal submissions from a wide variety of fields of study, as there are many disciplines whose investigative work addresses the topic of the conference.

I attended the ACMRS Conference prior to securing my current position as Assistant Director. In 2013, I was awarded a conference travel grant and delivered a paper on images of the dragon in Andean colonial chronicles and its relationship to pre-Colombian archaeology and iconography. I also presented as a panelist and featured lecturer at the ACMRS Conferences in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as the Fearless Females series in 2014. It was an excellent opportunity to connect with professionals in my field and to showcase my research and findings. I suggest that scholars research the conference travel grants available to them and to consider the networking opportunities that presenting at a conference can lead to. Here I am now working for ACMRS!

How can CIE Scholars submit their proposals for consideration to present at the upcoming ACMRS Conference?

Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until midnight, MST on December 4, 2015. Responses will be given within a week of submission. Please submit an abstract of 250 words and a brief CV to ACMRSconference@asu.edu. Proposals must include audio/visual requirements and any other special requests; late requests may not be accommodated. Any additional questions can be directed to 480-965-5900 or email acmrs@acmrs.org.