Per ersp spect ectiv ive e fr from a om a R Rece ecent nt Gr Gradua aduate te AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting Seattle, Washington June 2018 Genna R. Cohen, PhD gcohen@mathematica-mpr.com
My Background • PhD in Health Services Organization and Policy from the University of Michigan – Focus on organization studies; health IT • Joined Mathematica Policy Research Oct. 2016 2
Agenda • Searching for a job • Interviewing for my job • My decision process • Impressions to date • Words from the other side 3
“The Search” • Conducted an open search • Used conference resources • Job Boards (especially for academic institutions) • Booths (especially for non-academic institutions) • Strategically attending presentations • Contacted people in my network • Professors in my department • Alumni at other universities • Faculty I’d met at prior conferences 4
(my experience with) Mathematica’s Hiring Process 1. December 2015: Apply online (basic packet) 2. February 2016: Email with HR 3. March 2016: Phone interview with two researchers 4. April 2016: In-person interview Met with about 15 people in different group sizes 5. April 2016: Took a very long nap 6. May 2016: Job offer!!! 7. May 2016: Follow up conversations 8. May 2016: Accept offer 9. May 2016: Took another very long nap 10. July 2016: Defend dissertation 5
Why I Chose Mathematica • Applied broadly – Multiple schools (public health, medicine, health professions) – Multiple types of positions (faculty, post doc, researcher) – Multiple regions (Northeast, Southeast, PNW, Midwest) • Tried to imagine different dimensions of my life – Professional – Personal – Family • Chose to pursue – Collaborative work environment – Breadth of topics – Location in DC 6
20 Months at Mathematica • Slow ramp-up • Big adjustment • Research aims for contract vs. investigator initiated work • Workflow in a collaborative environment • Taking ownership without being the owner • Settling in and looking forward • Carved out work I’m interested in (primary care! Health IT!) • Negotiating future 7
Job Search Advice • Be ready for a potentially disruptive job market • Every application is different and there are first mover advantages • In-person visits are exhausting ( and I’m an extrovert! ) • Get a flu shot • Be honest with yourself about must-have vs nice-to-have • Salary • Location • Work style Don’t apply for anything with a deal breaker • Pack an emergency kit (lozenge, energy bar, chocolate, mint) • Have fun! 8
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