In this edition of “Landing a faculty position,” Caroline West from the Early Career Scientist Career Development Subcommittee interviewed Abigail Leavitt LaBella from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

On job applications

Caroline: What has been your career trajectory?

Abigail: I always wanted to be a scientist from a young age. I volunteered in a research lab after my sophomore year of high school. Then, I worked in a lab at Skidmore College for a few years during the summers. I’ve probably been through 10 different labs throughout the different parts of my career. 

Caroline: How long did it take for you to start preparing application materials to land an academic faculty position?

Abigail: I started preparing six months before the first round of applications, which is early summer/late spring, because usually the applications are due in October or November. Interviews happen at the end of the year and early spring. Then offers are sent around the end of the academic year. 

Caroline: Were you aiming for an R1 or R2 university?

Abigail:  I wanted to do research, teach, and serve the university, which are the three pillars of a faculty job. I was looking for a place where I could do all three with reasonable proportions. There are R1s that have uneven proportions, and there are teaching colleges with uneven proportions. What was most important to me was not whether it was R1 or R2, but that I could have even proportions of researching, teaching, and serving the university. 

Caroline: How did you tailor your application materials for different types of institutions?

Dr. LaBella: There were nine different page limits for different sections of the application depending on the institution. I also had to tailor my materials to each university based on faculty members, teaching tools, centers available, and highlight things I really liked about that university. 

Caroline: What set you apart from other applicants?

Abigail: The mentorship area was one of my strong suits. I had a lab notebook setup and concrete strategies to build a lab and mentor students. I find in a lot of applications, people forget to actually show how their skills help them excel at their jobs. For example, instead of saying “I’m a great teacher,” you could explain how you do active learning. Scientifically, I was very clear about which agencies I wanted to pursue funding from and the makeup of my lab. I always wanted one post-doc, two to three PhDs, and then masters and undergrads. This shows I’ve thought about what personnel I would need to successfully undertake my research. 

Caroline: Were there any particular resources that were especially helpful in preparing your materials? 

Abigail: I took a teaching class at Vanderbilt University where we worked on teaching statements. I also looked at successful applications. 

Caroline: What advice would you give applicants regarding the first-round (remote) interviews?

Abigail: Come prepared with questions that show you’ve done your research on that institution. Come up with questions because you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. What is faculty mentorship like at that university? What is the PhD graduation rate?

Caroline: Were there any common questions during interviews that you wish you had prepared for differently? 

Abigail: I don’t think so because most folks are really interested in learning how you will fit in their department. Everyone who gets to a final round is highly talented. For one of the positions I didn’t get I found out after the fact that I had emphasized one aspect of my research over another, so department fit may have been an issue. Know what the department is looking for without compromising integrity. If they want a bioinformatician and you are emphasizing mass spec, you may not be a good fit. 

Caroline: What made you a good fit for the University of North Carolina, Charlotte?

Abigail: The balance in research, teaching, and service. I have two classes that I’ve been able to dedicate a good amount of time to make exciting and impactful, while still having the time to do research and mentor students. 

Caroline: What was the salary negotiation part like?

Abigail: As a state university, there is very little room for salary negotiation. Faulty lines are set by the state. Negotiation is more with the startup package. 

Caroline: What does a “day in your life” in your current role look like?

Abigail:I like to keep a solid nine-to-five. I don’t like to split my workday. With bioinformatics, you aren’t just finishing an experiment—there is often no end in sight. I spend my day currently writing, putting together lectures, meeting with students, and attending faculty meetings. 

Caroline: What has been the most surprising thing about starting your faculty position?

Abigail: The amount of things within a university that are unique to that university, that you have to learn. Systems, administrative rules, there are so many things that don’t generalize across departments. 

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