This is a large and rather complicated tex package which I received
last year from a friend who graduated in 2000 (a number theorist, so right
now all the files are slightly geared towards number theorists). It
contains a total of five files which can be compiled together with. I
haven't actually used these myself, but I received instructions on
how to use them and I think that they're pretty clear.
Here are the files:
The file 2000pdocs.tex contains the information about schools. It is a
few years old needs to be updated. The file 2000jobs.tex is a long complete
list of all the jobs from that year from division I,II and III schools.
The file duper.tex is the "main file" -- meaning if you compile that
now in TeX it should output something like 60 letters addressed to schools
in varying forms depending on the school. Included in duper.tex is the
opening you need in your letter -- like "To the Hiring Committee".
Also, included for each school is a list of the number theorists from last
year. This should be updated.
The file formletter.tex contains a template of a letter that has as
variables the opening and places to plug in particular mathematicians names.
It now has something like 6 different templates for whether or not the
school is interested in teaching or whether or not it has number theorists.
Which school gets which letter is all encoded in duper.tex. This letter
of course needs to be changed to talk about you and your thesis.
The file labels.tex is great! It should compile now and have several
pages of labels for envelopes along with several pages of labels of my
address (for the return address of the labels). The best way to do the
labels is to print them on regular paper and then to go photocopy them
on label sheets. To change the return address, find the reference to /me
in 2000pdocs and change that to your info.
Okay -- so a checklist of things to be done in the whole job application
process.
-
Make a list of the schools you want to apply to. (Use 2000jobs and 2000pdocs
as a guide)
-
Check on www.ams.org for the job listing of each of these schools and update
the information in 2000pdocs or 2000jobs compiled in a new file say 2001pdocs.
Also, find which schools have required online forms and which schools have
extra forms available from the web to be printed
-
Look up the in each department who are in your field by looking at their
websites or some more clever way to check to see if the people listed in
duper are still there (plus any new math people that graduated recently
that you know
-
Fix the formletter file to fit your needs. Mine is really a mess
-
Write a CV.
-
Write your research statement. Since the argument in my thesis so self
contained my research statement contained a sketch of a proof of my main
result. Your result I think would be much more difficult to rxplain in
a couple of pages. Probably following a format of three parts: background,
your result and future work is pretty sound. For future work, I would say
to make a few high brow comments, but keep the rest down to earth and reasonable.
A few specific small ideas are probably much better than a large vague
one. Also, ask around for old research statements to compare with. I included
mine as an attachment to this letter.
-
Write your teaching statement.
-
Fill out online forms. Print and fill out extra forms.
-
Compile and print duper.
-
Compile and print label. (remember to change /me info) Photocopy onto label
sheet.
-
Stuff and label envelopes.
Just 11 easy steps!