tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post8769973689925518219..comments2024-03-14T04:53:49.513-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Look Up?Female Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-15672584162167746322012-02-08T09:50:04.905-06:002012-02-08T09:50:04.905-06:00Indeed I did. I was looking up a publication of a ...Indeed I did. I was looking up a publication of a candidate we had giving a talk for a search committee and went to his home page to see if he had it online.<br /><br />Prominently on his home page he displayed the note:<br /><br />"Classes are cancelled on ...day... due to illness."<br /><br />...day... was today. So when we cozied up for a chat after the talk I asked him if he was feeling better now. He looked at me with a blank stare. I said "Oh, I just saw on your home page that you were sick." <br /><br />My colleagues were livid because they liked the guy, but I didn't want to hire a liar. He ended up taking a position at another school in town (he told us he needed to come to SquareStateCapital for personal reasons). And he left there after another year for a different state. <br /><br />Just goes to show you - he who lies once, will lie again. For personal reasons.EuropeanFemaleScienceProfessornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-32150513631185518992012-02-05T17:35:09.958-06:002012-02-05T17:35:09.958-06:00I have a professional website which also has some ...I have a professional website which also has some photos and videos of "fun science" related to my field, and this has provided much excitement and discussion for dinner conversation at interviews... plus, with statistics tracking, i know who's considering my application.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-90586180650065480612012-02-01T11:07:35.285-06:002012-02-01T11:07:35.285-06:00@Adjunctorium
The weaknesses of ratemyprof and th...@Adjunctorium<br /><br />The weaknesses of ratemyprof and the like are well known to anyone who googles much. A single or even a couple of negative posts should carry very little weight. The same goes for the official student reviews conducted by the university.<br /><br />Either that search committee was singularly incompetent, or the candidate did not hear the real reason why she did not get the job. I don't know which it was, of course, but I do know that of the several cases for which I knew, the reason people "knew" that they did not get an offer was incorrect.John Vidalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09871768524749705799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-66138047806872033112012-01-29T10:29:23.844-06:002012-01-29T10:29:23.844-06:00I don't know the answer to your question from ...I don't know the answer to your question from direct experience. However, I do know this:<br /><br />A tenured friend of mine was short-listed for a dream job at an institution in the Northwest where she <i>really</i> wanted to go. It looked like she was going to get the offer until someone on the search committee went to Rate My Professors and read a (libelous) entry about her. <br /><br />The complaint was false and misleading. She had never been informed by Rate My Professors that some former student had targeted her, and she was never given a chance to respond to it (or to call her lawyer).<br /><br />Because of what was published at Rate My Professor, she was passed over for the job.Adjunctoriumhttp://adjunctorium.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-65602818617363058342012-01-21T07:56:08.314-06:002012-01-21T07:56:08.314-06:00I've noticed when you google a current faculty...I've noticed when you google a current faculty member, ratemyprofessors.com is often one of the first things that pops up. I think most of us would agree that the samples there are usually small and biased, but I wonder how many times that site has affected a decision for a faculty hire.B-Rate Profhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16826286850315371837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23197004192144777962012-01-19T20:39:36.508-06:002012-01-19T20:39:36.508-06:00I have googled potential graduate advisers, and I&...I have googled potential graduate advisers, and I'm not sure why. It is somewhat an impulse to try to find out as much as possible about the person, but mostly just easier than looking at a CV. <br />Sometimes, searches turned up something like a video of a lecture or talk, which is helpful, and I wouldn't have gotten from a CV. I suppose I would also have noticed any "informal information" but I didn't see much. I don't think it would be very relevant but may bias my judgement. <br />Information people leave online may say something about personality. And, I think the question of personality affecting applying/hiring decisions is broader than an internet search.AKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-70754230463644033452012-01-19T08:48:45.293-06:002012-01-19T08:48:45.293-06:00I googled a potential postdoc advisor in order to ...I googled a potential postdoc advisor in order to see if this person was "family friendly" as I have kids and don't want to work with someone who doesn't understand the demands of juggling family and work. I found out he and his wife had two kids and his wife was a physician running her own private practice. This is personal information, but it helped me feel more like this advisor was someone who would be sympathetic to my day-to-day struggles. I've worked with people before who really don't get it, and its been really challenging.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-69684110030767594652012-01-19T08:18:45.364-06:002012-01-19T08:18:45.364-06:00I just hope they don't mix me up with the woma...I just hope they don't mix me up with the woman of the same name who lives in Florida.nicoleandmaggiehttp://nicoleandmaggie.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-12646792162527146262012-01-18T22:18:59.952-06:002012-01-18T22:18:59.952-06:00FSP,
Let's say for a moment that you google ...FSP,<br /><br /> Let's say for a moment that you google a candidate and find their blog where they routinely and persistently insult other colleagues.<br /><br />Would you consider that to be pertinent information?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-47190629933852223002012-01-18T21:40:03.248-06:002012-01-18T21:40:03.248-06:00I have done it sometimes for prospective grad stud...I have done it sometimes for prospective grad students, and found it to be marginally useful. Not for real personal stuff (I have not found anything really juicy, perhaps because I haven't tried that hard, and would like to think I would ignore it if I did) but because even undergrads nowadays (at least in the USA) often have quasi-professional web pages - I have seen a few very elaborate ones - showing and telling what they're interested in, what they have done etc. Yes, some of that is in their applications, but it can be described in different ways on self-designed web pages and I think you get a more nuanced sense of the person from combining that with what's in the file. Could be good or bad...<br /><br />If I could interview prospective students in person before admission, I would much rather do that; but that's usually not practical. Googling someone can, in some cases, give at least some of the impression one might get from an interview. If I take someone on as a Ph.D. student I'm probably going to be stuck with them for a long time so I want to make as well-informed a decision as I can. I have taken on some who turned out to be real problem children. With a couple of them their issues were not subtle- they were apparent within 5 minutes after meeting them in person. Although the problems were invisible (to me at least) in their application files, maybe there might have been some indication of them on their web pages if they had had them and I had looked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-22558963153785031222012-01-18T19:36:15.874-06:002012-01-18T19:36:15.874-06:00By googling, I found out that a potential technici...By googling, I found out that a potential technician had a $472,000 judgement against her from the US govt for running a "make money working from home" ponzi scheme in Connecticut.<br /><br />Oh...and HR didn't figure this out so yah, I do google people.Physician Scientistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-69338642672213952552012-01-18T19:27:03.363-06:002012-01-18T19:27:03.363-06:00I guess everyone has their own method of checking ...I guess everyone has their own method of checking who to hire and admit, and sense of propriety.<br /><br />I find tinfoil-hat the idea that lawyers will come after me. Maybe if I took wholly inappropriate criteria as a basis for bad decisions and publicly blogged it, and the would-be students or faculty could prove that denial of entree to my program shipwrecked their career, which seems unlikely.<br /><br />If I lived in fear of lawyers, there are worse nightmares I face - earthquake prediction debunking (see L'Aquila), the debates about central US earthquake risk, statements on how risky are urban faults, not to mention potential issues with earthquake early warning misfires.<br /><br />More intrusive than Googling, I've been known to call references and check with recent graduates of programs to get another perspective on candidates. Some mention much more personal details than just the citation count and years since degree, and I can't feel too guilty about that either.<br /><br /><i>John Vidale has pointed out exactly why you should NOT use google. How exactly does one judge the appropriateness of the letter writers from the department website?</i> Give Googlers a little more credit for being able to realistically interpret what they see. Use your imagination.<br /><br /><i>As for finding no trace of someone, well some of us do that intentionally so you CAN'T find us online.</i> Fine, but that is not the kind of student nor faculty I'm looking for. I'd like to see visible accomplishment.<br /><br />I also find misplaced the outrage from Jay@11:46 that difficulty assessing applications from culturally different countries such as Japan and Korea inhibits their admission. In addition to difficulty Googling, the grading systems are different, the advisors are often unknown, and even the hierarchy of their labs is less familiar than those here in the US, the authenticity of essays and scores can be unclear, not to mention non-resident tuition.<br /><br />Of course they have a higher hurdle to clear for admissions, and difficulty Googling plays a vanishingly small role compared to the rest. Actually, 3 or 4 applicants from China have been trying to friend me on Facebook or LinkedIn this month - they're not all invisible nor web neophytes.John Vidalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09871768524749705799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-28391125820853430642012-01-18T18:25:11.936-06:002012-01-18T18:25:11.936-06:00I'm not convinced by most of these examples, a...I'm not convinced by most of these examples, although the extreme examples are pretty compelling (and the discussion is interesting). Note that I am not talking about looking up professional things (citations, activity of a research group etc.); that is important and useful to do. We should all have a professional web-presence, with relevant information about our work. However, I still don't see why I would want to know about someone's (legal) leisure activities when making decisions about graduate admissions etc.Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-5861364631248246072012-01-18T16:15:07.086-06:002012-01-18T16:15:07.086-06:00I have a fairly common name, and at the start of m...I have a fairly common name, and at the start of my postdoc application year when I googled myself I was on page 3. Unfortunately one of the first hits was www.romance.com, which site requires you to be over 18 to enter and read the erotic fiction (I had to check). A lot of people did google me that year, if only as a shortcut to find my CV etc, since by the time I graduated I was the first hit. Maybe the erotic fiction writer got some new fans too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-33771194785330538272012-01-18T13:57:24.206-06:002012-01-18T13:57:24.206-06:00Typically I do search the web to verify their list...Typically I do search the web to verify their list of publications (depending on the number, not all only few of the key ones). While I haven't used any "personal" pursuits as part of my judgement criteria I know from a friend of mine who works in the scientific writing field that their HR director does perform an extensive internet search on candidates. The results have not influenced getting the person in for an interview but did play a role in the final decision.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-13441804430637747322012-01-18T13:36:07.689-06:002012-01-18T13:36:07.689-06:00In the last year I have googled potential post-doc...In the last year I have googled potential post-doc advisors, but it was usually in order to find their lab websites, which aren't always well-advertised on the department webpages.<br /><br />Through this method, I did randomly find out that one potential mentor was a convicted felon for a lab-related offense. So, yes, it did negatively affect my decision to apply there.<br /><br />I feel weird, however, when I find websites with personal photos (of vacations, etc.) of potential mentors. I feel like it crosses some line.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-58472187428611527902012-01-18T12:28:47.553-06:002012-01-18T12:28:47.553-06:00During our university's HR training for search...During our university's HR training for search committees, we are instructed not to use a Google search for candidates. The university says this opens us up for accusations that we used something inappropriate to make a decision. Candidates can tell who and when someone has searched for them and accessed their sites. For example, what if you viewed something that indicated religious preference during your google-stalking? Then the candidate claimed you used that to make your decision. Our HR department does not want the university to have that risk...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-62920462798959573982012-01-18T12:07:54.582-06:002012-01-18T12:07:54.582-06:00I once googled a (grad school) applicant and found...I once googled a (grad school) applicant and found that their facebook page listed their likes/hobbies (things like "hiking" and "doing science") as well as what 'groups' they belonged to (Sierra Club, as well as a major scientific society). Now, maybe they 'planted' the pro-science stuff there to fool me, but, it made a good impression on me that they really were excited about science. I didn't and wouldn't base any decisions on that info, but, I do routinely google applicants (especially if they get to the interview stage).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-49307757381746181442012-01-18T11:50:42.962-06:002012-01-18T11:50:42.962-06:00I routinely look for professional webpages of post...I routinely look for professional webpages of postdoc applicants. These are quite informative, and give a better sense of the person as a person, as a professional, and they can even give a better sense of their work and scientific interests. <br />While I don't think I ever found out anything that affected my original ranking of the candidates, I wouldn't say that that can't happen. It is definitely part of data set that I use to decide on offers. If someone doesn't have a website, that is definitely a negative brownie point, but definitely not a deal breaker. <br /><br />I've never googled students, however. But in our program, students apply to the program and not to the research advisor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-80144436080047426392012-01-18T11:46:39.306-06:002012-01-18T11:46:39.306-06:00I find it disturbing to hear that career decisions...I find it disturbing to hear that career decisions can be influenced by the fact that people have grown up and gone to school in China or Korea and therefore Google searches won't show much. <br /><br />Someone works her butt off to achieve academic success and is willing to travel thousands of miles and live away from her family in order to move forward in her career, and you're going to be "less enthusiastic" about her because she grew up under a repressive government? That's just - wrong.Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15886225476339783827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-29410316938697922072012-01-18T10:57:25.068-06:002012-01-18T10:57:25.068-06:00Trying to read between the lines, there seem to be...Trying to read between the lines, there seem to be two issues with Googling applicants - is it an effective use of time? and does it invade privacy?<br /><br />Both are evolving issues as searches get more effective, and people become more conscious of their web visibility and use the web in new ways.<br /><br />I don't buy that there is nothing relevant on the web beyond the self-promotion in the application packet and the kudos of the chosen letter writers. Looking at the 50 grad applications in my specialty that landed on my computer last week, there are many gaps and colorings in the submitted materials.John Vidalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09871768524749705799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-12762243715255670842012-01-18T10:38:16.458-06:002012-01-18T10:38:16.458-06:00I am a hiring manager in industry. I ALWAYS check ...I am a hiring manager in industry. I ALWAYS check my LinkedIn network for candidates I might interview. If I know someone who knows the candidate- that is incredibly helpful. I am almost always hiring someone into a position that will require them to learn a lot of new things, and I want to find out if they are going to be able to do that.<br /><br />I don't usually do general Google searches. However, one of the reasons I don't blog under my real name is that I don't want a potential hiring manager googling me and finding my blog with a bunch of posts about how I managed to work through the sleep deprivation induced fog of early motherhood (surprisingly well, in retrospect!) and other things that are irrelevant to my ability to do a job now but that small-minded people might hold against me.Cloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-9103771300391749362012-01-18T10:18:20.461-06:002012-01-18T10:18:20.461-06:00I find Google to be useful in graduate school sear...I find Google to be useful in graduate school searches, if not just because individual labs often have websites associated with them, making it easier to learn about their research interests, publication history, etc. in more detail than would be the case with a simple Google Scholar search.<br /><br />I highly recommend it.Tor Bertinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-38208225525876722742012-01-18T10:03:06.111-06:002012-01-18T10:03:06.111-06:00As the chair of our program's search committee...As the chair of our program's search committee, I did this just the other day. Not on every candidate (who has that kind of time?) but on one candidate whose file was compelling but had several big holes (a foreign-born student who claimed to be living in the US but gave no information about what they were doing here). Unfortunately that search did not turn up any useful information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-61768008473278714572012-01-18T10:01:26.236-06:002012-01-18T10:01:26.236-06:00I wonder if there may be a difference in the usefu...I wonder if there may be a difference in the usefulness of a Google search on applicants, depending on what they're applying for. I don't think think that Google searches about grad applicants would be useful--like Anon 3:43, I don't really care about their extracurricular talents, nor do I care about their drunken revels, as long as they don't affect their work in the lab. However, I think if I were on a search committee, I would definitely Google shortlisted applicants to see what kind of web presence they have, and I would be much more put off by (recent) ill-advised photos. I guess for me, it comes down to the nature of the commitment: grad students and postdocs will be in the program for a few years, but colleagues will potentially be in your dept. for life--and will have a say on important issues--so you'd better darn well be able to trust their judgment.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05552103312189532063noreply@blogger.com