Advice: Career

[Jon Miller]

I have been working as a research professor in Chile for a bit over 4 years. Later this year (October-May) I have a gap between grants that fund my research in Chile and... while I still get a portion of my pay... I feel comfortable exploring other options during the gap period (most importantly, the salary I make without a grant isn't enough to pay the bills so I have to find some other option).

I am considering:
1. Teaching for one semester (I can probably make an arrangement too start earlier, like in August) at some nearby college/university.
2. Finding some quick research grant in the US to fund this period (I sometimes am optimistic about this and sometimes less so, it isn't really a way to live... ).
3. Start a position in private industry.
4. Consulting part time.

I have been working a lot the last 2 years with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and I have grant to work with them on Titan (biggest supercomputer on western hemisphere). But that grant doesn't provide any salary and the publications won't be ready until later this year and next year.

I really don't know much about 3 and 4. I would prefer to have some of my Machine Learning projects finished before leaving for private industry (which I think I need to, I just don't make enough in academia over the long term).

My inspire https://inspirehep.net/author/profil...han.A.Miller.1

Any advice?

JM

[Proteus_MST]

I guess even in Southamerica, private industry beats academic institutions by a large degreee (when it coms to pay and the like)

[ZEE]

I have been working as a research professor in Chile for a bit over 4 years. Later this year (October-May) I have a gap between grants that fund my research in Chile and... while I still get a portion of my pay... I feel comfortable exploring other options during the gap period (most importantly, the salary I make without a grant isn't enough to pay the bills so I have to find some other option).

I am considering:
1. Teaching for one semester (I can probably make an arrangement too start earlier, like in August) at some nearby college/university.
2. Finding some quick research grant in the US to fund this period (I sometimes am optimistic about this and sometimes less so, it isn't really a way to live... ).
3. Start a position in private industry.
4. Consulting part time.

I have been working a lot the last 2 years with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and I have grant to work with them on Titan (biggest supercomputer on western hemisphere). But that grant doesn't provide any salary and the publications won't be ready until later this year and next year.

I really don't know much about 3 and 4. I would prefer to have some of my Machine Learning projects finished before leaving for private industry (which I think I need to, I just don't make enough in academia over the long term).

My inspire https://inspirehep.net/author/profil...han.A.Miller.1

Any advice?

JM

Try being a homeless bum for a while. You get to meet new people! You might even get $5 a day to spend on a 40 oz or a cheap pack of filterless smokes!

JM livin' the good life!

[BlackCat]

Have you considered 3) with conditions about having off periods to finish your projects ? I assume that you would look for a position matching your research and such a company would probably find it acceptable.

[Jon Miller]

I guess I should say that I am living in Chicago for this period (July - May, July and August for the birth of my second child and then October - May when I am not covered by the grant).

So I am entirely uninterested in South America ideas.

JM

[-Jrabbit]

Anchor baby! (Seriously, congrats on that.) Plus, we should do a Chicago meet-up sometime.

[Lorizael]

I know a bookstore in Maryland that could use a new customer service representative...

[Jon Miller]

Anchor baby! (Seriously, congrats on that.) Plus, we should do a Chicago meet-up sometime.

Well, my wife and daughter have lived in Chicagoland for 2 years now and I spend about 2 weeks of every month here.

However, my daughter did make getting permanent residence in Chile much easier (she was born there about 10 months after we arrived).

JM

[Jon Miller]

And assuming I am not flying every week, and am not required at home or work, I would love to do a Chicagoland meet-up.

JM

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Different discipline, but my take:

Research fac is not going to be a good gig in the near future unless your funding is coming from private/corporate sources, in which case you might as well cut out the middleman and go straight to the private sector. If you're not ready to do that yet I'd say look for a bridge that will start you in that direction like a short term grant from a company you're targeting later on. Anyone with applied ML experience will get plenty of attention if you aren't picky about the actual project, but then you're just chasing money as opposed to career building. That may or may not matter to you long term.

[ZEE]

Jon Miller, It's AAHZ again. Look, I know I may be kind of a goofball soemtimes, but in this case my advice is sound and true. Please heed this impoartant poast I am making:

Become a homeless bum. I will even give you soem tips to get started! Here is what you need to do. First grow a long, unkempt, shaggy beard. In fact nevar shave again in your life. Next, choose one outfit to wear, and nevar take it off again, no matter the circumstances. The goal is to have it look filthy with multiple holes and tears. Which leads me to my next point... Nevar shower or clean yourself in any way. Including your hands. The extra layer of crusty dirt will help you keep warm on those cold Chicago nights, and the smell will be your own personal aroma. Like a natural cologne. Lastly, and perhaps the moast impoartant of all, mumble incoherently to yourself, as much as possible. The rest will fall into place. And eating out of garbage cans will not be so bad, not that I have evar done it, but if the rest of your fellow bums do that to eat, and you should too!

And please don't thank me, Jon Miller. Ba'al is teaching me to not be so Nihilistic and to help my fellow man. You are going to be a fantastic bum!

[Jon Miller]

Become a ... bum. First grow a long, unkempt, shaggy beard. Next, choose ... a couple... outfits to wear. ... to have it look filthy with multiple holes and tears.

Been there as a graduate student. Don't intend to go back. Have a family.

JM

[Jon Miller]

Different discipline, but my take:

Research fac is not going to be a good gig in the near future unless your funding is coming from private/corporate sources, in which case you might as well cut out the middleman and go straight to the private sector.

Some of the reason I am in Chile. I just don't quite make enough to build wealth (and since my family chooses to live in the US, I can only do it while I have ~25+k USD in travel grants available).

If you're not ready to do that yet I'd say look for a bridge that will start you in that direction like a short term grant from a company you're targeting later on. Anyone with applied ML experience will get plenty of attention if you aren't picky about the actual project, but then you're just chasing money as opposed to career building. That may or may not matter to you long term.

Yeah, I just am really not sure how to look for consulting jobs or short term ML projects or short term grants from a company.

My wife's family lives in SF so I think that is a good direction to go.

JM

[Koyaanisqatsi]

I've seen people use two strategies for short term projects: either get in on an existing collaboration as an extra hand (a lot of schools/CS fac have relationships with Facebook/Google/other folks who wouldn't blink at throwing a bit more cash at a project) or start watching who is getting VC funding and cold call the people you think you could help. Both are helped by knowing someone, though.

If you set up a linkedin profile that focuses on ML you'll probably get headhunters calling pretty quickly.

If you've already got housing options in SF that could be good, but I wouldn't want to pay to live there...

[pchang]

Give in to the inevitable: apply to Google. They are also willing to do academic partnerships and grants. In any case, Google pays well enough to even afford living in Silicon Valley.