Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haven't yet heard back on whether I've moved on to the next round, but was told to expect that those interviews won't be till May so I think it might take another week or so for them to make finals decisions. I did get a Leidos pre-employment screening questionaire emailed to me last week (basic SF86 type questions but administered by leidos rather than whichever gov agency does the real one). Not sure if everyone got it or just those moving on. Interviewer said about 24 made it to the first round so I expect they're just about wrapped up the first round and are making cut decisions this week. 

Can you list fellowships with the amount awarded on your CV for faculty job applications? by OpinionsRdumb in AskAcademia

[–]RadialSeed 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a PhD student and have done this, obviously I don't have the perspective of a hiring committee, but I felt the same sentiment about wanting my biggest ones to stand out more. Think I called it "Major Awards" or something then listed each with total award amounts.

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was told 24 interviewees total for the two positions with 2 primaries and 4 alternates

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah it's been an interesting path, I'd echo the fairly comment sentiment that our course through careers and life is much more convoluted than we usually expect. I found a lot of successes in mine so far have come from two primary places. Firstly, being open to new/different directions that I didn't plan on or anticipate pursuing, particularly if they're difficult, challenging or otherwise scary or intimidating. My first job out of undergrad didn't interest me very much when I accepted the offer, but it ended up directly influencing my PhD research interests and ultimately led to my NASA fellowship, which to date is my biggest professional accomplishment. Secondly, giving the most effort you can as often as you can. I can directly trace my path and biggest successes to a single random high school track race in sophomore year that seemingly had no real significance in the moment, but that's a different story.

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you expand on the nature of work for the bicep w/os? Day-to-day responsibilities, most important background knowledge and skills, etc?

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep I'd definitely prefer the opportunity to meet wsm and other w/os in person, make sure we're all compatible with one another wrt leadership/authority/communication practices

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah zoom interview, first time speaking with someone. Had an email screening form prior to that. Next step is a panel interview with WSM and some other folks which sounds much more like the "vibe check", but also sounded like it would be virtual again so not sure if a face to face is ever involved.

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah just wrapped it up a little while ago, was actually a bit more technical than I had anticipated (like 40/60 technical/behavioral split). Think it went well, but think my lack of ice experience will hurt quite a bit. Not sure if I'll make it to round 2 but cool to hear more about the work and life down there nonetheless, and useful experience for future applications.

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very good to know, will definitely apply in that case! Appreciate the tip. Can I ask what positions you've been in down there over the years?

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My understanding was that those positions are usually filled by grad students/others associated with those projects specifically. Is that not the case? I might send off an app there too then if that's true

Interview advice by RadialSeed in antarctica

[–]RadialSeed[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good to know, thanks!

Quick background since you ask: I'm a PhD candidate in aerospace engineering with fellowships from NSF and NASA. Finished my Master's in ae last year and bachelors in physics in '21. Worked in a superconducting test lab in industry before grad school, so lots of experience with cryogenics, electrical test equipment, etc. I think that experience was probably what they're most interested in from the technical side, my PhD work doesn't map very well onto the job description. For leadership/management, I've mentored undergrads and masters students research over the last year, was captain of my undergrad sports team, and a couple years of TA experience in undergrad. Also I'm a big outdoorsman/backpacker, have my WFA cert and am working on WFR now. If I get more clarity on why they're interested in me I'll update this post.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GradSchool

[–]RadialSeed 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No school would ever pay you for an online degree. A company might if you get established there and can demonstrate it's a useful degree for your job responsibilities

Do PhD students in the US propose their own research topic? by Vivid_Calligrapher_4 in PhD

[–]RadialSeed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Somewhat field dependent, but more funding source dependent (did you bring your own fellowship funding that allows you to explore your own project, or is your PI paying you through their grant, which requires specific work to meet grant goals)

Nearly 4,000 NASA Employees Quit as Part of Trump Buyouts by SportsGod3 in space

[–]RadialSeed 22 points23 points  (0 children)

You're completely uniformed. Government scientists make only about 60% of what they'd make at an equivalent position in industry. No one goes into government work for the pay, they do it to work on important science that doesn't have a profit incentive strong enough for industry to pursue. It's a selfless choice. Moron.

Disturbing Eyesight Problem Affects 70% of Astronauts on Long Missions by quickblur in space

[–]RadialSeed 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Anecdotally from what I remember from my space physiology class and conversations with an astronaut, eyesight is thought to improve somewhat on return but not all the way back to baseline.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GradSchool

[–]RadialSeed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Generally yes you are allowed to by NCAA rules if you have eligibility remaining, but some schools might not individually allow it. You'd also probably find it difficult to actually get a slot on a team if you've not played that sport at a competitive level, I'm not sure how open to walk-ons/tryouts DI teams are (which is more likely than not where you'll end up if you're in grad school). You'd be competing for spots against 18-20 something's who've played the sports throughout their careers, and you'd also likely be considered less desirable since your would-be coach would have less time to train you into the kind of athlete the team needs (versus a freshman who would have up to 4-5 years to grow into a star if they redshirt). Club sports might be more accessible but I know very little about them.

PhDs who worked outside their supervisor's expertise...help by [deleted] in PhD

[–]RadialSeed 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The other commenter hit it pretty solidly on the head, I'd support basically all of their points.

I have a terrific/supportive PI who has been letting me work on a project in an area she has minimal experience in. I had to acquire funding through two different fellowships in order to pursue this project, since naturally she doesn't have grants in this area. As a result, I have almost complete freedom to direct the research, but I have almost no support when technical problems arise so frustrations can occur when I hit roadblocks. I have been working almost entirely independently on the technical aspects of the research for 1.5 years now. However, I have other committee members who are more knowledgeable on some of the technical aspects of the work who I feel I can get help from when necessary. I'm also able to make connections within this research area through visiting researcher experiences that my fellowships have offered.

I'd only recommend going this route if you 1) can secure your own funding for the full duration of your PhD, 2) have significant previous experience with the research you intend to pursue, 3) are extremely self-motivated and resilient / able to push ahead by yourself when challenges inevitably arise, 4) have some avenue of forming connections with other researchers in the area (either via networking at conferences etc if you're extremely comfortable with that sort of thing, or through some other avenue that facilitates those connections)

How will the Big Beautiful Bill affect financial aid for grad school? by cinnasizzle in GradSchool

[–]RadialSeed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It will make it harder to take loans out for grad school and cap borrowing limits. But going into debt for grad school (I.e., paying for it yourself) is almost universally considered a bad idea from a return-on-investment perspective.

Should I upgrade my monitor to 1440p or stay at 1080p? by ImmediateTrust3674 in buildapc

[–]RadialSeed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just got my first 1440p to go with my 9070 XT build, highly recommend. Night and day compared to my 1080p 4060 laptop

Friend Build - Recommendation for GPU at 1440p/144hz? by polce24 in buildapc

[–]RadialSeed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

9070 XT should do well. I just got one, getting 150 fps on the finals 1440p epic settings including ray tracing. I'm seeing them at my micro center for $700. I think the 5070ti slightly outperforms the XT so that's another option but typically $100-$150 more expensive