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Carol Esmark Jones: Networking
Lauren Beitelspacher: Work-Life Balance
Kris Lindsey Hall: Building a CV
Anne Roggeveen: Insights From an Editor (JR)
Jeff Inman: Insights From an Editor (JCR)
Kristopher Keller: Work-Life Balance
Carol Esmark Jones: Networking
Tip #1: A lot of people advise about the importance of finding good co-authors (which is true) but you also have to be a good co-author. People will talk. Being a bad co-author on one project can get around and limit your future opportunities. What you think might be acceptable (turnaround time, splitting the work, co-author order, how you respond to reviewers, etc.) might be unacceptable to someone else; make sure you set those expectations before collaborating. We are all trained differently so get ready to be flexible on your work style when you find a new co-author or start working at a new job.
Tip #2: It’s easier to network at pre-conference workshops, symposiums, or more specialized conferences. Go to Organizational Frontlines and Frontiers. Show up to SIG events and be an active member.
Tip #3: Creating a good co-author network takes time and the publication process can get lengthy. Find ways to create visibility and name recognition while you’re building up your network and research. Be active in creating opportunities and keep showing up. Ask to be track/session chair, ask to be on the ERB, ask someone to nominate you for awards (or self-nominate if it’s allowed). But make sure you do a good job at any level- you’re not likely to be asked for a bigger role if you botch the small ones.
Lauren Beitelspacher: Work-Life Balance
Tip #1: This is a very vulnerable profession. We receive feedback on our teaching and of course, reviews of our research. It can often feel like a personal attack and make us feel "less than" when something we worked so hard on is criticized. It is important to find balance and ways to handle that criticism and not take it personally. The job does not define who we are as humans!
Tip #2: This is my own personal view- and many dissertation chairs might disagree with me. I NEVER want to look back on my life and wish that I had spent more time with my kids. I cannot ever imagine looking back on my life and wishing that I had spent more time at work.
Tip #3: Set boundaries with people and be a fearless and unapologetic protector of your own time!
Stephanie Noble: Networking
Tip 1: Building a good network of colleagues is critical for success in this profession. Start building that network during your doctoral program. Attend pre-conference events and small workshops. It is easier to meet people at these smaller events than the bigger ones. AMA has many preconference workshops for the winter AMA that will be both informative and allow for enhanced networking - a win/win!
Tip 2: Surround yourself with people who inspire you, make you better and believe in you. Papers can take years (maybe even a decade!) to go from an idea to a published manuscript so work with individuals you respect and have a mutual respect for you.
Tip 3: Partner with those that can help you in your weak areas (e.g. if writing isn't your strongest area, find others who love to write; if getting access to company data is problematic, network with someone who has company connections). It takes a team to publish high quality work - so find teams that you enjoy to work with that also compliment your skill set.
Abhijit Guha: Teaching
Tip 1: You can be perceived as warm or you can be perceived as competent (there is a tradeoff). Choose warmth...more benefits in the long run.
Tip 2: If students ever perceive you resent being in the classroom because it subtracts from your research time, they will 'destroy' you in the ratings, irrespective of how competent you may be.
Tip 3: Being perceived as a good teacher helps. Students cut you slack. Your dept. chair cuts you slack. Your teaching becomes easier (and then you go focus on research all you want).
Kris Lindsey Hall: Building a CV
Tip 1: Update your CV as you go, so you don't forget to add things and so that it is always clean and ready when needed. And get a second (or third) set of eyes on it for proofing and suggestions.
Tip 2: Keep a second version of your CV that can be used internally. This one can include any notes or talking points around different CV lines that you can use to refresh on past projects and accomplishments before job interviews. It can also help track progress of projects and such over time or track submissions (e.g., conferences) that are not yet accepted.
Tip 3: Keep your content consistent, but remember you can tailor your resume for a specific job based on their needs. In other words, if the role has certain requirements, you might want to reorganize your CV to highlight those more prominently. Or you might add more details for a CV used on the job market (e.g., including abstracts for working papers), but only publish a condensed version for a web portfolio.
Dipayan (Dip) Biswas: Research
Tip 1: Make sure your research is rigorous. Avoid short-cuts. Keep in mind that a research career is a marathon and NOT a sprint. So, have a long-term orientation and avoid short-term temptations.
Tip 2: Try to make your research relevant and impactful. Specifically, as a marketing scholar, your research should have meaningful relevance for some stakeholder(s) (e.g., managers, regulators, consumers, scholars). Also try to disseminate the findings of your research to a wider audience, such as through the popular press and/or through presentations to corporate executives and regulators.
Tip 3: When working on research projects, if possible, try to have co-authors who are different from you, in terms of their skill sets, resources, and thought processes. This ensures optimal complementarity and also leads to more enriched research papers.
Riley Krotz: Job Market
Tip #1: The traditional, face-to-face, cohesive, and done-by-September (pre-COVID) job market doesn't apply any more. Prepare yourself for a job market that will last ~8 months. Since schools are no longer following a universal timeline, you need to be prepared to respond to an exploding offer from a second-choice school that moves much faster than your top-choices. With schools no longer bound by AMA weekend, a second-choice school may make you a formal offer BEFORE your top-choice school has even looked at applications. Understanding and reflecting on your risk tolerance before you get into that position will greatly help when it comes time to make a decision.
Tip #2: Get a job market buddy (or two!): A person who is also on the job market who you can trust, share your application/interview experiences, and navigate the job market together. With conferences being virtual the past year and a half, you may not have had the critical chances to network with faculty and other students from other schools. If this is the case, see if your mentors know someone who has a doc student on the market they can connect you with. If you are at a US-based school, you can reach out to PhD coordinators at other schools in your athletic conference (e.g., SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, etc.) who can connect you with students in their program who are also on the job market.
Tip #3: Practice and preparation at each stage are critical (e.g., initial interview, flyout, offer negotiation). If your PhD program doesn't provide mock interviews/flyouts for students on the job market, actively reach out to your mentors or other students in your cohort to set some up - the more the better. You want to give yourself any edge possible.
Christian Barney: Job Market
Tip 1: Apply Early. Many schools have rolling deadlines that can appear to last months, but often they start reviewing applications and asking applicants to interview before the official deadline. Do not miss out on an opportunity by waiting to apply until the last minute—make early applications a priority.
Tip 2: Space Out Interviews and Do Research. One of the advantages of doing virtual interviews is that it can help you time out your preparation better than the traditional AMA- conference meeting. If you are doing virtual interviews, space them out when possible. Do not schedule 5 zoom interviews in one day and risk being a zombie in the 5th. Take advantage of the spread-out timeline to know everything you can about the school, the department, and the people who will be in the room with you. Find overlaps in research and teaching interests and develop talking points and specific questions to show your interest in the school. Keep detailed notes before every interview and after to remind yourself what you discussed with each school.
Tip 3: Adapt. Adjust. Overcome. Another benefit of an extended job market is that it allows you to make changes if necessary. Do as much preparation as you can before the job market and make changes as you learn what works for you and what does not. Feel free to change your CV, cover letter, interview talking points, and job talk as the job market progresses. After every interview, review what went well and what did not go as well; then come up for ideas of how to strengthen your weak areas. Every school is different, but take the opportunity to learn from the very smart people you are interviewing with and keep looking to improve.
Michelle Andrews: Research
Tip 1: Read. A lot. Read across the marketing journals, read journals in other fields (management, IS, economics, psychology, etc.), and read preprints (ssrn, arXiv, etc.). Doing so can help keep up with current topics and methods and can inspire ideas for your own research.
Tip 2: Talk to your colleagues about your research, even if they don't specialize in your area. You never know when they may have an idea that can help your research, and vice-versa. Talking with others about what you are working on can help you better articulate your work and can raise questions to address and suggestions to implement before and during the review process.
Tip 3: Take pride in your work and bring your best game to each project you work on. You'll enjoy the process more when you give it your best.
Anne Roggeveen: Insights From an Editor (JR)
Tip #1 - Contribution: An editor manages the journal’s impact and relevance. Papers are sent for review that meet the threshold in terms of contribution, conceptual development, and empirical evidence. Other papers are desk rejected to allow the authors to pursue other alternatives more quickly, and to preserve the time of reviewers. Given this, it is important that the author clearly communicates that the research is rigorous and relevant, and makes a meaningful contribution. For papers published in Journal of Retailing, the research should address interesting and important issues relevant to retailing, as well as add new insights for theory, methods, or practice of retailing. A good test of whether your research may be viewed to make a meaningful contribution is to think about answering “So What? Why does this work matter?”
Tip #2 – Writing the Manuscript: When writing your manuscript, present a clear and impactful story. This will help the editor and reviewers to evaluate your work. Use the title, abstract, and introduction effectively. The title should describe the research. The abstract should help anchor the reader by describing what was done and what was found, and overview the contribution of the manuscript. The introduction should motivate the importance of the research, position the manuscript within the literature and establish the paper’s contribution. It should be about 2 double spaced pages. See this editorial for more suggestions about how to write your paper. Roggeveen, Anne L. and Raj Sethuraman (2018), “Understanding the JR Heritage, Publishing in JR, and the Evolving Retail Field,” Journal of Retailing, 94 (March), 1-4.
Tip #3 – The Review Process: The editor oversees the review process, striving to ensure it is both rigorous and fair. The review process is intended to be a constructive collaboration among the authors, reviewers, and editor to achieve the best possible paper. Ideally, reviews should identify both the good, as well as for areas that need improvement. Remember that unless the decision is a straight acceptance, you are likely to be upset by the reviews. Take a few days to process the feedback so that you can look at it and understand what the review team is telling you. Although you may not agree with everything, strive to see their point. If there is something that the reviewers suggest that simply won’t work, explain why in your response to the reviewers. Remember to appreciate the time and effort the reviewers have put into reading and providing feedback on your paper, and recognize that they will be putting in more time and effort to review your revision. The reviewers would love to see your paper improve. Most papers improve substantially as they go through the review process. To understand more about the review process, see this editorial: Roggeveen, Anne L. and Raj Sethuraman (2019), “From Manuscript Submission to Article Publication: Shedding Light on the Review Process in JR,” Journal of Retailing, 95 (March), 3-5.
Jeff Inman: Insights From an Editor (JCR)
Tip #1: Unclear positioning – Clearly articulate the “white space” in the literature that you are filling vis-à-vis prior research. Also, be sure to argue why this is important white space to fill!
Tip #2: Weaknesses in the conceptualization/theorization – Make certain that all of your constructs are very clear, conceptually distinct from related constructs, and that the interrelationships between them are thoroughly explained and justified. And do this early-on in the paper. You’re writing a scholarly social science paper, not a mystery novel.
Tip #3: Flaws in the empirical package – Several aspects to check; (a) ensure that the operationalizations of constructs is justified (often it’s obvious but sometimes not), (b) seek a good balance of internal and external validity, and (c) demonstrate robustness by performing pertinent sensitivity analyses. Achieving this may require a multi-method approach, which editors tend to love but reviewers often nitpick.
Bonus Tip!: Hang in there and believe in your work! The majority of my papers were rejected from the first journal that I submitted to. Adopt the reviewer suggestions that make sense (and try to figure out what you said in the paper that may have led to some off-base suggestions), take a fresh look at the paper, revise, and submit to another good journal.
Jacob Suher: Research
Tip #1: Spend time in the field by developing theory and collecting data in the real-world context of your research question.
Tip #2: Embrace diversity in your methods, theories, and collaborators.
Tip #3: Cultivate community and receive early feedback by sharing work-in-progress via seminars, brown bags, conferences, and informal settings.
Kristopher Keller: Work-Life Balance
Tip #1: Take vacations! I was very often hesitant to take vacations because I thought I'd lose time and would have to make up for it afterwards. Every single time I took a vacation, I was much more productive afterwards, solved problems that I was stuck on before, and didn't feel as stressed.
Tip #2: Take breaks in-between. Sometimes one stares at a problem for hours and seems to think "I'm almost there". Taking a break (be it for 30 minutes or 2 hours) can be very helpful in looking at a problem from a different perspective.
Tip #3: Have a time-intensive hobby. Two members of my PhD cohort, who became great friends, and I were all into cycling. Sometimes, we'd go on cycling trips for a few days. These trips were a lot of fun, made sure we all talked about something else than research, laughed a lot, had fun, and even worked out rather than sitting behind a computer for many hours a day.
Murali Mantrala: Research
Tip #1: Pick research topics - questions, problems, phenomena - that genuinely interest you, i.e., you have great intellectual curiosity, if not 'passion' to know the answer/s to your questions. Then read and consult widely about the topic to understand existing answer/s and conceptions before launching your own original investigation.
Tip #2: Work assiduously on your research question/s until YOU are satisfied that you have satisfactory and valid answer/s to your questions to report. Place emphasis here on your own, not later Reviewers', satisfaction, i.e., you have to be your worst critic before and after submitting your paper to a journal.
Tip #3: Do not be tempted to take short-cuts or 'free-ride' on others' efforts when crafting a paper but earn your credit the old-fashioned way, i.e., put in the requisite effort from your side for 'equal contribution'. Free-riding may at best brings some short-term benefit - in the long-run, any such tendency will erode your credibility and own satisfaction from doing research.
Mathias Streicher: Research
Tip #1: Identify real marketing problems and evaluate your research approach! Naturally, you should start as early as possible with reading relevant literature. Start with a broad focus (exploration mode) and narrow your focus once you start developing an interest for specific topics (problem-identification mode). Talk to retail managers, consumers and observe the retail environment to stimulate research ideas in the topical areas of your interest. Accelerate and guide your problem identification process by engaging in discussions with other PhDs, faculty members and managers. Before you conduct studies: Evaluate the novelty of your research in a conceptual sense, the relevance of your research for various stakeholders, and the expected ecological validity of your findings.
Tip #2: Visit the major conference! Visit conferences such as AMA, ACR, SCP, or EMAC and participate in doctoral colloquiums! Being present in the scientific community has three major advantages: You receive feedback for your research, you can find potential collaborators and you can start positioning your research in the mind of potential readers including reviewers. Don’t underestimate the value of poster presentations to receive feedback for working projects. The informal atmosphere during poster sessions is perfect for in-depth discussions with other scientists.
Tip #3: Become aware of latest developments in the scientific community! Becoming well-rounded as academic also means being aware of latest developments in the scientific community such as methodological advances or guidelines of how to improve transparency of research practices. Such topics are often discussed in editorials and they constantly lead to new standards in the publication process. Adopting such developments will increase the success you will have in your own publication process.
Courtney Szocs: Research
Tip 1: Work hard to impress your co-authors so they will continue to work with you.
Tip 2: Work with co-authors who have complementary skills.
Tip 3: Always be kind to your advisor!
Vivek Astvansh: General
Tip 1: Don’t rush into finding your topic or the chair of dissertation/thesis. Instead, rush to have a manuscript. The following are my OPINIONS and I wear them on my sleeve. 😊 Do what feels right to you and not necessarily what I am preaching here. That is, edit it as you see fit your personality and the culture of your department. Upper-case indicates emphasis.
Tip 1a: For each “research active” professor (regardless of whether the professor and you are a psychologist, strategist, or modeler), talk to a student who has taken a seminar with the professor (hereafter, “her” pronoun), has researched, or is researching with her. Ask the student about her working style, personality, motivation, and skills.
Tip 2: The only currency in our profession is a manuscript. PLEASE do not put your hours on anything that does not lead to a manuscript. For example, in my opinion, applying for research competitions should be a very low priority for you. You’d be hired because of your manuscripts and not because you secured a $5k research grant. Also, most new things attract. But life finds meaning when you maintain only things. So, focus on producing a manuscript and submitting it, rather than start new projects.
Tip 3: Start a project with a THIRD-year doctoral student who is highly motivated and skilled. If you like a professor’s approach toward work or her articles, email and ask for a meeting. If she does not respond or tells you she is busy, you did your job and she did her. But email. Believe that people love people and professors love to talk! 🙂
Kim Whitler: Research
Tip 1: Research is the "coin of the realm". Allocate your resources (time) to ensure you maximize your learning and commitment to research.
Tip 2: Work with co-authors who care about getting published now. Part of this is finding a "team" to work with who are motivated to publish now and who can complement your strengths.
Tip 3: Start writing your "research positioning statement" now. What is your "brand"? What do you stand for? The sooner you figure out your "space" and identify your positioning, the better able you are to identify projects that will help you achieve your positioning.
Michael Tsiros: General
Tip 1: This is the time to invest in yourself. Read, and read broadly. This means, marketing, economics, management, psychology, etc. It also means reading papers that are behavioral, modeling, and managerial. Also don't forget to write. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to write well. You may want to commit that you will write a paragraph or a page every day. This is the best chance you will get to build your skillset.
Tip 2: Be generous to your colleagues and to the field. Offer to help a fellow student or colleague. Volunteer to be a reviewer at a conference, organize a session, etc. This is a great way for networking. Continue this even after you graduate and get your first job. It may help you to keep it (think external reviewers) or to get a new one!
Tip 3: You have to build a thick skin. Prepare yourself of criticism and rejection by reviewers, students, and possibly colleagues. Don’t take them personally. Learn from every encounter and focus on getting better. It is a long journey and it does not end with commencement or with tenure. Happy travels!
Preethika Sainam: Teaching
Tip 1: Put in the effort to teach well. While it may be true that research schools don’t “need” you to teach well and you can “get by” with minimal teaching, think of your students. They want to benefit from having a research-active faculty, not be punished for it! Further, investing in teaching is typically worthwhile since you tend to teach a course over several years and can reap the rewards across those years.
Tip 2: If possible, bring your research into the classroom. Poll students on your research question and ask them if they think it’s interesting. Have them give you examples of whether or not they’re seen a ‘real world’ phenomenon or proof of concept that pertains to your research. Depending on the difficulty of your research question, choose your audience wisely (undergraduate or graduate students).
Tip 3: Later on in your careers, mentor students outside the classroom. While we often get busy teaching and publishing there is a level of fulfillment that a mentorship brings. It can be a rewarding experience for both parties involved if the mentorship aligns with your interests. For instance, I teach the Marketing Analytics type classes at my school and I mentor students on projects that align with that. Such activities also help build your personal brand at your school.
Maura Scott: Networking
Tip 1: One of the greatest privileges of this career has been to meet so many incredibly bright, interesting people, including other scholars, students, managers, and other stakeholders. I have found that there is something to be learned from every conversation that can help enrich my work (whether that is research, teaching, or service). My advice: Look for those golden nuggets in every conversation!
Tip 2: Especially with the use of technology, we have a wonderful opportunity to stretch and get to know people from diverse backgrounds and points of view. We get to collaborate with people from other countries and with those who have different approaches to solving problems. For me, these professional friendships have been an enriching aspect of this profession. My advice: Take advantage of those opportunities to get to know and collaborate with scholars who look at the world a little differently!
Tip 3: The time in the doctoral program pushes us to the limit, and the nature of our work can sometimes feel isolating. I am thankful to have received kindness and support along this professional journey, sometimes from unexpected places. I like to try to pay it forward to those young scholars coming after me. My advice: Be patient and generous with each other, especially toward junior scholars!