1. Rejection Blues by Mirella M. Moro

3. Outline Submitting your work is important Factors influence paper selection What to do if paper rejected What rejection does not mean What rejection means

4. Submitting Work Work = paper, project proposal, poster … Submitting work is important because –Enrich your resume –Force you to clarify your ideas –The reviews may improve your work –Where else would you get an expert opinion for free?

5. Be conscious Publishing a paper in a major conference/journal is hard If paper is rejected DO NOT GIVE UP!! Therefore

6. Because … Factors beyond the quality of your work may influence paper selection Not the right conference track Topic beyond the committee’s expertise Topic with large number of submissions Politics Luck

8. What to do if rejected?! Deal with your emotions And then –Read the reviews closely –Validate them –Criticism as a suggestion of improvement –If rejection because a misunderstanding: clarify your arguments “Papers are like wine, they need time to mature”

9. Rejections does NOT mean You’re a failure Your work is irrelevant You should work on some other topic You should change advisor You should leave grad school

10. Rejection means only one thing: you can improve your paper 1.Write a to-do list from reviewer’s comments 2.Typical items to consider Improve text readability Make contributions crystal clear Include more experiments and results 3.Resubmit it to next conference, another journal Make sure it is published somewhere

11. Questions/comments? “Papers will find their homes” “Practice makes perfect”

12. Getting an Internship

13. Outline Before applying for an internship Why is it important? How to get one? Application process Final advice

14. Before anything else Make sure he/she agrees with you taking an internship Ask for help and contacts Talk to your advisor

15. Internship is important because… Enrich your resume Collaboration with industry Different way of thinking and working “Hands on” experience Meet other people, expand network of contacts Better $alary

17. “You convinced me, how do I get one?!” 1.Ask your advisor/peers for contacts 2.Apply directly through companies websites and/or 3.Email people you (your advisor) know 4.Apply to many companies

18. One more thing… Contacting someone you know within the company increases the chances of your resume being looked at

19. Application process Prepare your material (resume, cover letter, transcripts, list of references) Research websites of companies Learn the rules of the game: per company Decide what you want –Development vs. Research (MS vs. MS Research) Focus on topics related to your thesis work or experience

20. Once you start working Impress your bosses and team workers You never know when you may need a reference or a job from them

21. Internship improves your education and should be part of your grad school agenda Questions/comments?

22. Tips on Interview

23. Outline 1.Before the interview 2.During the interview –Questions you might be asked 3.After the interview

24. 1. Before an interview PREPARE yourself Be familiar with the company’s work –E.g. read recent papers, articles on products Prepare a list of possible questions YOU may ask at the end of the interview –E.g. if there is already a project for you ≠ Companies  ≠ Strategies

25. Research vs. Development Your research experience Review all your previous work and papers Keep a list with highlights in front of you Your development experience Technical abilities Review basic concepts of algorithms/coding Have a computer in hand for coding questions

27. 2. During the interview Show enthusiasm Listen carefully to questions, explanations Make notes (if it helps) Act professionally, be polite/respectful Always thank for the opportunity Always say you look forward to hearing from them soon Dress accordingly (if in-person interview)

28. Questions you might be asked Personal –What do you see yourself doing in 3, 5 years? Research –Why did you use your approach and not something else or someone else’s? –Know the assumptions and limitations of your work –Prepare summaries of your work with different level of details (15 seconds, 3 minutes, 20 minutes) Technical –Do you know anything about X? What do you think about X? (BE CAREFUL!)

29. 3. After the interview Keep in touch with your interviewers Maybe write a formal “thank you” Keep in mind unless you have signed an offer, nothing is guaranteed

30. Whether you get an offer or not: you have made new, important contacts for the future Questions/comments?