What is a political theory professor and how to become one

As for advice to graduates, I'll pass on some of the things that have come up in the Mentoring Workshops I have been involved with. There are two categories of things to keep in mind: professional advancement and teaching/research.

Professional advancement: 1) get to know your chair. Schedule a meeting with them sometime during your first year to go over things like the schedule for reappointment and tenure, the department's expectations for tenure, and the procedure for tenure review. 2) If your department offers any kind of formal mentoring program, take advantage of it. If no such program is offered, try to identify a colleague or two who might be able and willing to advise you on teaching and research matters that might come up. 3) If your faculty has a union, join it. Attend any receptions held for new faculty and any general membership meetings. They may offer an orientation for new faculty as well. Learn your rights.

Research: 1) Focus on your main research interest -- work on what you love, not on what you think will "sell." 2) At the same time, when you have decisions to make about publication, consider your department's expectations: book or articles? Refereed journal articles or prestigious invited volumes? 3) Make connections with more senior scholars in your area of interest through conferences, discussion boards, webinars, etc. If you are in the audience at a scholarly talk, ask a question, and follow up, if possible, either in person or later, in writing.

Teaching: Be organized. Be respectful of your students. Be accessible, but set limits. Build on the teaching experience you've gained as a graduate student. Keep your goals realistic -- for example, don't construct a syllabus that is inappropriate for your student population or for the level of the class. If you are in a research-intensive department, try to connect your teaching assignments and your research as much as possible -- for example, if you are offered the opportunity to teach an advanced course, choose a topic that connects with your research interests.