Reported by (Name):

Robin Miller
Organization:

AIP: Physics Today Career Network Advisory Committee
Position Title:

Committee Member
Activity:

Advisory committee
Meeting Dates:

3/4/2011
Meeting Location:

College Park, MD
Payment $:

0
Reasons for Attending or not Attending

attended
Issues from Previous Meetings or Year:

General Description of Activities of the Organization and/or Meeting:

Physics Today Career Network

Advisory Committee Report

04 March 2011

General Comments:

The committee is impressed by the accomplishments of the PTCN division in 2010. Reversing last year’s slip, online Career Network revenues increased by 19% in 2010, from $485,878 in 2009 to $578,756. Note that the budget for 2010 was $384,996!!! This is objective evidence of the hard work and entrepreneurial talents of the PTCN division. From a longer term perspective, since 2005 online Career Network revenues have increased by 82%. Online-only job postings have increased slightly over the last year, from 1,975 to 2,173 (an annual decrease of 10%).

PCTN continued to implement the website changes recommended by the committee. The site is now much clearer and easier to use. For the fourth year in a row, the PTCN job site consistently appears first in a Google search on “physics jobs”.

The committee again commends the PTCN staff on their marketing and customer service efforts. The recent inclusion of the SPS and AAPM job services are examples of their diligence.

Recommendations (in order of priority):

1. Due to a recent U.S. Justice Department anti-discrimination action in which a fine was levied, job-posting websites are legally responsible for uploaded job offerings that contain language limiting jobs to U.S. citizens. While the postings uploaded to the PTCN website are routinely checked and edited, revisions by the employers at a later time are not checked. The committee recommends that the PTCN division be provided legal counsel in order comply with this new precedent. The committee has already discussed with the PTCN staff a number of methods by which to monitor revised postings, as well as handle postings brought into the system from 3rd party job hosting sites.

2. Determine if it is desirable to connect to (or more generally interact with) the High Energy Physics job search site offered on the SPIRES website at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/jobs/). This is a specific recommendation in a more general theme of keeping up with trends in the industry.

3. The PTCN staff is encouraged to continue their efforts to work in conjunction with other Boxwood customers to push upgrades to website functionality.

4. At each annual meeting, the committee would like to see the usage statistics for the job search disciplines in order to keep them current.

5. The committee recommends that a 12-pack of 30-day online ads be offered, and retire the 15-pack category.

6. The committee urges the PT magazine to order the line ads by criteria such as ad type (post-doc, junior professor, department chair, etc.). The use of colors in the line ads (perhaps generating additional revenue) is also suggested.

7. The mid-year conference call is appreciated by the committee and should be continued.

8. The PTCN staff has done an exemplary job of following through on last year’s recommendations. The committee urges them to continue following through on improvements suggested during this year’s meeting. Detailed action items appear in the meeting minutes generated by staff.

Issues for AAPM:

Some overlap with issues for the AAPM placement service, though there are no conflicts
Budget Request ($):

0

Reported by (Name):

zailu

2011-11-03

Information Services

aapm