2. Read job postings NOW for the full range of positions you might be seeking at a future date to gather information about trends and distinctions across career possibilities in terms of job requirements/expectations/qualifications.
3. When it’s time to create a Research Statement for a specific position, revise your draft to tailor to requirements/expectations/qualifications set out for that posting and place.
4. Find readers who will respond to the general questions set out in the Research Statement rubric and to 2-3 specific questions you have about revising the statement for that specific audience and posting. Readers should be expert and non-expert; questions and rubric should be shared with advisors as well as with other mentors who are reading your Research Statement.
5. When you have gathered feedback, ideally you will take two additional steps: talk with readers to clarify any responses for which you have questions and take 10 minutes NOW to write out ideas for revision that the responses have provoked.
6. Start revision a day after you’ve gathered feedback and written your initial ideas.
7. If possible, arrange for one more reading so that at least one other person is reading to be sure that overall content, style and form are unified, clear, coherent.