“If you are the reader we envision for this book, you have just passed through the most crucial stage of your career—writing and defending your doctoral thesis in mathematics—only to discover what lies ahead is, yet again, the most crucial stage of your career: making the choice about what job to take ... It is the time when you make the adjustment from studying in a research institution to earning your keep in industry or academia ... It is the time when you will or will not publish your thesis ... when you will decide to leave research behind or to start new mathematics independently ... or when you will struggle to balance time for students and committees with time in the library ... This book was written largely by people like you ...”

—from the Introduction

This “how-to” book addresses all aspects of a young mathematician's early career development: How do I get good letters of recommendation? How do I apply for a grant? How do I do research in a small department that has no one in my field? How do I do anything meaningful if all I can get is a series of one-year jobs?

These articles paint a broad portrait of current professional development issues of interest from the Young Mathematician's Network—from finding jobs to organizing special sessions. There are chapters on applying for positions, working in industry and in academia, starting and publishing research, writing grant proposals, applying for tenure, and becoming involved in the academic community. The book offers timely and sound advice offered by recent doctorates through experienced mathematicians. The material originally appeared in the electronic pages of Concerns of Young Mathematicians. The book is devoted exclusively to the early stages of a mathematical career.