Maximizing Your Chances - Resources to Help You Prepare Your Application

December 30, 2024 7 minute read

Preparing the concours can be really intimidating, especially when it is your first application. However, you do not have to do it alone:

💡 Being independent does not mean doing everything by yourself.

Several resources exist to help you build your application efficiently: guidelines, webinars, workshops, online or locally in your institution etc… Moreover, advice given for the CNRS or CNAP concours can be applied to each other to some extent: while the content required for each application is similar, each concours require their one structure for the application. In this post, we summarize the resources to help you build your application. This list is non exhaustive, please do not hesitate to let us know if you want to add something that we missed !

Official Resources by CNRS and CNAP, and the Astronomy Section

Official websites

To begin with, you have several resources that are already available online. The most basic one can be found in the concours guides, where you have the evaluation criteria listed:

Document Templates

The CNAP requires a template for their application, that can be found on their website in PDF form or in a LaTeX template. With this template, you will see how to separate some of your information and gives a first structure to your application. The CNRS application does not require a certain template, however, the astronomy section does ask for a certain document format, see Composition of Your CNRS Concours Application Dossier.

Local Resources at Your Laboratory

Presentations by Local Researchers

Some laboratories self-organize presentations by local researchers to provide guidance about the concours, they are usually announced internally per email. These presentations usually give a rough overview of the application process, requirements and evaluation criteria. These presentations are organized on and off and depend on the gracious willingness of the people organizing them.

Some institutions may also offer proofreading or feedback services for your dossier, where senior researchers who often served on one of the hiring committees in the past offers their time to read your application files and gives feedback. This can be extremely useful to get an external view on your documents. However, be mindful that older researchers offering help might occasionally give outdated advice despite their best intentions. Managing sometimes contradictory information about the concours is one of the hardest and most stressful parts of it.

If you have not heard yet of such presentations or feedback services at your institute (either because you’re new in your institute or just starting to deal with the applications), ask your colleagues about this. Such presentations are often not always very well advertised, depending on the institute and the motivation of the persons.

Online Resources Associated with Laboratory-Based Support

Very few materials prepared and presented on a local level are available online, but the presenters are usually willing to share them with attendants of their presentations. While it can be very valuable to receive this information in compact form, from our personal experience, such slides usually contain some sort of abbreviated summary of the information you can find online (for example on our blog and its sources!).

In the example of Paris Observatory, there is a website that offers support to candidates for the concours: https://apcr.obspm.fr/en/ (you might have to scroll all the way down to start seeing the actual content…). They call this the Accompagnement à la Préparation aux Concours de Recrutement (APCR, Support in the preparation of recruitment competitions). While most documents are from 2022, the website provides access to presentations by previous jury members on how to structure your application. These resources include the below - please note how the section titles on the website are mislabelled on the english version of the website, the file names do indicate two separate years, although their content seems to be the same:

Slides from the 2022 (and 2021) presentations of the concours (available in both English and French on the same slide deck):https://apcr.obspm.fr//assets/presentation/introduction_APCR_20221128.pdf
Recordings of presentations given in 2021 and 2022 (again, gotta scroll down): https://apcr.obspm.fr/en/Documents

When using older information, keep in mind that some details may have changed over time. For example, reference letters are no longer sent by email; instead, your letter writer now uploads them through a dedicated URL. Similarly, the requirements for submitting a publication list have evolved, although the overall quality criteria of your application documents remain consistent. That said, these resources still offer valuable insights. In particular, we recommend checking slide 17 from the above slide deck, which outlines common pitfalls in writing your documents and practical ways to avoid them.

These materials also list all the relevant URLs towards the CNAP and CNRS Astronomy Section websites where you can find more information (which you will also find in our blog here 😉).

Assembling Your Personal Support Network

Building a strong support network is key to preparing your application effectively. It’s essential to circulate your application documents among a group of trusted supporters or reviewers to gather feedback and refine your materials step by step. Below, we provide examples of individuals who could be part of your support team:

Your (Previous) PhD Advisors

Your PhD advisors, if they are researchers in France, should be among your first contacts. Assuming you had a good relationship with them—which, of course, isn’t always the case—they can provide crucial insights and guidance to help you craft a strong application. Their familiarity with your work and the academic landscape makes them valuable allies in this process.

For PhD advisors who are not researchers in France, it can be be very interesting to discuss the application process with them, in particular your research project. While they might not be familiar with the specific format or the particularities of French hiring politics, they do have an excellent view of your research and profile, and can give you extremely valuable feedback. Even if you write your application in French (both English and French are accepted) and they don’t speak it, it can be very valuable to discuss the context of the application with them since they can have a great view on your specific skills.

Researchers at Your Proposed Host Institution

Connecting with researchers at your host institution is very important for your application. While it’s not a strict requirement, having discussions with your target team about their current projects and showcasing how your work complements their activities can make your application stand out. This exchange demonstrates your commitment to collaboration and alignment with the institution’s goals.

Collaborators at French Institutions

Collaborators outside your immediate institution or advisory team can be a great source of “external” feedback. These collaborators bring fresh perspectives, and their insights can be especially valuable if they have previously served on CNAP or CNRS committees, especially if this was recently. They may provide an insider’s understanding of the evaluation process, helping you to align your application with what committees are looking for.

Previous Candidates Hired in the Last ± 5 Years

Researchers who were hired within the last five years have successfully navigated the process recently. They are usually the most up-to-date on current practices and expectations. Their advice is often more practical and relevant than that of very senior researchers, who, despite good intentions, might be less in touch with recent developments unless they served on one of the committees very recently.

It is not uncommon to contact candidates who have successfully gone through the concours recently for advice, especially if you know them personally. They may share their application as an example or provide feedback on yours. As always, remember that their advice will reflect their specific experiences and may not cover every aspect of your own application.

Conclusions

Engaging your mentors, advisors, and collaborators can be invaluable. They can provide personalized advice, highlight your strengths, and suggest ways to address any gaps in your application. Be proactive in seeking their input early in the process to ensure you have ample time to incorporate their feedback effectively.

At some point, you are bound to receive contradictory advice from different people. This is a natural part of the process since everyone’s experience and perspective on the concours can differ. When faced with conflicting suggestions, take a moment to weigh the advice against your specific situation and the strengths of your application. Ultimately, trust your instincts and go with what feels right for you. Remember, this is your application, and your unique approach is what will make it stand out.

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