University of Michigan FAQ

Pros

Team players, supportive, free coffee, friendly and inviting work culture

Cons

The pay was not ideal

Advice to Management

The SOAR office was so supportive and I could not have worked for a. better team

Pros

The quality of education is non-questionable. There are a lot of opportunities on campus. I have very supportive advisors and colleagues. Plus I like this safe small college town where you can still find fun things to do downtown. My fiance is also a Michigan alum, so I surely love UM more for this reason. As for the employee benefits, UM offers great medical insurance which provides better coverage than more expensive options in many Michigan companies.

Cons

Though Ann Arbor is an awesome place to study and live, it is not that great for finding a job as compared to universities located in big cities. Besides, I was offered a Ph.D. package which only includes tuition, medical plans, and 8 months of salaries, meaning that getting summer funding is always a pain. However, I believe that there are other departments that offer better/worse packages than mine, so it depends.

Advice to Management

Please not treat Ph.D. students as if the school is "paying for their education." They are employees making major intellectual contributions to the UM community.

Pros

Flexible working hours, great health benefits. It's a great place to work for those postdocs that are thinking of transitioning out of academia. There a lot of programs and workshops you can attend via Rackham to learn about different career paths that are outside of academia. They will also help you practice your interview and help you organize your CV/resume.

Cons

Not a 9-5 job, no 401K, or pension.

Pros

Great health care benefits and vacation hours

Cons

i wish they paid more, the raise was nothing

Pros

They have excellent benefits and great insurance.

Cons

Low pay. Not a happy place to work. Hostel work environment caused by physicians and management.