Tick tock

Another intriguing piece of advice that I received recently - follow the time line.  Assuming that you do secure that illusive assistant professor position, how do you achieve the next illusive position - tenure?  Follow the time line.  With 6 to max 8 years on the tenure clock, its not graduate students who will get you tenure.  It takes 6 years to complete a program these days, so even you can attract a top notch graduate student in your first year, they'll just be getting their best stuff out in your last year before or just after your tenure clock goes off. Postdocs are good but expensive and difficult to attract as a young, unproven assistant professor.  Undergraduates are well great to train but aren't likely to generate cutting edge work that will get you to the next step.  So who or what will get you that tenure? .... something to think about....