Academic Job Interviews

Every interview you get is an indication that the hiring committee is impressed by your application materials, and thinks you might be a good fit for their needs. The purpose of an interview, then, is for the institution to find out whether you would be a good fit for them, and for you to find out whether the position is a good fit for you (Gibson, 1992, p. 44). Here are some resources that will help you to prepare for, and get the most out of, your interviews.

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Cartoon by Kerry Soper, Assistant Professor of Humanities, Brigham Young University. Courtesy of Kerry Soper.

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• General information about academic interviews
• Research and teaching presentations
• Interview questions
• Tips from Early Career Geoscience Faculty Workshop Alums

Resources

General information about academic interviews

• What Color is Your Parachute?, by Richard Bolles, includes a chapter on ten interviewing tips, based on extensive research about what works. Although not specific to the academic interview setting, these tips are still relevant to it.
• The Academic Job Search Handbook, by Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick, includes several chapters about interviewing: one chapter of general information, one on conference and telephone interviews, and one on campus interviews.
• The Two-Year College Interview is a summary of advice from two geoscience professors at two-year colleges. It includes information about what the hiring committee is likely to be looking for, advice on how to get an interview, a synopsis of the interview process (including a list of sample interview questions), and advice on how to prepare for an interview.
• The academic interview process and how to prepare for it: (Acrobat (PDF) 180kB Oct18 05) This 9-page document from the Career Advising and Planning Services office at the University of Chicago provides information about types of interviews, preparing to talk about yourself, preparing a sample class or job talk, and sample interview questions.
• "Getting Selected: Vitae, Interviews, and Negotiations," a chapter from Good Start: a Guidebook for New Faculty in Liberal Arts Colleges, describes in detail the kinds of questions you might want to ask during your interview, and whom to ask.
• Ph.D. Interview Preparation Guide for Positions in Academia: (more info) How to prepare for a successful campus interview, a posting from Rick Reis' "Tomorrow's Professor Mailing List" (more info)
• Academic job interview advice: (more info) Advice from Mary Corbin Sies, of the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland, about how to prepare for and make a good impression during conference and campus interviews. While geared toward folks in the humanities interviewing at large research universities, most of Mary's advice is applicable to anyone interviewing for an academic job, particularly at graduate-degree granting universities.
• Interviewing for a Job at a Community College: Advice from Dana Zimbleman, assistant professor of English at Jefferson College, in Missouri, about how to present yourself and what to expect at an interview for a two-year college position.

Research and teaching presentations

• Research "Elevator Talks": During an interview, you'll have critical opportunities to describe your research and its significance, sometimes in the brief moments of an elevator ride or a walk from one office to another. A successful elevator talk is succinct but invites further discussion. It can also serve as the introduction to a longer, more formal presentation about your research.
• Giving a Job Talk in the Sciences, (more info) by Rick Reis, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Rick describes what you can do to leave your listeners with an understanding of your research, and also a sense of your abilities as a teacher.
• The Academic Job Talk: (more info) Tips on how to prepare the kind of talk that will enhance your chances of landing the job, a posting from Rick Reis' "Tomorrow's Professor Mailing List" (more info) .
• Campus Interview - the Research Presentation, from Rick Reis' "Tomorrow's Professor Mailing List" (more info) . This article reviews the multiple goals of a research presentation at an interview, and includes a list of suggestions on how to achieve those goals.

Interview questions

• Academic job interview questions: A list of interview questions that you will typically be asked, and that you might want to ask in return. Similarly, here are some typical interview questions for two-year college positions.
• How would you teach this class? (more info) This article, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, describes four categories of questions about teaching that are likely to come up in an interview, and gives examples of each type.
• What to do when they say, "Tell us about your research": (more info) Tips about how to answer one of the most common interview questions and keep your listeners interested. A column by Mary Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick, from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
• How to handle difficult interview questions: (more info) Mary Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick discuss several strategies for handling inappropriate or just plain bizarre questions during an interview, in this column from the Chronicle of Higher Education. They also give several examples of such questions, collected from real life.
• Options for answering illegal interview questions: (more info) This page, by the Pomona College Career Development Office, lists several illegal interview questions and the legitimate, job-related concerns that may be behind them. This may help you to decide how you want to respond to such questions.

Tips from Early Career Geoscience Faculty Workshop Alums

Preparing for the interview | During the interview | Following up after the interview

Preparing for the interview

• Many universities have a career center that offers such services as resume review and practice interviews. Take advantage of these services! The counselor I talked to before my first on-campus interview had a wealth of knowledge about academic interviews in general and about the specific institution where I was interviewing.
• Get a copy of the interview schedule from your [contact person] before you go, thus you can know who you will meet and what they are doing, then [when you meet with each of them] you can adjust your topic to your audience.
• I made a concerted effort to talk to folks who had recently snagged liberal arts interviews and jobs--to collect as much info and advice on the process as possible. I sent out my application materials to a variety of people at liberal arts institutions for feedback the summer before the process started. I also asked all of the grad students, postdocs, and faculty who were ever associated with liberal arts schools at [my institution] to attend a practice interview talk, ask questions, and rate my performance. Finally, I solicited advice from liberal arts schools that chose not to interview me. I really believe that the best way to approach a job search is to be as well-informed as possible.
• I think the thing I did that served me best was to do a bit of research into the school (or institution) giving me the interview. When I sat on a search committee for another opening at [my institution], I was really surprised by how many applicants demonstrated no understanding of the role or mission of a community college in comparison to a research institution! It's basic, but critical--know what they are looking for and be prepared to both show and tell them, as clearly as possible, how you fit their needs as a professor and/or scientist. Also, I think you'd be ahead of the curve if you have some verbal statement ready about how you will fit into the academic (and/or scholarly) community at the institution.
• Remember that an interview is your opportunity to find out about the institution, as well as their opportunity to find out about you. Approaching my interviews as exchanges of information helped me to relax and even enjoy them somewhat.

During the interview

• I think my interviews started to improve when my attitude changed to one of "Why don't I look at this as an opportunity to learn about what they do." Once I did this, I started asking more questions, didn't worry about looking dumb, and had more fun with the process.
• Ask the faculty about their research. We all love to talk about what we do. If you have close fields of interest, point out how you can "help" their research. Have good questions ready (lab space, vision of the department over next 5 to 10 years, etc.
• I urge candidates to give interview talks on subjects for which they are experts. Although the research that people are doing as new post-docs may appear more glamorous to them, often it is enough of a departure from the work done at the Ph.D. level that they haven't had the time to make themselves aware of all the controversies in that field. It is far better to talk about this less developed part of your research in informal discussions with individual faculty members.
• Be yourself! You don't want to try to fit their mold if it is not you. You (and probably the department) will not be happy if you get the job. Smile and be enthusiastic.... Talk to the students and find out what they think the department weaknesses are [Editor's note: ask about strengths as well]. .... Give the talk of your life - energetic, enthusiastic, and try to make it a bit interactive. Make sure to ask at what level to give the interview talk.
• [Re the job talk:] Practice, practice, practice. Make sure you are within time limit. Big, easily readable slides from far away. Clear photos. Don't use a lot of text. Don't read your talk. Don't apologize for slides. Um, um, um don't stutter, (ask friends to listen to your talk beforehand to see if you have any funny habits when you lecture). Make sure you have a great introduction to set the stage and the importance, and tie research into big picture at end-why is it important? Be energetic!!! If you can't tell jokes, don't! Make talk accessible to students (grads or undergrads if applicable). Most of all have fun!
• As a just-tenured second-careerer, I can vouch for the concept that it is all about "fit"- the employer must NEED what the candidate brings to the institution. And that can span many facets of one's career, not just technical or research expertise.... Essentially, one must have a good understanding of what he/she brings to the institution in terms of expertise, enthusiasm, attitude, etc. Then I think it is critical to ask yourself (and/or institutional personnel) if the institution is likely to VALUE what you can provide.... Since institutions are different, the demands placed upon geoscience faculty will vary widely, and require different styles, different research interests, different pedagogical styles, different geoscientists. Stay focused upon the FIT, and you won't go wrong.

Following up after the interview

• After returning from the interview, I sent an email to show my appreciation to EACH faculty who met me in person. It is just a simple message to thank them for spending time with me, and to show my interests in his/her research and look forward to work with them in the future. Do not send one email to a group of faculty, instead, I sent a similar email to each individual based on the talk between me and him/her.
• Use your interview experience to make a 'pros and cons of taking the job' list. Include as items: research + teaching commitments, fit of your research/teaching interests to those of department and university, location, salary, employment opportunities for partner, clarity of advancement protocols, intradepartmental and extramural support, apparent quality of students, fit to departmental atmosphere, ... anything important to you. You'll probably have a good sense whether you'll have an offer by the time you leave the campus. If you get good vibes, use your list to start assembling a list of what you'll need to be successful in the position; they may want to begin negotiations the next day.