Academic interviews are a unique phenomenon. To land a job in the business world, a typical applicant is asked to conduct a short phone interview and one or two face-to-face interviews that last for about an hour apiece. For an academic interview, the process can last for up to three days! The applicant is flown out to a school and is interviewed separately by faculty members, deans, and sometimes students. This is usually in addition to both a research and a teaching presentation.
Needless to say, the academic interview process is exhausting, as the applicant needs to be "on" constantly for several days. Even meal times are stressful because these are usually interviews as well, with the added pressure of looking professional while there's spinach in your teeth.
Of course, one of the best ways to make a situation less stressful is to know that you've prepared for it as well as possible. Here are some tips to help you research and prepare for an academic interview.
Researching the Faculty Members
First, it's important to know as much about the faculty as possible. Thanks to the Internet, it's easy to visit a department website and find out a little about the people (although you should make sure the website is up to date). Be sure you know a little bit about every faculty members research and teaching interests. It's important to know about all the faculty – not just those in your area of interest – because the entire faculty will probably have a say in whether you are hired.
It also doesn't hurt to ask around. Draw upon your faculty member and graduate student contacts throughout the discipline to find out their impressions of these people.
Should you spend time reading everybody's research? Clearly, it would take too much time to read everything. However, if you have time, get a hold of some of the key works by the faculty members and at least look them over. Try to read a few pieces by the people on the hiring committee and faculty members who are in your area of interest. What's most helpful is if you can draw parallels between your own research and theirs to demonstrate how you might fit in.
Research the Position
It's often hard to tell exactly what a department is looking for in a new hire. An applicant may be a terrific match in terms of research interests, but if she's not qualified to teach the class they really need to cover, she's not going to get hired. Thus, it's a good idea to ask direct questions during phone interviews and before the face-to-face interview about the department's needs.
Once you have a decent sense about the department's hiring criteria, be able to answer the question, "How will hiring you meet our needs for this position?" Your answers should be sincere (as making things up is in no one's best interest), but tailored carefully to highlight that you can excel in the areas they need.
Polish Your Teaching and Research Presentations
These presentations may be the most stressful and important parts of the interview. Spend time making sure these presentations are outstanding.
It's important to connect to the audience as much as you can during these presentations. When talking about your research, make direct parallels in your presentation to the faculty's research. In the teaching presentation, ask questions and get the students as involved as possible.
Polish Your Self-Presentation
One thing that makes academic interviews so difficult is that you have to sell yourself over and over again. Like a politician, you need to develop a good "stump speech." Be sure you are able to summarize your research and teaching interests simply and articulately, and that you can do this over and over again. People need to able to think of your interests and potential contributions in a nutshell.
Adopt a Healthy Academic Interview Mindset
Finally, one of the most important ways to make it through this marathon experience is to adopt a healthy mindset. Remember that all you can do is do your best, so don't panic if you think you said some of the wrong things or forgot to say something at your presentation. In addition, take as good care of yourself as you can. Get enough sleep, and treat yourself to some relaxation in the hotel (like a workout or a trashy TV show) if you have time. Keep things in perspective and try to relax. Best of luck!
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
