An academic interview is something to look forward to! Consider it an unparalleled opportunity to share how you are a fit and to connect with colleagues at other institu-tions. At the CDC, we have found that interviewing is a skill in which tremendous improvement can be had in a short period of time when candidates are motivated, have access to good strategy and helpful feedback, and put in the necessary time and effort. Even if you find yourlf anxious about an upcoming interview, know that
it is likely that you can improve your performance considerably by preparing in advance.
When it comes to preparation, in a nutshell: know yourlf, know your rearch and teaching, know the college or university where you are interviewing, know the department, and know the position.
The emphasis of the questions may vary
dramatically if you are considering both
rearch-focud and teaching-focud
institutions.
Don’t underestimate the value of under-
standing what a department is looking for
or its priorities. Talking with your advisor,
colleagues at other institutions, and friends
of friends who work in that department or
know people who do can all be helpful as
you try to understand their priorities. The
interactions can help you build a proactive
strategy that will address what is important
to the department.
In general, it is helpful to undertake some
substantial lf-reflection in advance of the
interviews. Candidates often find that when
they invest time and energy in their teaching
and rearch statements, they are better
prepared to approach questions about tho
areas.
For teaching, be ready with stories and
examples. Don’t just say that you u
technology in the classroom; tell the story
of the dynamic multimedia prentation you
rigged up for your students last quarter,
and the unexpected ways in which it
乐宁英语
engaged the quiet student in the back.
bcaThe ctions that follow address four
specific types of interviews: phone, Skype,
conference, and campus. We also look at
key questions to prepare, as well as how to
strategically approach thank-you notes and
interview follow-up.
First-Round Interviews: Phone
You may be invited to take part in a first-round phone interview. It is likely that at the other end of the line, there will be a arch committee who has you on speak-erphone. Naturally, this can be a stressful situation! However there are a few tips that can help. The standard advice with phone interviews: dress up and stand up. Thinking of yourlf as a valued future colleague and faculty mem
ber feels much easier when you’re dresd the way you would be to teach a class or deliver a talk at a
conference. Standing up allows your voice
to be more resonant, gives you more room
to breathe fully, and lets you pace quietly
about the room if needed. Understand that
when you’re talking to a group you can’t
e on speakerphone, there are bound to be
interruptions. Expect the and handle them
with humor and good cheer. That said, it is
helpful to minimize distractions and nois
on your end, lecting a place to talk that
is likely to be silent and, if possible, using a
landline instead of a cell phone.
During a telephone interview, it is especially
important to ensure that the conversation
feels like a dialogue. Resist any temptation
to lecture or hold forth at great length
on any topic. Committee members may
zone out, write notes to each other, and
check their email if you are speaking at
great length when not necessary. As in any
A CA DEM IC I N T ERV I EWS
interview, strive to build rapport right from the start; this will go a long way to cover minor missteps later.
It is very uful to have your materials handy, but don’t let them capture your attention. Remember: the answers to their questions are not in your notes, your
CV, or printouts from their department webpage. The materials function largely
as a curity blanket—it can be reassuring
to have them clo by for reference.
Similarly, it can also be uful to have a
pen and notepad handy during the phone
interview, but write only as much as you
need to—for many people that will be
nothing, or just a few words or phras to
rve as reminders of topics to address later.
Make sure that either during the interview
or afterwards, you find out the names of
the people with whom you spoke, so that
you can nd each of them personalized
thank-you notes. U your best judgment to
decide whether the thank-you notes should
be emailed or handwritten and mailed.
First-Round Interviews: Skype
Interviewing on Skype brings its own benefits and challenges. Be sure that you are comfortable using Skype in advance of the interview. Enlist the help of a friend, family member, or colleague to asss different backgrounds, outfits, lighting options, and camera angles. If your own office and ho
me are not suitable locations, consider finding another location.
一棵开花的树席慕容Do what you can to minimize distrac-tions—for example, if you are in a tting with a landline phone that never rings,
be prepared for it to ring precily in the middle of your Skype interview! Turn off the ringer in advance. Eye contact is particularly tricky on Skype.
Naturally, there is a great temptation to
stare at your own image on the screen.
Some people have found success in closing
their own image so they are not distracted.
考会计证需要什么书
Then, there is the paradox: to give the
impression of eye contact on Skype, it is
necessary to look directly into the camera.
However, this prevents you from obrving
the facial expressions of committee
members, which may provide clues that
would be valuable to have in regard to how
they are responding to your answers. One
approach is to aim for about 75% looking
into the camera, 20% checking in with the
hgnc
committee’s expressions, and 5% taking
a quick peek back at your own image to
make sure you’re still staying in the camera
frame. It is wi to practice this in advance
to find a balance that works for you.
Finally, it can be helpful to enlist a friend
to chat with you on Skype immediately
before the interview. That way, you have
the experience of speaking online in your
natural voice and style and can carry at
least some of that over to the interview
itlf.
First-Round Interviews: Annual Conferences
A number of fields hold interviews on site at an annual conference. (For an excellent chapter on conference interviews in the humanities, e Kathryn Hume’s Surviving Your Academic Job Hunt: Advice for Humanities PhDs.) Conference interviews can be dizzying; preparation, organization, and
planning ahead will improve the experience immenly. If you are inter-viewing with various types of institutions
at the same conference, you may need to switch gears rather abruptly from answering rapid-fire questions about your rearch in
one interview to sharing engaging anecdotes
about your teaching in another interview.
If possible, find out with whom you will
be meeting, so you can anticipate possible
questions and common ground.
One notable feature of conference inter-
views is that your interviewers are likely
encountering many candidates in a short
span of time. Your goal is to be memorable
for the right reasons. Some experts
recommend wearing one distinctive yet
appropriate accessory, such as a tie or a
pin, to help distinguish yourlf visually
from other candidates.
In any interview with faculty in your field,
you have an opportunity to reprent
yourlf well and forge positive connec-
tions with your interviewers. Enjoy this
opportunity.
On-Campus Interviews
Typically by the time you are invited
for an on-campus interview, you have already interacted with reprentatives
of the department through one or more of the types of interviews described above. An on-campus interview for an academic position can be a demanding experience, combining travel, a marathon of conversations, giving a talk in front of
a potentially challenging audience—not
to mention the pressure to make a good
impression. Here are some tips that can
help smooth the way:
Travel: A bit of planning for the worst can
go a long way. Even putting the phone
number of the arch chair in your cell
phone before you t out can make it easier
to reach him or her if you are delayed.
On flights, carry on anything (clothing or
prentation materials) that is esntial to
your success at the interview.
Interviews: Whenever you are meeting with a committee, remember not to take things personally. The dynamics of the committee are certain to involve issues that aro
long before your visit. This is true for the job talk as well; sometimes listeners will ask questions that em irrelevant becau they are trying to make a point about a departmental issue. The key is to treat all of the situations with good grace and move forward.
One of the biggest and most exciting challenges for tho interviewing for academic positions, particularly if it is
the first year you are in the academic job market, is the shift in role. No longer are you perceived as a student! Many PhD
candidates have returned from on-campus
interviews remarking on their surpri at
being received as a colleague. The audience
at your job talk is not like your disrtation
committee. Be prepared for different kinds
of questions—more along the lines of
questions one colleague would ask another,
as oppod to tho that a professor would
ask a student.
Common n and courtesy rule the day
in how to conduct onelf at an on-campus
interview. Avoid or minimize alcohol
at meals (positions have been lost after
inebriated candidates made statements they
would later regret). Treat everyone you
encounter—students, staff, faculty, and
administrators—with respect, consider-
ation, and interest. Resist the temptation to
vent or complain at any point during the
day to anybody. If the flight was tedious
or you don’t care for the campus archi-
tecture, save tho details for private phone
conversations later. For some reason, the
temptation to let down one’s guard and
vent is especially great when walking from
one appointment to another with a member
of the arch committee or a student. Strive
to maintain the pleasant and engaging
demeanor you had during the interviews.
Interview Questions
Talk to colleagues, faculty, and classmates to get ideas regarding the specific types of questions for which to prepare. Sometimes field-specific lists of questions circulate through departments or among friends—the can be enormously helpful.
Broadly speaking, there are veral categories of questions that can be anticipated.
General Questions
UÊ Ì Ã i «vÕ Ì Li«Ài«>Ài`v À}i iÀ V sounding questions like “Tell us about yourlf.” At this early stage of an interview, you likely have the commit-tee’s complete attention. Organize
your thoughts in advance so that you proactively focus on elements in your background, skills, interests, teaching, or rearch that demonstrate why you are an excellent fit for this particular position.
Rearch
UÊWhat do you study? Have a variety
of answers ready to address questions about your work. You will want to have a friendly, accessible, short version for describing your rearch to questioners who are not familiar with your field. At the other end of the spectrum, be ready to describe your work at an advanced level, invoking the jargon and context of your field.
UÊImportance and context: Why does
your work matter? Why is it different, interesting, or important? Why do you study this, but not that? Questions like the can sometimes be interpreted by interviewees as attacks, when in fact
they may simply be signs of interest, or questions asked by potential allies who want to be prepared when making a ca for your candidacy to skeptical colleagues or administrators. Help them walk into tho conversations well-armed with compelling arguments.
UÊFuture rearch: What ideas and direc-tions do you have for future rearch? You want to convey your n of momentum, so that the interviewer
not only believes your interest in the topic but your readiness and capability
in completing the work and making a contribution to your field. Your future plans for rearch should
be clear and credible. If you are in a field where
curing external funding and/or tting
up and managing a lab are an integral
part of your work, be ready to talk about
your plans and strategy in the areas as
well.
Teaching
UÊExamples of your teaching: Go in
prepared with specific stories, examples,
and anecdotes from your teaching
experience. Stories are interesting to listen
to and easy for committee members to
remember. They also lend credibility to
any asrtions you may make about your
teaching. Identify examples of specific
times in your teaching when you encoun-
tered a challenge in the classroom and
how you handled it, when you found an
innovative way to capture your students’
interest, and more.
UÊAwareness of your field: What are
conventions and trends in teaching your
discipline? What are the goals of a major
in your current department? How is
learning evaluated? Your field may have
journals that are devoted to the topic of
teaching specifically in that field; you
may find it productive to investigate the
as you reflect on your teaching.
UÊWhat to teach here: Much of how
you talk about teaching is likely to be
informed by your understanding of
what you might teach at the institution
where you are interviewing. If you have
a n that they are eking a candidate
who would enjoy teaching broad survey
class to non-majors, for example,
you might share different examples and
approaches than if the focus were on
graduate minars. You may also be
asked outright which class you would
like to teach in this department. Study
their offerings in advance and be familiar
with their current schedule (as well as
what new elements you might be able to
add).
UÊTheoretical orientation: What is your
approach to teaching? How do you
think about what you are doing in the
classroom? What are your overarching
goals for your students?
UÊBlending teaching and rearch: In
some ttings, there may be interest
in how your rearch and teaching
complement each other in various ways.
If this is likely to be a topic where you
are applying, it can be helpful to think
through the ideas before the interview.
典身Why This University
UÊWhy us: Put yourlf in the shoes of the
hiring committee. They want to find a
candidate who is not only well qualified,
but who understands their institution
and their department and is enthusi-
astic about being a great fit. Conduct
background rearch to understand the
institutional priorities, the history of the
department, the student population, and
other areas. Your goal is not to appear
disinterested (“You had an opening in my
field”) or awe-struck (“You’re the best
there is!”) but to come across as a well
informed and deeply interested future
colleague.
UÊGeography: In some cas, the committee
may want to ensure that you are
interested in moving to their location.
Take the time to learn about the area,
including the climate. Find out what
this area is known for, and even track
down some key features in which you are
particularly interested, such as natural
骨头的英文resources, good school districts, or
cultural institutions. Remember, too, that
the committee members have chon to
make their homes in this location. Even if
the weather or other factors are different
from what you may be accustomed to, all
of your comments and questions should
convey respect, interest, and optimism
(instead of “Wow, I can’t imagine how
you stand the snow here,” consider “I’ve
always wanted to learn how to ski!”).
Questions for the Department
UÊQuestions to convey interest: What is the
real purpo of asking questions in a job
interview? It might be argued that the
goal is to convey interest in the people
with whom you are speaking and their
institution. For this reason, one category
of questions would be ones that you
strategically lect to illustrate common-
alities in your values or interests. To be
clear, the questions are not “fake” (it is
very easy to e through such questions),
but are designed to highlight common
ground. For instance, if both you and
the department value interdisciplinary
collaboration, you might simultane-
ously communicate this value while
learning more: “Can you tell me more
about opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration?”
UÊQuestions to get answers: There may be things about which you are simply curious. Doing due diligence in advance will answer many questions; typically, you would want to avoid asking questions that could be answered by a simple visit to the department website. That said, you may be curious about other things. The one catch is that it
is quite likely that by the time you are asked for questions, the committee has already answered all of yours. If you find yourlf absolutely stumped, you
can always explain that at the moment
you don’t have any questions, becau
although you were wondering about X,
Y, and Z, the committee had answered
all of your questions. This is much more
effective than simply saying, “No, I don’t
shikonhave any questions.”
UÊQuestions to wait on: Negotiation
is a delicate process! There are some
questions you might want to hold off
on asking until late in the interview
process or even until you have received
an offer. A good rule of thumb is not to
ask questions that will make negotiation
harder for you later on. Also, consider
whom to ask what. There are some
queries that are better pod to an
individual than to a group, for example.
UÊQuestions to avoid entirely: Never be
negative! Or, to put it differently, stay
positive. Avoid questions like “What do
you dislike most about the students?”
or “What don’t you like about teaching
here?” If you would like to under-
stand the concerns and frustrations of
faculty and/or students, stick to asking
individuals open-ended questions and
follow up with clarifying questions.
Af ter the Interview: Thank-You Notes and Waiting
It is strongly recommended that you nd personalized thank-you notes to everyone on the arch committee and to everyone with whom you met individually. In the notes, it is especially effective to refer specifically to topics you discusd, questions they asked, etc. Drafting thank-you notes can be taxing, but
waiting to hear back is even harder. Try
to take good care of yourlf during this
stressful and potentially busy time. Social
support from friends, family members, and
significant others can help as well. Remind
yourlf that regardless of the outcome,
life will go on. It is natural to be worried
during this time but do your best to
prerve your health and well-being while
you wait for respons.
Negotiation
If you get one or more offers for academic positions, you may find yourlf in a position to negotiate not only your starting salary, but a very wide range of other things. Several principles dictate successful negotiation:
Know Your Value
Remember what you bring to the table! If you ask for more money or more resources, it is helpful to remind yourlf why the value you bring to the table warrants a higher salary than the one offered. Be prepared to offer substantive evidence for why your unique skills, experience, and qualifications warrant a higher salary or additional resources.
Know the Numbers
It is extremely helpful to have a n of your peers’ salaries. Of cour, this is not always possible. State colleges and univer-sities publish salary information, which helps tremendously. A number of online surveys include salary information, but often the information is more general than you need for negotiation purpos. If you
have contacts at the school or university,
consider diplomatically checking with them
to e if they can share any helpful context.
Know Your Priorities
There are various things for which you can
negotiate, from salary to office space to
time to finish turning your disrtation into
a book. (See the list that follows for more
than 30 elements that may be negotiable.)
The key is to figure out which ones are
most important to you. Think about what
you need to thrive in your new role. For
some, family interests may play a prominent
role in your priorities, with preferences
relating to your teaching schedule taking
center stage. Negotiating is generally the
most effective when you have a clear n
of your priorities.
View It as a Win-Win
It is to the department’s great advantage if
you can be successful in your position. If
you are looking at a tenure-track position,
being successful likely means getting tenure.
You must ek to have the resources (time,
space, equipment, staff) that you will
need in order to gain tenure, whether that
means a reduced teaching load so you can
turn your disrtation into a book, or the
resources necessary to write a successful
grant in your first or cond year that will
enable you to conduct esntial rearch.
Get Absolutely Everything in
Writing
The importance of this step cannot be
overstated. The person who agreed to your
terms may leave or forget. Circumstances
may shift. It is crucial to have a written
record. One very simple way to accom-
plish this is to nd an email following a
phone conversation in which you came to
an agreement. The email should describe
precily what you agreed upon, and
explain that you just wanted to confirm
that the terms were agreeable. Keep
your email and the confirmation and/or
clarification(s) you receive in return in a
safe place, as you may need to draw on
them down the road.
s
36 Negotiable Items in an Academic Position
1.Appointment title or titles (all special
titles are typically renewable after
five years in the U.S.)
2.Units (for joint appointment, specify
fraction of appointment in each unit)
3.Tenure status
4.Starting date (January 1, September
1, etc.)
5.Starting salary (options: bonus;
additional time off for consulting;
additional contributions to retirement
account)
6.Living expens (university housing;
housing allowance; closing closts;
housing bonus; or mortgage for a
year if applying to industry)
7.Contributions to housing relocation
expens (lling/buying costs;
realtors’ fees)
8. i iv ÌÃ (healthcare; dental;
insurance; parental leave; spousal
benefits; time off)
9.Child care (availability of child
care resources and referral; also
care during time for rearch data
collection or conferences)
10.Tuition benefits for children
11.Spousal job opportunities
12.Reimburment of moving expens
(may be capped at 10% of salary) 13.Travel budget (including travel
for projects and for continuing
education)14.Facilities / Space (amount and nature
of the space commitment. For a joint
appointment, expect only one office.
Check the allocation of space, often
public record)
15.Office furniture and computer
equipment (on campus and/or at
home)
16.Parking fees
17.Staff support (direct and indirect)
18. i Ì ÀÌÜi Ûi Ì
appointment (or a variation)
19.Immigration and Naturalization
contingency
20.Rearch support or continuing
fashionably late
rearch support (amount, fungi-
bility and source of start-up funds;
fungibility = degree to which money
can be ud for different purpos).
Specify length of time during which
start-up funds must be ud (e.g.,
first three years)
21.Rearch equipment
22.Rearch staff (full-time)
23.Additional hires in a specific rearch
area (for program building)
24.Reduced or free rvice from campus
facilities (machine or wood shops,
instrumentation centers, such as
NMR, etc.)
25.Support for Postdocs
26. À>`Õ>ÌiÃÌÕ`i Ìvi ÜÃ «Ã
27.Normal teaching duties in the unit(s)
(option of lection of cours)
28.Particular teaching expectations (for
joint appointment, clarify distri-
bution of teaching responsibilities
among units)
29.Number and source of summer
ninths (number paid from general
fund)
30.Number of cour releas (and any
time constraints on this)
31.Center or Institute affiliations
(support for)
32.Service expectations (committees—
clarify if extra pay is a stipend or
part of your ba)
33.Sabbatical (any recognition of
sabbatical equity accrued elwhere
(can take the form of a Duty Off
Campus Leave rather than early
sabbatical)
34.Consulting relea time (in academe,
industry or government bad onpah
experience)
35. >Ìi LÞÜ V V> ` `>ÌiÃ Õ `
respond
36.Time for candidate to resign from
current position
Ud by permission of Jane Tucker of Jane
Tucker Associates and Barbara Butterfield
of HumanEd Consulting who developed
this list for their workshop on Strategic
Persuasion: Effective Negotiations, Problem
Solving and Conflict Resolution in Higher
Education.
Possible Outcomes and Looking Ahead
No matter how your job arch process concludes, in a n, it is truly a beginning. If you receive and successfully negotiate
an offer for an academic job, congratula-tions! In addition to planning for a move, approach your next professional steps with the same strategy you brought to your
job arch. If your new academic job is a tenure-track position, start thinking now about laying the groundwork for tenure. Consult with your advisor or faculty in your department or field about how best to do this at the type of institution where you will be working. If your academic position is a fixed-term visiting professorship or
an adjunct role, think about how you will manage your time effectively to balance your teaching commitments with other professional activities, potentially including rearch, that will continue to strengthen your candidacy for future academic positions.If you do not receive an offer, or do not
receive an offer that you choo to accept,
multiple paths lie before you as well. After
the emotional highs and lows, the travel,
and the sheer amount of time devoted to
the academic job arch—not to mention
to your doctoral studies—not getting an
academic job can feel devastating. Every
year, many, many brilliant candidates on
the academic job market do not receive
offers. Not getting an academic job in your
field of choice is in no way an indicator of
your value as a scholar or as a teacher.
If this happens to you, plea keep in mind
that there are a variety of resources and
options available to you. Your advisor,
faculty in your department, colleagues
in other departments, and even faculty
members you connected with during
interviews may all be excellent sources for
brainstorming and strategy.
When you are ready, and if you are inter-
ested, Stanford’s CDC also offers a wealth
of options and rvices that may prove
uful. Whether you plan to keep your focus
on academia and go back on the academic
job market next year, pursue a postdoc-
toral fellowship, or explore options beyond
academia, you can make an appointment to
come in and discuss your situation with a
career counlor. We can also work with you
to figure out how to connect with alumni
of your program or similar programs who
pursued a variety of paths. The connec-
tions can be refreshing and provide a new
and uful perspective. We also invite you to
explore the parts of this guide devoted to the
non-academic job arch as well. Know that
there are many ways to express the skills
and experience you have gained throughout
your education, and that the most rewarding
paths may even be ones you haven’t yet
explored.
