by Dr. Sarah Ruth Jacobs
If the initial application materials are enough to get a faculty candidate into a first-round interview, then congratulations are in order: the candidate's qualifications are enough to secure the job. Now, what is left is a bit more nebulous: is the candidate impressive in person? Can the candidate speak to diverse audiences and relate well with the institution's students? Is the candidate able to present a riveting and relevant research agenda? Does the candidate want to be affiliated with and serve the institution in a variety of ways?
First-Round Interviews
When it comes to a first-round interview, here are some considerations for candidates to keep in mind:
Enthusiasm tempered with professionalism will go a long way. In a first-round interview, the hiring committee will want to gauge the candidate's level of interest and enthusiasm for the position. Candidates who are able to bring and maintain a genuinely positive, engaged, and collaborative energy will leave a strong impression. This is not the time to be nervous or reserved. At the same time, speaking for too long, giving vague or unfocused answers, faking enthusiasm, and not consistently connecting to the position can work against a candidate, so it is a delicate balance between enthusiasm and professionalism.
Research and preparation are just as important at this stage as they will be in the next. Be overly prepared to answer the most challenging questions, even in the first-round interview. These questions might include:
- Can you discuss one or two recent articles in your field that have influenced your thinking on a given topic?
- How do you think the students at your current institution compare to our students?
- Who would you most like to collaborate with at our institution?
- What approaches would you bring to students who are not well-prepared for an introductory course?
- Tell us what your research plans are after you finish your current book project.
A lack of preparation will communicate a lack of readiness and seriousness to the interviewers.
Campus Interviews
If a first-round interview is successful, candidates will progress to the final stage, the campus visit. This is essentially a day-long job demonstration. Much of the same considerations from the first two stages of the process apply.
Here are some important aspects to be aware of at this stage:
- Keep pushing your narrative. However you presented yourself in the first two stages, whatever narrative you told, was a convincing one. Keep telling the story of you and what you will do for the institution. Did your cover letter and first-round interview emphasize culturally responsive pedagogy? Then your campus interviews, teaching demo, and even lecture will rely on that approach. Have a list of impressive achievements that you have been a part of, and be prepared to discuss each item.
- Maintain your enthusiasm. The campus interview process will be exhausting. At points, you may feel like you are running out of things to say. Try, however you can, to keep up your energy, continually demonstrate a positive attitude, and create an inspiring and enlivening experience for those around you. This might involve some preparation work -- some "talking points" that you can bring up when it feels like conversation is stalled.
- Research everyone you will meet and make targeted talking points. You will likely meet the dean and other members of the administration. Usually, you will be given a list of who you will meet with well in advance. Research those people and come up with well-informed questions and talking points that connect you and your abilities with the interests (and initiatives) of the institution.
- A job talk that draws and speaks to a diverse audience is key. If a candidate has time, he/she/they can find a way to create a job talk that speaks directly to the institution. One successful candidate that I know actually researched immigrant culture in the area of the college and brought that research into a job talk. Most likely, a candidate will not be able to create a job talk just for one institution, but one's research can be tweaked to speak to an institution's or a student body's interests. Dr. Jeremy M. Brown, a professor of biology at Louisiana State, agrees that "an outstanding research talk…is one of the strongest predictors of a job offer. Great talks draw an audience into the narrative of a project and make them want to know the answers to the research questions in the way that a great book makes a reader obsess over how the story will end."
The initial and campus interviews are largely an audition: what role(s) will this person take on at the institution, will students be engaged by this person and his/her/their research agenda, and will this person be tenurable and a good representative for the department and the wider community? The narrative that each candidate tells about his/her/their candidacy will be the narrative that is discussed by the committee members. At that point, it is up to the committee members to determine which narrative best serves the department's and the institution's needs.
This article is republished from HigherEdJobs® under a Creative Commons license.