Careers in Academia II: The Interviewing Process December 9, 2013

1. Careers in Academia II: The Interviewing ProcessDecember 9, 2013 Associate Provost Brian Mitchell Graduate Career Advisor Rachel Burk

2. Introduction --An institutional perspective on hiring --What a committee evaluates in interviews --Overview of workshop

3. Institutional Perspective (B) • Adjunct Faculty • Short-term contract (1 semester at time) • “Part-time” teaching load (1-2 courses) • Hired by CV, short interview with Dean/Dept. Chair • Local search • Contract Faculty • “PoP” • 3-5 year contracts, full teaching load • Screening by CV, on-campus interviews • Local, regional search • Tenure-Track Faculty • Hired as Assistant Professor • 3rd year review, 6th year tenure review • Screening by CV, initial telephone/conference interview with department head, on-campus interview with faculty • National, international search

4. Institutional Perspective – Tenure Track Faculty Considerations (B) • Disciplinary “Fit” • Diversity • Collegiality • Tenurability • “Return on Investment”

5. Overview of Workshop (R) • Presentation on the second half of the hiring process, from screening interview through campus interview to job offer • Mock interview workshop in smaller groups

6. Screening Interviews (R) --Most institutions interview at least 12 and as many as 30 candidates for a single position. --Selection for a screening interview means that the Search Committee thinks your credentials as presented in your application materials are a good match for their requirements. In the current job market, this means you ranked in the top +/-15% of a very capable applicant pool. --Interviews last 30 to 60 minutes and are normally conducted by a committee of at least two faculty members. --Many take place at annual professional conferences, others by phone or Skype. --Afterwards, two to four candidates are invited to campus to continue the interview process.

7. Screening Interview: Preparation (R) • Logistics • Schedule strategically. Be polite and make friends with staff. • Half the battle is showing up on time, to the right place, looking the part. • Practice • Be able to answer three to four basic questions fluently. Avoid rapid-fire delivery: treat your explanations as if you were teaching. • Practice often and with different partners. Get advice from faculty in what they look for in candidates. • Plan in advance what you’ll say if you draw a blank. • Research each institution. Prepare a tailored, innocuous question to ask them at the end.

8. The Screening Interview Itself (R) • Walk purposefully, look interviewers in the eye when you meet, shake hands firmly. First impressions matter. • Stand out and present your qualifications succinctly and interestingly. • Come off as a potential colleague, a friendly engaging expert on your field. Aim for less typical interview and more erudite conversation between peers. • Don’t let answers trail off. If you are momentarily stumped, ask for clarification, so you can give them the answer they want quickly. • Conference vs. phone or Skype • Illegal questions and hostile interviewers • Issues for non-native speakers of English (Robert Connor, Director of English as a Second Language)

9. Elevator Speech (B) • Answer to “Tell me about your research.” • “Three Minute Thesis,” a quick synopsis of your major research • Prepare at least two versions: one for departmental colleagues, another for administrators • Avoid jargon, but don’t dumb it down • Remember to situate your work in relation to disciplinary currents, clarify its importance for your field. • Business cards are still nice touches

10. On-Campus Interviews (B&R) • Logistics • Job talk • Present your best research. • Keep to time limit. • Practice before audience, particularly Q & A. • Teaching demonstration • Do what they ask. • Contact professor whose class you will take over for syllabus, tips. • Plan a quick ice-breaker to start. • Meals, meetings, receptions • Always be on. • Meetings with faculty are about fit more than qualifications. • Nurse a drink if you must. • Show students you are interested in them. Ask what they want. Tell them about classes you’d be excited to teach.

11. Negotiating Job Offers (B) • Salary • Benefits • Retirement (vesting) • Health/Dental/Eye Care • Benefits for Dependents (Tuition waiver) • Start-up costs, graduate students, teaching release • Moving Expenses • Start date • Consider the entire package • Spouse/partner considerations • Get it in writing!

12. Conclusion and Resources (B) The Academic Job Search Handbook by Jennifer Furlong and Julie Vick (4th ed., 2008) From Student to Scholar: A Candid Handbook to Becoming a Professor by Stephen Cahn (2008) CHE and Inside Higher Ed For individual career planning advice, contact: Rachel L. Burk, Ph.D. Graduate Career Advisor Tulane Career Center (504) 865-5107 or rburk@tulane.edu

13. Workshop: Peer-to-Peer Mock Interviews (R) --Purpose and format--Explanation of critique rubric --Break up into assigned groups

14. Mock Interview Questions • Tell us about your research/scholarship (as discipline appropriate).  How do you see it evolving over the next five years? • Describe yourself as a teacher.  What teaching experiences have you had and which ones have you most enjoyed? • Do you have a question for us about the position?