I continue to collect info about job interviews. Below there are some valuable comments and suggestions of my friends, who did it recently and successfully. I find such notices really helpful. I hope it will help someone else to get a job.
I. Once you’re there in person, it’s easier to converse, and to read the people you’re talking to. I would definitely recommend finding out everything you can about the department and the faculty before the interview. Make sure you know ahead of time what each person’s interests are; that way, you can guess where they’re coming from when they ask questions. Enthusiasm always plays well. So does appearing organized and comfortable. For a teaching position, they are likely to be concerned that many applicants will be applying with no intention of staying in the position, so they’ll want to know that this is a position that you actually want and would enjoy, even though the status is lower than a research position. They’ll be trying to weed out anyone who just sees the job as something temporary until they can land the “real” position.
II. Prepare 5 min drill on who you are and what you plan to do.
– prepare 3 min drills on your teaching strategies, research with undergrads strategies, collaboration strategies, etc..
– think about ideas on how to promote academic excellence, student research, diversity.
– think what it is that you are bringing to them.
– prepare = write it down and practice in front of the mirror/camera.
– do a home work on the people in the department.
– do a home work on the college, what are the buzz words, what are they proud of.
– prepare 2-3-5 questions about the environment, student population, opportunities, etc..
– show enthusiasm, but do not dominate the conversation.
– show you are going to be a great colleague.
– when skype, do not look at yourself, look at the camera! Do not sit too close or too far. Think what you want to show in the background – book shelf is the best, black nude poster is not that good.
– think about your body language, facial expression. Practice in front of the computer camera.
– I would not dress too formal, but nice.
– ask them if they can hear you well, and make sure you can hear them well – so you would not need to get your ear close to the computer.
III. I think the best thing to do is try to relax and be yourself. In the case of a teaching position, I think you probably want to highlight your broad experiences working on many microbes and also your experiences with teaching many types of classes (micro, fungi, etc.) but also your abilities to get along with students – you have hosted many visiting students/scholars/etc. and this is a big issue they will want to see. I would say that another thing you might do is to anticipate the questions they will ask:
– what have you taught?
– what is your favorite/least favorite thing about teaching?
– how will you use technology in the class?
– what are the most important things for microbiology students to know?
– how are you perfect for this job? (e.g. what do you bring to the job that others will not bring).
MICROBIAL RESEARCH 