With August here, the academic job market is moving into high gear in many disciplines.
The job market has changed from when I was looking for work. It used to be that schools only interviewed at conferences.
Conferences made selecting finalists efficient - faculty would sit in a room for days - and knock out 20 to 30 interviews - then select 3 finalists to visit campus.
Conferences introduce inequity into academic markets - favoring students who could afford to attend & schools with money to host events - making it hard for poor students & schools to compete for the best jobs and talent.
I know bc my father was on the academic market in those years - and after not being able to afford a conference to interview - left academe to work at a non-profit.
The world was not fair.
With the rise of Skype and zoom, the academic job market leveled out. Online interviews made it possible for all applicants and schools to do initial interviews - which made the world more fair.
But, there is a glitch.
Most advisors have no idea how to prepare students for online interviews - most are a bit clueless.
Having been on the interviewer & the interviewee side of the job market, a few tips for job seekers.
First, prep your interview space.
Virtual backgrounds don’t work. Get a clean, distraction free space setup.
Second, pick an interruption free space.
No pets, no kids, no friends, no students, no family, no street noise, no phones.
Note. I’m totally pro-family- but for this time - you need the attention on you.
Third, test your equipment.
You want to make sure the camera and audio and network work.
Do a short call with a peer ten minutes before the interview starts.
Fourth, fix your screen settings - check and make sure the images tile properly- so you can see faces.
Fifth, come prepared.
Know the curriculum, faculty research interests, and features of the town.
Have three or four questions ready - You want no quiet moments. Safe questions include teaching, where do people work, and timeline.
Not safe questions are about money, resources, and tenure standards. Those can wait for a campus visit or when negotiating an offer.
Sixth, do a practice interview.
This should not be your advisor. Have it be a faculty member that you are not close to.
Seventh, have a concise elevator pitch ready for the following.
Your dissertation and time to completion.
Your teaching interests and experience.
An example of high quality class exercises
A concise statement of what and where you want to publish.
Eighth, when asked your timeline, have an answer. Interviewers will want to know how quickly you will make a decision.
Finally, wear pants.
Being dressed professionally will help you feel more confident.
While this may seem similar to FTF interviews, it’s not bc the format is harder to navigate.
Best of luck!
