Gimme your Interview Thoughts!!!

[littlelysser]

Okay...So here's the sitch...

I have an interview for my dream job very soon (could be a week, could be a few weeks). Don't have the exact time yet.

I'm interviewing for a faculty/professor position at a university. EEEEEK.

I'd KILL for this job.

Right now, my hair, well, it is pretty long. I grew it out for my wedding in September, and just haven't bothered to cut it.

I'd say it is about to my mid-back, around the bra strap....it is naturally curly, but I can straighten it as well.

So, my first question...is this too unprofessional? Stated differently, would a crisp, shorter, haircut make a better impression? I have no problem cutting it shorter...this is the first time in YEARS it has been long...just wondering what would look better!

What do you guys think?

Second question - has anyone here interviewed for a professor/faculty position? I have NO idea what to expect...first time I'm doing it...

ANY ADVICE?????

 

[Aloros]

I don''t think it matters. I would definitely pull it up, back, and out of the way though.

 

[Clio]

I''ve been through a few faculty interviews - on both sides of the table.

First, I''d say that while it''s not a big deal to leave your hair long, it sounds from your post that you might get a little ego/attitude boost from getting a smart haircut. If that''s the case, then I''d go for it.

Second, is this a first round (in my field, primarily done at a conference but sometimes on the phone) interview or an on-campus interview? First round interviews are usually pretty short - 30-60 minutes. They''re used to screen the first cut of 10-12 down to the 3-4 they''ll invite to campus. They will probably ask you about your reseach, including plans for "the next step" and maybe a few questions about teaching.

Campus interviews are a wholly different animal. They''re LONG - an entire day. For my interviews, I generally arrived in the evening, was met by a faculty member and taken out for some food then deposited at the hotel. The next day was basically full of meetings with faculty - starting with breakfast - and other administrators in various groupings. At some point, there will be a job talk, where you''ll discuss your research, and some universities will want you to teach a demonstration class. You''ll amost certainly have a meeting with the dean and possibly with the provost or some other administrator. At some places, you''ll also have a meeting with graduate students in the department, and some schools will take you on a little tour of the town.
The day will probably extend through dinner and possibly even a reception with the entire department.
Remember that even the most informal lunch with graduate students or coffee with a group of junior faculty is still part of the interview. You should be relaxed but still cognizant of the need to be at your best. Wine may be flowing at dinner or a reception, but it''s really best not to drink at all (or, if you think it might make you look funny to abstain, nurse one glass of wine for the evening).

Be prepared to talk about your research to a lot of different people (many of whom will not be in your field or subfield), and they will want to know that you are a productive scholar, so it''s a good idea to have some upcoming research projects to discuss as well. Depending on the type of institution, you may also be asked about your teaching philosophy.

You should take use this time to evaluate them as much as they''re evaluating you. This is potentially a place where you could spend your entire career, so you''ll want to size up the people who would be your colleagues, support from the university, etc. (Was it a red flag when faculty at one institution kept telling me how great the city''s airport was? Yes, it was) You may talk salary, startup package, etc., but some institutions save that information until after an offer has been made. Important questions to ask yourself - are these people I will want to work with for possibly decades (some departments are snakepits, and that''s hard to hide completely even in an interview situation), can I do my research here, am I a good fit for the mission of the institution, am I happy with the teaching load, could I see myself being tenured here?

Good luck!

(note: this is based on my experience in the US; if you''re not in the US your situation will probably be very different)

 

[Independent Gal]

OK, re the hair - it totally doesn't matter. Just make sure it looks tidy.

Re the academic interview, it depends on the school, but it usually has most of the following elements a) you present a talk on your research to the other faculty (called a 'job talk') b) you have endless 30 minute meetings one-on-one with the other faculty where they ask you about your research and talk to you about your ideas c) there's usually a dinner d) sometimes they ask you to teach a class and come watch you to see if you're a decent teacher d) if it's a school that gives graduate degrees, there's usually a meeting - maybe over lunch - with a group of graduate students.

Academic interviews are VERY intense and can last anywhere from one full day to 2 full days. Basically what they are looking for is to see if you would make a smart, productive, and interesting colleague, to see if you would be a capable teacher, and to see if you're pleasant and fun, so that they would want you in the office down the hall.

Most of my friends from grad school are now professors, so I've heard a lot about these interviews! If you tell me what kind of institution it is (e.g., small liberal arts college, big research school, etc.) I can maybe give you more advice. You can also look on the website of the Chronicle of Higher Education, where a tonne of advice is to be found.

But the first thing you should do is to ask the school what elements the interview will have. They will be used to this question and happy to tell you. If you have to give a job talk or teach a class, you're going to want to get cracking on that ASAP.

 

[littlelysser]

Thanks for your responses! They are MUCH appreciated!

And here''s the thing - this position is a bit different than most and I suppose I should have stated that in my first etnry...it is for a position teaching legal writing at a law school...not very research intensive. A number of schools do not require scholarship from their legal writing profs...however, I''ve already published one article and I''d LOVE to have the resources to begin working on others. There are several different ideas I have - I''ll make sure that I get those to be a bit more static and defined before the interview... I suppose I could work on a mockup lesson plan type thing too? Maybe?

Clio - This is a first interview - I was told it will last around 30 minutes and I''ll be meeting with "the committee." I''m very familiar with the school and a number of the profs, as it is my alma mater and I graduated 7 years ago...

IG - For what it is worth, the law school is a public top tier law school...and I''ll definitely check out the Chronicals of Higher Education.

 

[Independent Gal]

In that case, I would say it''d be a good idea to think about what is sometimes called your ''teaching philosophy''. They will probably want to know how you approach teaching, what your aims are, what you''ve had successes with... If you can relate it to your own experiences learning how to write legal-ese (what''s with all the damn FOOTNOTES?!?!) at that school that might help.

Soooo... see if there''s anything on the ''Chronicle'' website about teaching philosophy statements?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Twice, for different interviews, I was been asked to bring copies of my published work; which was returned to me upon further interviews. One on occasion, I was given subject matter ahead of time and asked to make it into a classroom/teaching scenario as part of my interview.

I don''t even recall how I prepared my hair, but I do recall wearing a suit both times. And minimal jewellery.

cheers--Sharon