This is question 14 of a series taken from the jobs.ac.uk #jobsQ Google+ Hangout-On-Air event: 'Academic Job Interviews: Top Tips for Success' Expert Q&A
Interviews can be nerve-racking experiences. Academic job interviews in particular can be all-day events which usually involve a panel interview of three or more people and a lecture or presentation to future colleagues.
You may have great teaching and research experience, but how can you persuade them you are the right person for the job? How detailed should your teaching and learning strategies be? How can you convey your administration experience? What should your 5-10 year research plan include?
To help you identify how you can stand out from the crowd at your next job interview, www.jobs.ac.uk held a 60-minute Google+ Hangout on Air. We picked a panel of experienced, passionate and friendly experts who were all keen to help answer your academic interview questions.
What you would say your biggest tip to people watching today would be for their academic
job interview success.
Can I come to you first, please, Michelle?
Yes, I'm aware I might be picking the one everybody else would say as well, so apologies,
but it's preparation.
I have interviewed candidates who haven't done any research into the institution or
the faculty they're applying for a job for, and that's them as they're not going to go
any further.
So do your research, find out about the institution, what are their values, who are their students,
but not just the institution, also the faculty or department you're applying for as well.
Read up into them.
Who are the members of staff?
What's their areas of expertise?
What can you contribute?
So research, research, research.
Absolutely.
Nadine?
Try and relax.
I think that's a big thing.
We said earlier about talk to somebody who makes you laugh before you go in.
Take deep breaths, have water, and ask if you need questions to be repeated, have them
repeated.
Be positive, be enthusiastic, and body language has already been talked about by Amy, but
always give a positive answer where possible, even if you're asked about your weaknesses,
but try and twist it around.
Come across enthusiastic.
You've got to sell yourself and convince the panel that you're the right person for the
post.
So do the homework you said, but positive throughout the interview.
Yeah, I think I can add to that and really just say attitude is everything, but in an
academic interview, you have the capacity to research the research group, the department.
It's all there.
It's all online.
People are on Twitter even these days.
Professors go on Twitter.
They're on LinkedIn.
There's ResearchGate as well.
There's no reason why you can't do that extra work, and also mostly as a researcher, you
should have very well-developed research skills, so put them to good use.
Just one final tip, smile.
It sounds really obvious, but smiling does really help connect with the panel as well,
I think.
You can find more information about applying for jobs and hints and tips on the jobs.ac.uk
website.
