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12/15/2014

Howtoaskinterviewquestionsthatshowyou'reinterestedinthejob(essay)

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Howtoaskinterviewquestionsthatshowyou'reinterestedin
thejob(essay)
SubmittedbyElizabethH.SimmonsonDecember12,20143:00am
IrecentlyreadEdmondLausterrificarticle[1] forengineeringjobcandidates,whichstressedthatthe
intervieweemustaskthoughtfulquestionsoftheinterviewer.Beinginthemiddleofthefaculty
searchseasonatmycollege,Iwasstruckbythesoundnessoftheadviceandtheneedforan
articletailoredtocandidatesforacademicpositions.
WhenIinterviewfacultycandidatesduringtheirfirstvisittocampus,Ibothaskthemopenended
questionsandgivethemtimetoposesomeinreturn.Overthelastdecade,Ivenoticedthatthe
mattersaboutwhichthecandidatequizzesmearenearlyasinformativeasthecandidatesanswers
tomyownqueries.
Unfortunately,certainpatternsamongacandidatesquestionscanconveynegativeimpressions
abouttheindividualsunderstandingoftheacademicunitsmissionordegreeofpreparationfora
facultyrole.
Somecandidatesofferessentiallynoquestionsoraskonlyaboutsimplefactualmattersthatare
discussedonthedepartmentorcollegeswebsite.Thismakesitappearthatthecandidateisnot
terriblyinterestedinpursuingacareeratourinstitution.
Perhaps,intruth,thecandidateisjustnervousorwornoutfromalongdayofinterviewing.Perhaps
theyhavealreadyaskedeveryquestiontheydbroughttothecampusinterviewofotherpeople.But
thecandidateispassingupaprimeopportunitytogainaninsideperspective,getasenseofhow
theunitsleaderapproachesacademe,andconveyenthusiasmforjoiningthecollege.
Somecandidatesfocustheirqueriesentirelyononeareaoffacultyresponsibilities.Forinstance,
theymayaskaclusterofquestionsaboutteachingloads,coursereleases,supportforresearch
assistants,andavailabilityofresearchortravelfunds.Thesearecertainlyimportantmatters.
Butsincetheprimarymissionofmycollegeisundergraduateeducationandsincethefaculty
membersareexpectedtobepassionateteachersaswellasengagedscholars,askingonlythiskind
ofquestionfeelsoffkilter.Itimpliesthatthecandidateeitherdoesnotunderstandordoesnotshare
thecollegespriorities.
Somecandidatesaskaboutmattersthataremostappropriatelyaddressedwhenanofferisonthe
table:salary,startuppackages,andspaceassignments.Thissuggeststhatthecandidateiseither
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Howtoaskinterviewquestionsthatshowyou'reinterestedinthejob(essay)

overlyconfidentofreceivinganofferordoesnotunderstandthetypicalstagesoftheacademic
interviewingprocess.
SinceIsuspectthatmostcandidateswhomakethesebasicerrorsmaysimplyhavereceived
insufficientmentoringabouthowtoapproachacademicinterviews,Ihopethisarticlemayprovide
someusefulguidance.
Acampusinterview(ornowadays,aphoneorvideoconferenceinterview)clearlyhastwosides:the
overtinterviewbywhichtheinstitutionassessesthecandidate,andthereciprocalinterviewbywhich
thecandidateassessestheinstitution.Butthereisalsoaninverseaspect,inthateachsides
effortstoevaluatetheotherarevisibletobothparticipantsandbecomepartofevidenceunder
consideration.Searchcommitteemembersandinstitutionalleaderstendtochooseinterview
questionsthatreflecttheinstitutionsmissionandvaluesintervieweesshould,likewise,beaware
thattheirquestionsrevealtheirownpriorities.
Moreover,thechancetoaskquestionsofferscandidatesastrikingopportunitytodemonstratetheir
readinesstoassumethepositionforwhichtheyareinterviewing.Whetherthejobwouldbean
upwardorlateralmove,candidatescanshowthattheyarepreparedtoimmediatelytakeonits
essentialresponsibilitiesandeagertolearnaboutthemorecomplexaspectsoftherole.
Manykindsofquestionscansuggestthesortofengagementandmaturitythatfuturecolleaguesare
seeking,whileprovidingyouwithsignificantinformationaboutwhatyouracademiclifewouldbelike
onthiscampus.Notably,thesequeriestendtorelatetheadvertisedpositiontoabroader
institutionalcontextortounderscorethecandidatesinterestincontributingtotheunitsmission.
Hereareexamplesofafewcategoriesandquestionstoconsider.
Thetrajectoryofthedepartmentorcollege:Whilethewebsitemayshowwhatthedepartment
membersaredoingnow,itcanbevaluabletolearnabouttheunitshistoryandgoals.
Whydoestheunitincorporatetheparticularrangeofscholarlydisciplinesorsubfieldsnow
representedamongthefaculty?
Whyistheunithiringatthistime?Istheunitinanexpansionphase?Aremorefutureopenings
anticipated?Ifso,inwhatareas?
Isthesizeorcompositionofthestudentbody(graduateorundergraduate)changingover
time?
Whatinitiativesistheunitundertakinginitsteaching,research,oroutreachmissionsright
now?Isthispositionrelatedtoanyofthoseinitiatives?
Theunitsrelationshiptothecampus:Jointventuresandinterdisciplinaryenterprisesare
increasinglycommoninacademebuttheyarehandledverydifferentlyondifferentcampuses.
Arethereanyjointlyappointedfacultymembers,crosslistedcourses,orjointdegreeprograms
involvingpartnershipswithotherunits?
Aretherecoreresearchfacilitiesortopicalresearchcentersthatarecosponsoredwithother
units?
Howwilltheholderofthenewpositionbeexpectedtocontributetothecollegesrelationship
withitspartners?
Assessmentoffacultyperformance:Thenormsagainstwhichaninstitutionevaluatesfaculty
membersshowwhattheinstitutionvaluesandhowyoushouldspendyourtimeifyouworkthere.
Howisfacultyperformanceassessedeachyear?Doesthisrelatetotheevaluationsfor
reappointmentandpromotion?
Howisteachingqualityevaluated?Whatkindsofevidenceareconsidered?
Howareinterdisciplinaryeffortsassessed?Whataboutactivitiesthatcutacrosstheresearch,
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Howtoaskinterviewquestionsthatshowyou'reinterestedinthejob(essay)

teaching,andservicemissions?
Whatseparatesagoodfacultymemberfromagreatoneatthisinstitution?Whatkindsof
attitudesorworkhabitsmakepeoplesuccessfulhere?
Settlingin:Answerstothesequestionsrevealhowyouwouldgoaboutestablishingyouracademic
lifeonthiscampus.
Howarenewfacultyorientedandmentoredduringtheirfirstyear?
Aretherefacultydevelopmentprogramsabouttechnology,teaching,grantwriting,orlab
management?
Whatkindofguidanceisprovidedaboutthetenureandpromotionprocess?
Isthereastandardwaytomeetfacultyoutsidetheunitwhoalsoworkinyourarea?
Arethereexistingcrossunitcollaborationsorcampusresourcesthattouchonyour
scholarshiporteachingspecialties?
Whiletheseexamplesarebynomeansexhaustive,theyillustratethesortsofquestionsthatwill
demonstrateyoursincereinterestintheinstitutionwhilehelpingyoudeterminewhetheritisagood
fitforyourprofessionalaspirations
Finally,Iwouldliketonotethatitcanbehelpfultobringawrittenlistofquestionsalongtothe
interviews.Evenifyoufindyourselffeelingtiredornervous,youwillstillhavetherightquestionsfor
theconversationathand.Thelistcanalsoremindyoutoaskmultipleinterviewersaboutsomeof
thesametopics,togetasenseofhowconsistentcertainpracticesorperceptionsareacrossthe
unit.
Bestwishesforyournextacademicinterview!
AuthorBio:
ElizabethH.SimmonsisdeanofLymanBriggsCollege,actingdeanoftheCollegeofArts&Letters,
andUniversityDistinguishedProfessorofPhysicsatMichiganStateUniversity.
SourceURL:https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2014/12/12/howaskinterviewquestionsshowyoureinterestedjob
essay?width=775&height=500&iframe=true
Links:
[1]http://www.theeffectiveengineer.com/blog/howtodistinguishyourselffromotherinterviewcandidates

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