You've told us what to wear and how to give the talk at my interview. Any tips for the rest of the trip?Aside from your talk and a nice dinner, your interview will consist of a grueling series of half-hour meetings with faculty in and possibly outside the department. While you have passed the first test to even get an interview, you still have to distinguish yourself from the other candidates. Your job is to sell yourself particularly to people outside your field who don't know you or your research well.
Take the lead from the person you are talking to. If they start talking about their own research then listen intently and ask friendly intelligent questions. If they start talking about the town (indicating a belief that the two of you have no research interests in common) then have a nice talk comparing it to places you have lived in the past. If they ask about your own research then describe some results beyond your job talk.
Some will ask you questions. "Would you be willing to teach X, or organize Y?" Your answer is always "Yes, I'd be happy to." Some might ask why your research or even theoretical computer science in general is relevant. Make sure you have something intelligent to say and never apologize for your research. Some will ask about your ability to generate funding. Say you will regularly apply for grants at the NSF and other agencies. Acknowledge that theory grants aren't as large as more applied areas but your needs are also fewer.
You must avoid dead silence. Visit the web pages of the faculty you are meeting ahead of time and find some talking point for each of them. Have a list of questions about the department that you can always ask to keep the conversation going.
Act positively. Always show interest in what the other person says. Say only positive things about the place you are visiting and don't say anything negative about any other place. Don't complain how bad the market it. Don't complain about the hotel or the food. Don't complain about anything. Most importantly act like you really want the job whether or not you do.
Have good manners. Always firmly shake hands and thank the person you just talked to and firmly shake hands with the person you will talk with next. Act civilized at dinner. Send thank you emails soon after you return.
Good luck!
You are not a clown performing for the faculty's amusement. Maintain some level of dignity and respect. Don't just nod furiously at everything they say; personally, I wouldn't lower myself to singing and dancing, agreeing excitedly to teach every intro-level programming course, or avoiding saying negative things when they are relevant to the discussion. You are supposed to be charasmatic and have good taste as well.
ReplyDeleteMost importantly, know why your research is important, and believe in it. And if they ask you "are you more like Professor we already have #1 or Professor we already have #2?" The right answer is NOT "I share some qualities with both of them" the answer is "I am completely different, and here's why..."
Departments are also looking for synergies and multiplier effects. It would be good to have thought about how you would bring those about at each place you visit: whom would you work with? what new things would you enable at the places you are interviewing?
ReplyDeleteIf asked if you can teach something
ReplyDeleteor if you know about a certain area
NEVER respond with `I had a course in that'
since at this level knowledge is
NOT measured by courses. Say what you
know. (NOTE- they will NOT ask for
your transcript, they don't care what
courses you took, just what you know).
Mundane point- better to arrive the
night before and stay in a Hotel over
night, so you are fresh and on time.
ALSO- people claim they want people
that are interdiscplinary but unless
the job posting says that explicitly,
better off saying
``My main area is finite model theory,
but I also know alot about Database
and could teach it and work with people
in the area.''
rather than say
``I do both finite model theory and
database''
bill gasarch
I do not know if these suggestions are so good. If I am part of the commission
ReplyDeleteand I notice that a candidate is more focused on "public relations" than on
research, he never came to my department.
And from the point of view of the candidate.. if I will be assumed because
people believed I was friendly, I was interested and so on, what happen when
it will emerge that it is not true?
I believe that a researcher has to be assumed because he does good research.
and good teaching. and it is better if the researcher is good in finding founds.
A good short course in opportunism.
ReplyDeleteDo your homework. If a faculty member does research that overlaps yours, make sure you know about it and are at least reasonably acquainted with what he has done.
ReplyDelete...make sure you know about it and are at least reasonably acquainted with what he has done.
ReplyDeleteYeah, if the faculty member is a woman, just compliment her shoes.