Interviewing for a Faculty Position

Overview

These slides offer a brief overview of the components of a faculty interview and what to expect in each of them. More in-depth resources on each of the components are below.

Interview Questions

• Check out the interview questions that one UCSF alum was asked at different types of institutions: 
  UCSF OCPD 2018 Example interview questions.pdf
• Remember, interviewing goes both ways! The interview is also your chance to determine whether the place you are interviewing is a good fit for you. Use the slides from Using the Interview to Avoid a Bad Fit to learn how to ask questions and listen to responses so that you can get real answers. The handout from Using the Interview to Avoid a Bad Fit has a list of red flag behaviors you can look out for.

Job talk

• Gather information from the department that invited you. For example, who is the anticipated audience and how big might the audience be, how will the room be set up, will you be presenting from your own computer, what time of day is your talk, are there expectations for length of talk vs questions, can you have a 15-30 minute break scheduled prior to your talk to prepare?
• There are numerous resources written by faculty about how to prepare and deliver a job talk. We've listed some of the best resources below:
  • Detailed handout on Job Talks from the University of Washington’s Career Center.
  • Article with quotes from faculty on what they look for in the academic job talk from Nature Careers.
  • Detailed article from American Society of Preventive Oncology Junior Members Interest Group: Job talks and Interviews: How to stand out and fit in.
• Watch a video: "How to Give an Effective Job Talk," a workshop offered by the NIH’s Office of Intramural Training & Education (2 hours). Complete listing of videos is found here (scroll down to "Academic Careers").
• Schedule a practice talk with your lab at least 2-3 weeks before the interview. Leave adequate time to incorporate significant feedback you may receive.
• Practice your talk with researchers who are outside your discipline, since it is critical that your work be easily understood by all members of the search committee and department. The audience you present to may be from a mix of fields.
• Avoid temptation. In the lead-up to a campus interview, it can be tempting to spend all your time obtaining that last piece of dazzling data to put in your formal job talk. But don’t neglect the other facets of your preparation, described below.

Chalk talk

• Watch the recording of Michael Rape's Chalk Talk seminar at UCSF.
• Watch the recording of Seemay Chou's Chalk Talk demonstration at UCSF.
• There are numerous resources written by faculty about how to compose a chalk talk. We've listed some of the best resources below:
  • ASBMB overview of a chalk talk
  • This ASCB article talks lays out a successful format for chalk talks
  • This article from EJN covers every component of the faculty application process, including differences between US and European searches
• The year before you go on the market, ask if you can attend chalk talks in your department to see what they are like.
• Schedule a practice talk with your lab at least 2-3 weeks before the interview.

Teaching demonstration, if requested

• Read this handout explaining Teaching Demos, from the University of Washington’s Career Center.

Interviewing online

Do your homework

Learn all you can about the department and the people you are likely to meet on campus. Read their research profiles, browse their lab websites, and perhaps skim a recent paper or two. Jot down a couple questions you could ask each of them, and note any possible opportunities for collaboration. Also understand when your talk(s) will be during the interview so you can adequately prepare. Below are two sample schedules for academic visits.

• Schedule for an academic interview visit: Sample for a Research-focused position, with two visits to the department
• Schedule for an academic interview visit: Sample for a Teaching-focused position, with one visit to the department

Look the part

Decide what you are going to wear and go shopping if necessary. Buy or borrow a professional-looking bag for your laptop and other materials, as well as an advancer/laser pointer, if you will use one during your talk, but make sure to practice with it so you are comfortable with it by the time you give your talk.

Preparing for an on-campus interview is exciting but also quite stressful, and is often done under intense time pressure. Interviews themselves require tremendous energy and endurance. Try to get enough sleep and exercise in the weeks before your interview, as these basics are the foundation of peak performance. Pack snacks that can be eaten quickly and won’t get stuck in your teeth or make a mess. You may also want to bring breath mints, kleenex, and a water bottle or a coffee cup.

As soon as you return from your interview, write thank yous to everyone you met with or who helped organize your visit. In the interest of speed, these can be sent by email; you may also send an additional handwritten note if you wish.