Steps to get an Academic Job Interview

Getting ready to start looking at job postings implies a long and exhausting way to go, resume, CV, cover letter, statement, portfolio, references, etc. So is the hiring process. 

There is a significant time gap from the moment the job is posted to the moment the interviews start. Many institutions approve the openings before the end of the academic year. However, the postings do not appear announced until the fall. In general, when on-campus interviews apply, they are usually after Christmas and extend into March.

Job Posting

But well, first things first. The initial approach the candidate will have to his/her employer will be the job posting, which will usually be quite specific on what the department wants, such as teaching and research fields, experience, etc. However, do not back up if you feel that your qualifications do not fit the ad strictly because, sometimes, the announcement is the product of an internal consensus on how to get it out of the door. And, of course, there will be candidates that will fit exactly the description, but what is written on the ad is not necessarily all the department wants from a future colleague. So, the first step is not to discard or exclude yourself before they do. 

Search Committee

The second step on this stair up to the interview is the search committee. It commonly has four to six members, who are already overburdened with work, and now they have to narrow down a list of how many? One, two, three hundred? So, at this point, they will be most likely focused on finding a connection between the applicants’paperwork and their understanding of the job posting, in other words, getting some realistic number of candidates to manage, like twenty or less. 

Video Interview Conferences

Video interview conferences are sometimes part of the process and sometimes not. In any case, they will not be decisive for hire, but leaving your dirty laundry behind you will not help give a good impression. Conferences at this stage are usually about a candidate’s personality and flexibility to comprehend and adapt his teaching and research to the institutional reality—more than on professional background details.

Cover Letters

Cover Letters will play a central role in showing how an applicant excels over the others with similar professional pedigrees. 

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation fromcredible recommenders will also be particularly useful to help the search committee clarify concerns.

On-Campus Interviews

By the time the search committee gets to the on-campus interviews, they have narrowed the list to probably ten applicants.  At this point, department members get more involved in the hiring process. They will likely raise issues that were not addressed before and also tired of a process that they feel has gone forever. So, this is when you have a half-open door, and it depends on you to go ahead and fully open it. 

Your day on campus will start very early, probably at breakfast, and a set of appointments will follow during the day. Visits to different departments –in some cases including human resources-, and meeting future colleagues will be part of the tour.

The job talk comes near the end of the day. So neurons need to be on focus to give a well-structured presentation or class demo.

And finally, when you feel an object more than a subject, the dean will see you. This meeting will not possibly be as combative as the previous part of the process, but you still need to show your potential.

The last but not least important event of the day will be a dinner with your future colleagues. It will be less formal, but it will contribute to your projection as a mature candidate who is not conflictive but is perceived as open and responsible.

Consensus

A consensus on your behalf will be reached not necessarily upon your right qualifications –which surely all candidates share-, but most agreed on your least objectionable aspects as a colleague that can be competent in performing his/her duties. 

Remember that the only positions you do not have a go are those you do not apply for.