From Student to Scholar by Cahn Steven; Stimpson Catharine;

Author:Cahn, Steven; Stimpson, Catharine;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2011-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

[SIX]

THE SECOND INTERVIEW

Good news: you have been asked to visit the campus of Minerva University to be considered for a tenure-track assistant professorship.

You know little about the school except for its celebrated mascot, the owl. Perhaps this lack of familiarity discourages you from taking the trip, but you should go anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you find there. In any case, you’re gaining the valuable experience of being interviewed, while simultaneously networking. Thus if you have even the slightest interest in the institution, accept its invitation.

Before going, familiarize yourself with the school by checking its Web site and learning all you can about the college in general—its history, structure, and curriculum—and the department in particular, including the research interests of its faculty, the course offerings, and the requirements for the major. This knowledge will indicate your seriousness of purpose and enable you to ask relevant questions while avoiding embarrassing missteps.

At the outset you are told that, as is customary, the school will cover all costs. If you don’t have the money on hand for plane fare, say so, and you’ll receive a prepaid ticket. Your meals will be arranged, and if you’re expected to stay overnight, so will your lodging. Furthermore, you will be reimbursed for any incidental expenses, so keep your receipts. Remember also to check ahead about weather conditions so you can dress appropriately.

When you arrive, someone, probably a member of the department, will meet you. At that moment, your interview begins, and any subsequent remark to anyone may be repeated when your candidacy is being discussed.

Thus, be circumspect. Don’t say to one person what you wouldn’t want others to know. Don’t make a comment in jest that, when repeated, might be open to misinterpretation. Don’t denigrate colleagues, students, or anyone else. When you’re talking to someone, you’re not aware of that individual’s connections to others. By staying positive, you’ll minimize the risk of blundering.

Avoiding mistakes is more difficult than you may suppose because, from the moment you arrive until the time you leave, you will be taken on a rapid campus tour; whisked from one meeting to another; introduced to a multitude of administrators, faculty, staff, and students; and peppered with questions from all sides. Amid this whirl of activity, keeping your wits is not easy.

At every meal, members of the department (and perhaps one or two faculty members from related departments) will join you, thereby having the opportunity to see you in informal settings. These repasts offer the opportunity to display the breadth of your interests, both within and without your discipline, so try not to spend the occasions arguing, especially about minutiae. Watch your manners, go easy on food and liquor, and don’t allow the seeming good cheer to lead you to lose focus. Regardless of the merriment, your interview is ongoing.

Almost surely you will be asked to deliver a scholarly talk and respond to questions, a challenge anytime but one often made more difficult by being scheduled toward the end of a dizzying day.

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