What & How & Why

Techniques of the academic interview

part 5 notes


Academic Job Interview Basics

self-importance

  • Their slow, deliberate delivery is a core professorial conceit.
  • gesture widely, expansively.
  • remember to pause.
  • Nod sagely, think deeply, inhale
  • Then respond to the questiom
小心上升语调
  • 上升语调会让你的陈述句听起来像疑问句
  • communicated through a strong falling tone at the end of every sentence
body language
  • maintain a level gaze and steady eye contact
  • take up all the space to which you’re entitled

International candidates, take note that in the United States, a firm handshake and steady eye contact are cultural practices that are associated with a range of virtues such as maturity, reliability, and authority.

  • 女性申请者需要注意:
    • 不要用手指卷头发
    • 不要玩珠宝
    • 不要持续的,对每个回复都微笑(代表了顺从)
  • 通过录像来看自己是否有如下的奇怪动作:
    • 盯着天花板看
    • 回避性的眼神
    • 歪头
    • 晃脑袋
    • 分散注意力的手势
    • 耸肩
Authority
  • 避免使用 insecure words(try, attempet, hop,wishi)等
避免消极回答

问题:

“Tell us about your plans to revise your dissertation into the book.”

消极类回答:

Well, the dissertation isn’t really in a publishable state yet. My third chapter is still missing some major elements on the prewar period that I need to add. I will need to visit the University of Tokyo library to access some of that material. I haven’t really submitted the manuscript to a press yet because I’m waiting to resolve issues like that before I do.

积极类回答:

My former mentor has invited me to visit and use a collection of prewar materials at the University of Tokyo library this summer. I’ll be incorporating that material into my third chapter, and in the meantime, I’ll be drafting a proposal of the book to send to presses next fall.

Look forward to what you will do, not backward to what you have not done.

面试问题的准备
  • 准备 10-15个可能会被问到的问题
  • 每个写出 1-2分钟的 outline
  • 练习到烂熟
  • 不要死记硬背,那样可能会让你听起来像个机器人
  • 使用 outline 作为重点的标记点,确保回答涵盖这些重点
  • 面试是对话,不是独白
    • 给于面试者回复的机会(“tell us more”)
    • 如果时间不够,转到下一个问题
其他
  • 我们的目标不是分享所有我们知道的东西,而是精确的回答符合招聘者要求(或是回答指定问题)
    • 比如(Tell us about some classes you would develop for us,)不是让你用 20分钟解释在你脑子钟的 n 个班级。而是让你用 5分钟解释两个不同 level(比如入门/高级),然后解释这些东西与招标的要求有什么关系。
  • 对目标学校做一些研究,把 faculty 以及其研究和发表都拿出来看一看。
  • 对所有的面试的基础问题都需要做准备,练到 second nature
    • 镜子前练习
    • mock

面试问题的大分类

任何面试问题都会基于以下的内容提出:

  • dissertation
  • 短期和长期的发表计划
  • Your place in the field
  • 教过的课,包括 genneral 和 specialized
  • teaching philosophy
  • Your interest in program building
  • Your understanding of the financial and organizational context of the department
可能会有的挑战/带敌意问题
“What you’ve said is all very interesting, but isn’t this really an outdated question in light of…?

遇到这种情况,有礼貌的回避: 问:

What you’ve said is all very interesting, but isn’t this really an outdated question in light of…

回答:

Thank you for raising that question. Indeed at first glance it might seem that with the advent of X, the question of Y is less urgent, and that has even been argued by scholars such as P and Q. However, I would suggest that while X has raised important new questions, the issues of Y remain unresolved because they require a different kind of attention to [and so on back into the current of your project].

问:

: Doesn’t your conclusion contradict what Nelson has proven with regard to X?

回答:

I’m glad you brought that up. Nelson does address a similar theme in his research. However, Nelson’s question is really a different one from mine. While he focuses on X, I actually begin from the perspective of Y. A perspective on Y helps us to keep the focus on Q, which is critical in light of recent changes [and so on back into the current of your project].

总的来说,思路是把事情尽量转到你自己的研究上。

答完以后的结尾也要强有力,不能说:

Um, did that answer your question?

而是要说:

Next question?

不要摇摆不定,卑躬屈膝,道歉。大声自信的表达自己,表现的像一位有话要说,有见解的年轻学者。

The Key Questions in an Academic Interview

“Tell us about your dissertation.”
  • 时间:三分钟以内
  • 结构:
    1. “My dissertation, [title], examines [the topic].”
    2. “Specifically, it analyzes [the specific phenomena studied].”
    3. “I use X methods and Y theory to establish [the method and theory foundation]
    4. “I discovered/found that [observations and findings].”
    5. “I conclude that [core argument].”
    6. Bonus sentence on contribution: “While many scholars have argued that X should be understood as Y, my research reveals that X can be better understood as Z, showing the importance of P to the study of Q [statement of contribution to a field].”
“Tell us about your publishing plans for the next five years.”

这个问题是个 quantitative 的问题,关于你是否能获得 TT 的问题。这个问题实际上是在考验你 “whether you understand the nature of a publication arc for purposes of tenure.” 提问者需要知道的是你是否有一个

  • 快速而有条理的
  • 从过去到现在到未来的,贯穿六年 TT 的

发表路径。范例如下:

“As you can see from my CV, I already have an article out based on the dissertation, in the Journal of X. I am currently finishing a revise and resubmit of another chapter from the dissertation for the Journal of Y. After that is complete I will turn my attention to a book proposal, and plan to have that completed and submitted to presses by the end of the fall semester. I am considering the University of X Press and the University of Y Press. I expect to have the book manuscript finished by spring 20XX. After that I’ll be turning my attention to a major second project, which I can describe in more detail if you are interested.”
“How would you teach our intro class?”

这个问题主要是看你有没有制定教课的计划。大概的模板:

  • Title and optional short sketch of topic
    • 标题应该 engaging
    • 如果是新课,标题下面简要的描绘一下课程的主题。如果是已有可成,那么无需再解释。
    • 范例:
I would like to teach a course called Japan Imagined. It will explore representations of Japan in Western accounts from the seventeenth century to the present, focusing on shifts that accompany Japan’s changing political and economic status vis-à-vis the West.”
  • Main Takeaway point
    • 一句话描述你希望学生从你课程中学到的要点
    • 范例
“The point I want students to take away is that our image of ‘Japan,’ which students imagine as timeless, has actually shifted continually to reflect Western economic and political anxieties.”
  • Textbook/readings:
    • 用一两句话介绍课程中需要的 reading
    • 范例
“We’ll read John Dower’s War Without Mercy and Anne Allison’s Millennial Monsters, among other texts, to get a sense of the scholarship on the politics of representation in a context in which Japan actively produces its own global self-representations. I’ll also have students read primary documents such as Portuguese explorer accounts, Commodore Perry’s journal, and WWII propaganda.”
  • Broad organization/road map of the course with “landmarks”
    • 用一两句话快速的介绍可成的组织结构(从头到尾,不要详细介绍)
    • 范例:
“We will start with Portuguese explorers and move through Commodore Perry and the American ‘opening’ of Japan, WWII and the occupation, and Japan’s rise in the 1980s, ending with the ongoing recession and the transnational circulation of Japanese anime, manga, and video games.”
  • Assignment
    • 一句话介绍你的作业(最好是能让别人记住的)
    • 范例:
“I have the students play video games such as Tekken and Pokémon, do an in-class demonstration of the Japanese cultural and linguistic elements in each game, and report on the ways these elements are discussed on the American Internet discussion boards devoted to the games.”
  • Conclusion
    • 一句话将课程与其他课程的 catalog, curricuum, department agada 联系起来。这是证明你理解你教的东西必须运作在一个大的课程框架底下
    • 范例:
“In this way students gain a foundation in contemporary Japanese history and Japan’s image vis-à-vis the West that they can carry forward with them into more advanced courses in the major and their senior project.”

整体的范文:

“I would like to teach a course called Japan Imagined. It will explore representations of Japan in Western accounts from the seventeenth century to the present, focusing on the shifts that accompany Japan’s changing political and economic status vis-à-vis the West. The point I want students to take away is that our image of ‘Japan,’ which students imagine as constant, has actually shifted continually to reflect economic and political anxieties. We’ll read John Dower’s War Without Mercy and Anne Allison’s Millennial Monsters, among other texts, to get a sense of the scholarship on the politics of representation in a context in which Japan actively produces its own global self-representations, and I’ll also have students read primary documents such as Portuguese explorer accounts, Commodore Perry’s journal, and WWII propaganda. The course will start with Portuguese explorers and move through Commodore Perry and the American ‘opening’ of Japan, WWII and the occupation, and Japan’s rise in the 1980s, and end with the ongoing recession and the transnational circulation of Japanese anime, manga, and video games. In the class, I have the students play video games such as Tekken and Pokémon, do an in-class demonstration of the Japanese cultural and linguistic elements in each game, and report on the ways these elements are discussed on the American Internet discussion boards devoted to the games. In this way students gain a foundation in contemporary Japanese history and Japan’s image vis-à-vis the West that they can carry forward with them into more advanced courses in the major, and their senior projects.”
“How would you teach our methods course and/or core theory seminar?”

你的课程会提供给很多不在你专业领域内的学生。为此你需要设计一系列的 seminar 来做这个事情。The theory semilnar 是这个系列的基石。专业领域内的问题:需要有一个计划。

  • 会被 quiz
“Name two courses you would develop for our department.”
  • R1 大学准备两门课:一门本科的,一门研究生的
  • teaching school 准备两门本科课:一门初级的,一门高级的
  • 课程根据具体大学的要求来调整
  • 使用前面的 “How would you teach our intro class?” 模板
“How would you mentor graduate students?
  • 不要露怯:不要说 “As a graduate student I have been so fortunate to have had marvelous mentoring…” 之类的话
  • 从一个 faculty 的角度去看如何带学生(R1 大学特别看重这个)
  • 范例:
Graduate students at different levels will have different needs. First-year graduate students will be struggling to simply adapt to the demands of graduate school, and for those students, I would focus on helping them navigate the expectations of the program, its requirements, and basic academic reading and writing skills.


Mid-program students who are involved in establishing their dissertation projects will need assistance in formulating an original research project, and then gaining a command of the theoretical schools of thought and the various methodologies necessary to conduct it. Teaching skills in grant writing is also important at this stage.


With more advanced students I focus on academic writing skills, and work with them to plan ahead for conferences and presenting work in public.


As graduate students finish the program I would focus on the job market and other professionalization skills such as fellowships, post-docs, and networking. Overall I want to support students in both their scholarly growth as well as their professional development.
“Tell us about your second project.”

这个问题的实际上是提问者希望了解你贯穿终身教职期间的学术轨迹( scholarly trajectory, through tenure.)这个轨迹应该表达你的研究:

  • 从你的论文通过 peer-review 的开始到下一个重要项目的“强劲势头”
  • 也就是这个项目应该是,根据你已经发表的内容,伴随着你预期的研究成果以及 funding 自然而然的,连贯的出现的产物。
  • 证明的是你拿到 tenure 后还会继续有高产出的事实

第二个项目应该通过发表,funding 来体现;证明的是你的学术成果不是昙花一现,而是可持续的。这个项目对是否能拿到 Tenure 至关重要。

  • 你可以凭空捏造这个项目,将其叙述为你的连贯学术计划的一部分。但无论如何,要通过这个计划证明你的思考方式像一位 Tenure教师,而不是那种计划按 term为单位的人。
“You come from an X kind of school. How would you adapt to a campus like ours?”

这个一般是属于下嫁时要证明你可以适应 low rank 的目标学校。范例:

“I have a commitment to the type of teaching that is done at Rural College, a commitment that has grown stronger the further that I have moved in my career. I look forward to hands-on work with students, and appreciate the campus’s commitment to X. In addition, my family resides in the area/my research will thrive in the area/I have a personal connection to the area.”

你需要以事实为基础去表达合理的情感,而不是直接说说你是完美匹配这个学校的人。注意上面例子的最后一段提到了家庭:这个联系只有在申请边远城市的二线学校才值得提。没有人选名校的理由是家人住得近。

“Do you have any questions for us?”

一些不好的回答示例:

• “No.”
• “Uh, I guess not. I can’t really think of any offhand.”
• “I’d like to ask about your spousal hiring program.”
• “What is your department’s relationship with the dean?”
• “How is your department viewed on campus?”
  • 一些常见的误区
    • Tell us about your research
      • 你以为:别人对你的研究感兴趣,所以你说了很多
      • 实际上:
        • 委员会只对你的专业知识对他们广告中的需求有多大帮助有兴趣
        • 他们还会通过你的回答来查看你是否善于交流 / 是否有自我中心的趋势
    • Tell us about your plans for the next five years.
      • 你以为:委员会对你的兴趣 / 动力来源感兴趣
      • 实际上:
        • 他们想要知道你对 Tenure 这个职位是否有清楚的认识(tenure 是通过对未来一系列的仔细计划并实现后能达到的终点)
        • 你具体要达到 tenure 这个目标的计划
          • 需要有具体的时间 / 地点
          • R1 会更优先考虑你的研究计划,而 teaching shcool 则会优先考虑的教学计划
    • Tell us how you would teach our big survey course.
      • 你认为:我手底下的学生必须学这个,必须学那个
      • 实际上:委员会不想听到你希望将他们的大型入门课程变为你个人理论的实践地。他们想知道:
        • youget that you will be teaching big survey courses(你不能偏离大轨道)
        • 你了解 program 希望学生学到什么,并有一个明确保证学生学到这些东西的计划、
    • Tell us how you see yourself contributing to this department.
      • 你认为:别人向知道我怎么计划课程,我有多喜欢学生
      • 实际上:
        • 委员会想知道你是如何将你的工作与当前 faculty 进行的工作如何联系起来的(从主题上/专业上)
        • 委员会想知道你如何提高该系的声望(毕业生、项目、课程等。)
    • Tell us why you want to work here
      • 你认为:委员会想知道你觉得他们的系有多好,他们的东西会给你带来什么样的帮助(这是自我的想法!)
      • 实际上:
        • They want to know that you understand the university, the department, the faculty and have concrete ideas about how you can connect, build, and engage with its stated programs and priorities.
    • 回到本节的问题: Do you have any questions for us?
      • 你认为:这个问题是在搜集信息
      • 实际上:
        • 你的问题展示了你的优先事项,体现了你的价值观。因此,你必须向委员会体现出你在考虑的东西是他们想让你考虑的东西,比如 R1 大学就会认为你的关注点应该着眼于你的终身教职的案例上。(这种情况下,如果只问 teaching 的问题就不合适)
        • 你的问题应该显示出你对部门与校园状况的理解:
          • 如果能简单回答的问题最好不要提,比如:
            • “Is there a lot of collaboration in the department?” 如果没有的话,会搞得面试官很尴尬
          • 避免带有自身判断的问题,比如:
            • * “You seem to be lacking classes in X; are you looking to increase that coverage area?”
        • 好问题应该具有开放性,比如:
          • “I’d like to know more about sources for research support on campus”
        • 如果是 R1 大学,可以问一些关于研究支持相关的东西,比如:
          • “Do you provide automatic junior sabbatical for assistant professors?”
          • teaching school 需要问 teaching 方面的支持。

你提出的问题都是在展示你为该工作做好了准备,且也与学校也做好了合作的准备。

Questions for Interviews at Research Universities
  • “I’d like to know more about sources of travel support on campus.”
  • “Could you tell me about teaching-release possibilities on campus?”
  • “I heard that there is a junior sabbatical for tenure-track faculty. Could you tell me more about that?”
  • “What is the breakdown of undergraduate and graduate teaching?”
  • “I’m interested to know how the graduate students are supported. Could you tell me more about that?”
  • “What level of graduate-assistant support is available to support research?
Questions for Interviews at Teaching-Oriented College
  • “I’d like to know more about the students; what do they tend to do after graduation?”
  • “I’d like to know about some of the ways that students are involved in faculty research (and here are some of my ideas about that).”
  • I’m curious about opportunities to lead field school or studyabroad programs.”
  • “I’d like to know more about the [fill in the blank] Club. What are some of its activities and how are faculty involved?”
  • “I’d like to hear about opportunities for collaborative (and/or interdisciplinary) teaching on campus.”
  • “I’d like to know more about the advising and mentoring programs in the college. How do faculty work with students outside the classroom?”

The Conference Interview

  • 通常面试的长度大概在30分钟左右,问题大致5个左右
  • 每个回答不要超过 4 分钟
  • 面试中尽量控制自己的情绪
准备工作:了解 search commitee 的成员
  • 研究他们的工作
  • 了解整个部门的情况
  • 熟悉他们的课程目录
  • 了解他们最近的成就
  • 了解自己可能要教的课,并准备一些关于如何教授这些课的想法。
  • 如果可能得话,考虑将他们的文章放到你课程的 reading list 里(真诚第一)
  • 了解一下系里的财政情况,看看该系是否正在增加学费或是寻求更多的 funding。如果这个学院正在大规模裁员,那么你可能需要准备好教大课,并适当的提一下这个事情。
处理非正式的“面试”

某些学校会给你来一场像聊天一样的非正式的“面试”。这种面试更像是对话,但你也需要做好之前提到过的准备。对话过程中需要确保对话快速而有效的进行,准备一些话题给面试前后闲聊用(可以是刚听到的,很精彩的专题讨论)。

同时注意不要太过执着于该对话。该离开的时候需要离开。

电面(电话 /skype)注意事项

  • 电面通常是 20 - 30 分钟
  • 将你的回答限制在 2 分钟以内
  • 注意 pause。 你给出的回答需要给对方来思考。
    • 发言即将结束的时候使用强烈的语气释放这个(我已经说完了的)信号,然后默数 5下,然后等待下一个问题的提出。如果对方没有提问,就接着说其他的
电面的建议
  • 正装(主要用于转换自己的心态)
  • 提前设置好桌上的空间,确保有足够的隐私
  • 放一个笔记本到旁边,用于给自己一些小提示。这些提示可以包括:
    • 论文主题: X, y, z
    • intro course 的课本是啥, suppliment 是啥
    • method seminar 的内容(比如讨论的是数量内容还是质量内容)
    • 不要写太长的回答,这些回答必须烂熟于心
  • 做个单页的 cheatsheet放旁边,上面包括:
    • 所有 faculty 的名字(search committe 的房最上面),以及他们的研究重点,还有他们最近发表的一片论文的标题。
  • 准备纸笔,在提问的时候速记。比如有时候你会遇到复合型的问题,你需要记下每个部分然后做针对性的回答。
skype 的建议
  • 大多同上
  • 检查桌上的空间(尤其是摄像头范围内的小物件)
  • 检查屏幕上你头的大小,不要太大,也不能离的太远
  • 把你的辅助材料放置到摄像头附近,不要让人看到你在看屏幕之外
  • 跟人说话的时候尽量盯着摄像头,制造眼神接触

The Campus Visit