If you need a job, you need to do an interview on the telephone and a couple of face to face interviews, which can be an hour each. But academic interviews are very different from these. When an individual completes his education and seeks admission in a reputed college as a faculty, then academic interviews come into action. The applicant is directly interviewed by the faculty member or sometimes the students of the college. And apart from the interview, one has to give a research and teaching presentation. The entire process could take much more time when compared to a job interview. At times, this process takes five days.
The Academic interviews are really tiring, as the applicant has to be active all the time during the interview for a long period of time. Also, the meal times are very uncertain. For this one has to remain unstressed, as it increases one’s chances to be selected. Thus, preparation for such interviews becomes a very important prerequisite. This article helps you in preparing for an academic interview.
The first thing an applicant needs to do is research the faculty members as much as possible. This can be done by with the help of the internet. A visit to the website of the department can give you the list and details of every faculty member. Make sure you read about every faculty member, as there might be surprises for you in the interview. Also, inquire about the faculty members from the people you know in the college. Get in touch with the students and know their impression on the faculty. Also, try to know about the key works of the faculty members who belong to your department. This makes them believe that you do fit in their research.
An applicant has to fit into all the requirements of the department. At times, there are applicants who are excellent with their researches but don’t get hired because they lack classroom teaching skills. Try to know what the department expects from its new hire, and then try to fit into that position. You may ask them directly on the phone or face to face before the interview.
Also, you need to make sure that that you don’t mess up your presentation. And to do this, you need to spend enough amount of time polishing your presentation skills. A good presentation involves the active participation of the audience, so try to involve the students as much a possible by asking them questions.
The last thing and the most important thing you need is healthy mindset. You shouldn’t panic if anything goes wrong in the presentation. Also, be prepared with a good amount of sleep the night before the interview.