For past and present search committee members.- What sort of information should I research about your school or department before we meet? (Did they ever find out what was making the rattling sounds in the basement of McDougal Library?)
- Is it weird if I tell you something I know about your research or teaching? (Hey, you like comic books, too, huh?! Wanna trade some?)
- Do you want me to tell you that I know something about and am amenable to living in your town? (I hear that most of the hookers in Toledo are out by the airport.)
- Should I reveal I know about your internal candidate? (So, did Greg ever get rid of that syphillis?)
- Can we just agree that you won't ask me if I'm gay, and I won't show you pictures of my husband Artie?
Yes to the first 3. Here are the wonderful things about (insert name of college) and why I'd just love to work here. Here is the wonderful thing about me that I could contribute to your wonderfulness and make it even more wonderful. I'm so interested in your work on X/Y/Z, Dr A/B/C; I was hoping we could chat sometime about how my research on D supports your work. Your town! It's so beautiful! And so close to my family (second cousin 3 times removed Dougie, who's in the asylum just off campus, but no matter). I love skiing/boating/dirt biking/ contemplating urban decay.
ReplyDeleteYou do not know about any of the other candidates. If you do, of course, do everything you can to show how your specialty is better than theirs. But covertly.
Nobody cares who you're married to. They only care that your spouse, if you have one, is portable and does not want a job at the university themselves. Ideally your spouse is a psychiatric nurse. There is no jurisdiction that does not need those. But novelist is also good. Lie like a rug.
Looking up their research interests didn't pay off for me. Asking them about those (and their personal interests) and being excited about similarities totally did. I knew I'd be a good fit for my current department when faculty offices featured posters of obscure crap I love and we could geek out about it. Of course, ymmv.
ReplyDeleteI guess I would say to show interest in the school and the department, not in me. But that's me. I think a lot of profs like having smoke blown up their asses.
ReplyDeleteIt's very important to send the message that you are not just "passing through". This is a huge concern for interview committees, whether they are allowed to consider it or not, or tell you or not. We don't want to do this again. We want you to be happy here. We want you to work out and stay here forever. And ever. And ever. Don't get all Julie Andrews on us. Just ask questions and seem interested in the town and the campus, etc. If you have kids, start asking about schools.
Don't say boo about the fact that you know we have an internal candidate. Sometimes that person doesn't get chosen, anyway.
And if you're gay, my god, please come to my school. All of my gay men have left town. I need a fag to hag. If you have a boyfriend, even better.
"Don't say boo about the fact that you know we have an internal candidate. Sometimes that person doesn't get chosen, anyway."
ReplyDeleteNo, but they (and their posse) do often make life awkward for the person who does. There outta be a rule that all disgruntled internal candidates (and the number of their internal supporters) should be disclosed at the time of the job offer.
Just Sayin.
Is that a "Sure Pinocchio" reference?
ReplyDeleteGotta love John Hiatt!
Also, it would be awesome if internal candidates and their posse be banned from the job talk. Just sayin' as well.
ReplyDeleteThere's a fine line between showing interest and just being creepy. Yet, I think knowing more is better than knowing less.
ReplyDeleteI was regaled with a hiring tale though about an applicant who had memorized the course listings and designators and then proceeded to argue with a member of the committee about what the listing number was for a particular course. I believe the words 'creepy' and 'obsessive' were used and that person was not hired.
ReplyDeleteBison:
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, I still think I was right on that one.
But, I'd also had a lot of coffee.
Fab
Personally, I'd love you to drop a hint that you're gay and married in the interview. Our department is a bunch of white guys, so anything we can point to as 'diversity' would be welcomed!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'd love you to drop a hint that you're gay and married in the interview. Our department is a bunch of white guys, so anything we can point to as 'diversity' would be welcomed!
ReplyDelete@MLP
ReplyDeleteDunno. If the posse had shown up at the job talk, I would have known about them before I moved my career, life, and assorted stuff all the way up here to Tuktoyaktuk.
As a lady in her mid-30s, job committees seem to like asking me about my childbearing plans. The last time this happened, I had seen enough of the school (and the internal candidate) to know there was no way in hell I was going to get this job...it was a lot like when I interviewed at Harvard and just decided to totally screw the pooch by asking why it was that so few women seemed to complete their program in ferret-wool-felting.
ReplyDeleteSo, "Planning on Having Children Soon?"
Correct, diplomatic answer = something about focusing on the job, combined, in my discipline at least, about how much you enjoy your nieces and nephews, those cute little tykes, since women who don't like kids are Bitches.
My answer = Actually, I can't have children. So, no worries there!
It's the truth, and it was so, so, so delightful to just lay it on somebody.