How to Interview for an Assistant Professor Position

An academic career can be a rewarding choice for those interested in teaching and conducting research. Many people begin their academic careers as instructors or assistant professors, usually not tenure-track positions to begin with. Most four-year colleges only hire candidates with a doctoral degree for full-time tenure-track positions, although some two-year colleges will consider candidates with master's degrees. The faculty interview process can involve a number of interviews, meetings, presentations and even social events, and typically follows a rigorous search process. A hiring committee decides who to interview based on candidates' curriculum vita (CV) and references.

Things You'll Need

• Doctoral Degree
• Strong CV
• References

Instructions

1. Research the institution that is interviewing you by using its website and any publications it puts out. This prevents you from wasting time in an interview by gathering basic information, and demonstrates your interest in the institution.

2. Prepare a professional presentation. Most departments will send out guidelines including the expected length of your presentation, who will be in the audience and whether you should use any particular audio-visual aids. The professional presentation should provide a context for your work, whether it is research from your dissertation or more recent work. The Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning notes that the best presentations show how your research and your teaching relate.

3. Prepare for questions that are likely to come up in your interview. Craft a short summary of your current research, and also be prepared to answer questions about your teaching experience. Questions might cover the direction you expect research to go, grants or funding you have secured in the past, or results of teaching evaluations. Be prepared to answer questions particular to that institution, such as why you are interested in working there.

Tips & Warnings

• Bring copies of your CV including publications, to distribute to interviewers as necessary.

• Prepare a list of what you'll need to conduct future research.

References

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Interviewing for a Faculty Position; Helen Ezell
• Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning; Tomorrow's Professor; "Campus Interviews: The Research Presentation"