Tag: Interviewing

Advice on the Academic Job Search

This is the time of year when many advanced PhD students, recent PhDs and postdocs are in the midst of applying for academic jobs.  The search process for a faculty position is spread over several months and the interviews themselves are 1-3 days long.   In addition to being a scholar with an exciting research project and strong teaching experience another tool to have in your toolkit is good information.  At one of our recent Faculty Conversations, Professor Susan Margulies, SEAS, encouraged those on the job market to look at these resources:

  • The University of Michigan Handbook for Faculty Searches and Hiring which includes a Candidate Evaluation Sheet.  It gives a sense of the kinds of questions candidates may be asked.
  • Stanford University’s Dual-Career Resources can help “complex” hires, meaning those who have a significant other with job/career issues that may affect the candidate’s decision making.

Additional resources on work-life balance and dual career couples can be found on the Career Services website at http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/gradstud/resources/worklifebalance.html.

Other advice from Professor Margulies and Professor Justin DiAngelo, Hofstra University to keep in mind:

  • Candidates should look up those who will interview them and know something about them.
  • When you give your seminar or job talk, know your audience.  At a teaching-focused institution it may not include people in your field because there isn’t anyone in your field there.
  • Keep in mind that everyone you meet at the interview, including students and the person who walks you from one place to the next, matters.  Their input on your candidacy will be sought.
  • As you put together your start-up request, think about what you’ll need for 3-5 years.
  • When the interview is over, make sure you know the next steps.  If no one tells you, ask.
  • Negotiating offers usually takes place over the phone.

Students and postdocs who are preparing to interview for faculty positions are encouraged to talk with a graduate/postdoc career advisor and schedule a mock interview.  Career advisors can also be a resource for negotiating offers.

Slam Dunk your Skype Interview

Many of the graduate students who come to Career Services to see me and my colleagues have Skype interviews coming up. Although some of these students use Skype to talk with family, friends and their significant other, the prospect of using it for an interview injects a bit of anxiety.

So here are a few tips to help you come across well in an interview via Skype:

  • Even if it feels non-intuitive, look at your computer’s camera, NOT at the person(s) with whom you are Skyping; otherwise it will appear to the other person(s) that you are looking down.
  • See what the space behind your chair looks like. Get rid of piles of paper, coffee cups and anything else that makes your environment look messy.
  • Make sure that you will not be interrupted by spouse/partner, children, pets, ringing phones, timers, email pop-ups and other “alerts”.
  • As you decide what to wear keep in mind that colors make the features of your face show up better than white.
  • If you use a microphone attachment or lavaliere microphone the search committee will likely hear you better.
  • Facing a window in the room diagonally may provide good light on your face and no reflection on your glasses.
  • Lighting can be damaging when it comes from behind your head because it can put your face in shadow. Test light levels at the time of day the interview will be to see if you can tell where the light is most beneficial for illuminating you during the conversation.
  • If you lose your connection, just call them back. (You could ask at the beginning or, in an email prior to the Skype interview, if they would prefer you to call back or have them call you, should you be disconnected.) It may be to your advantage to have your interviewer see you handling a problem.
  • Do a practice interview with a friend or schedule one with a Career Services advisor. You won’t regret it!

3 Things Matter to Get the Job You Want

by Desiree M. Tunstall, ‘CAS 2006, Account Director @ AppNexus

There are three things that matter to any employer when interviewing a candidate.

  1. Can you do the job?
  2. Will you do the job?
  3. Will I like working with you?

If you’re an avid reader of the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company or other similar business publications, you may have seen these three questions.  Let’s address each from the standpoint of a college student looking to secure his or her dream job.

Can you do the job?  Employers know that you are fresh out of college and you will need on the job training.  However, there are certain skills you can bring to the table that employers need you to have from the start – you either have them or you don’t.  They include:

  • Problem Solving:  If I give this person an issue to tackle, will he/she think about all sides of the problem?  Address all potential outcomes?  Weigh various sides of the issue intelligently?  Provide a sound resolution quickly?
  • Effective Communication:  Can this person effectively and efficiently articulate a point?  Can he/she explain complicated matters in a simple, easy-to-understand fashion?  If I put this person in front of our CEO, would he/she know what is important to share?
  • Comprehension Skills:  Can this person receive, interpret and act upon information he/she is given quickly?

Will you do the job?  An employer can tell if you are interested in the job.  It’s like going on a date.  If you are only there for the free meal, the person on the other side of the table can tell.  Apply for positions at companies that interest you.  That way you can easily demonstrate the most important characteristic that employers look for here – investment.  Investment means that you are not only interested in being at the company, but you are willing to put in 100% effort to exceed expectations and contribute to the company’s success.  During your interview, you demonstrate investment by researching the company well, clearly articulating how the position maps to your career goals and being enthusiastic.

Will I like working with you?  It’s no secret that you are likely going to spend a lot of hours at your first job.  Most Americans work anywhere from 40 to 60 hours per week – some even more than that.  Those hours are best spent around people you enjoy.  Employers want to like the person they are hiring.  Gone are the days of clocking in at 9:00AM and leaving at 4:50PM.  Companies are trying to make their workplaces more integrated in their employees personal lives, making work a more social experience.  Liking the people around you is more important than ever.  I certainly don’t suggest going to an interview and trying to be liked.  Just be yourself.  Be your naturally nice, smiling, charismatic, friendly, inquisitive, intuitive, emotionally intelligent self.  You got into PENN with it.  Now go get that job!

Forbidden Foods

When was the last time you spilled something on your shirt? Picture the shirt. Picture the stain. What were you eating? Had it ever happened before? Same food? Different food?

Now, where were you? With your friends? With your family? In a dining hall? At a restaurant? Let’s hope it wasn’t during a job interview!

There are many opportunities to spill something during an interview—especially during a meal. So whether you’re simply accepting a cup of coffee in the office or having lunch together with the interviewer, be careful. Your behavior is part of the interview and is being observed. The interviewer wants to see how you conduct yourself in a business and social setting and, if hired, if you will be able to represent your company in a professional manner.

So, plan ahead to avoid making a poor impression. There are many resources on dining etiquette on our website and elsewhere, even including videos. Check out some of this information to test your knowledge of manners and etiquette. Do you know which silverware to use? Which glass is yours? What to do when you drop your fork? (Don’t pick it up. Ask your server for another fork.) How to eat your bread? (Don’t fold it over and make a butter sandwich.) How to cut your food? (Don’t cut it all at once after you’ve been served). What to order? (Follow the lead of the interviewer.) How much to eat? (Don’t feel like you have to finish everything on your plate, but don’t order too much.) How to order dessert? (Don’t.)

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