Many of you are aware that I'm currently searching for an academic job, so I thought I would share a few of my insights from the process with you.
Insight #1
You have absolutely NO control over this process. Further, when you think you are controlling some aspect of the process, you are wrong. Search committees and institutions move at their own pace and are incredibly idiosyncratic. Don't bother searching for explanations for why they do what they do.
Insight #2
Campus visits are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience. The schedule will most likely change prior to your arrival to campus. What you've prepared may not be what the committee/department wants from you, and you most likely were not given all of the information you needed to fully prepare.
Insight #3
Asking the same questions of different people will yield different responses. This can be especially insightful if you're asking about the future of the department/program or what they're looking for in a colleague.
Insight #4
You will never be fully prepared for this experience. Even if you have done an interview, every one is so unique that your experience does not always translate across interviews. Do your best work and try not to worry.
Insight #5
Pay attention to your instincts. If they're telling you that something is wrong, it probably is. If you think something is up, it probably is. Keep listening; if something really is up, someone will usually slip at some point.
Insight #1
You have absolutely NO control over this process. Further, when you think you are controlling some aspect of the process, you are wrong. Search committees and institutions move at their own pace and are incredibly idiosyncratic. Don't bother searching for explanations for why they do what they do.
Insight #2
Campus visits are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience. The schedule will most likely change prior to your arrival to campus. What you've prepared may not be what the committee/department wants from you, and you most likely were not given all of the information you needed to fully prepare.
Insight #3
Asking the same questions of different people will yield different responses. This can be especially insightful if you're asking about the future of the department/program or what they're looking for in a colleague.
Insight #4
You will never be fully prepared for this experience. Even if you have done an interview, every one is so unique that your experience does not always translate across interviews. Do your best work and try not to worry.
Insight #5
Pay attention to your instincts. If they're telling you that something is wrong, it probably is. If you think something is up, it probably is. Keep listening; if something really is up, someone will usually slip at some point.
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