Securing a faculty position requires hard work and a little luck. Based on our recent job-hunting experiences, we offer these tips to help increase the chance of getting an interview and receiving a job offer.
Tailor your covering letters to match the job description, and to convey knowledge of the department to which you are applying. When we were applying, this helped us get interviews in areas peripherally related to our disciplines. Note also that three or four first-authored publications in leading journals from PhD and postdoc work can be sufficient to secure an interview.
Fill half your research statement with achievements, and the other half with a clear description of realistic goals. Get these statements critically reviewed by postdocs and faculty members from diverse disciplines.
Remember that reference letters will not always be glowing. When in doubt, ask if the referee is willing to write you a strong letter. This can avoid wasting six months without an interview. Give referees sufficient time, send gentle reminders and, as a back-up, ask one or two others if they are willing to write a letter for you.
Networking is useful: meeting seminar speakers, giving presentations at meetings and e-mailing colleagues can all help to get you an interview.
The skills for securing an interview are different from those needed in the interview itself. Giving a great seminar is key. Practise it in front of diverse, critical colleagues to help you identify potential points of confusion for the audience and weaknesses in your research plans. Also make sure you work out what the interviewers will expect to gain from the seminar and the likely composition of the audience you will have.
Make sure that the plans for your future research are clear. The most common questions we were asked related to specific goals, first grants and funding sources, projects for students at all levels and major equipment needs.
Interviewers ask themselves "Would this person be a good colleague?" So it is crucial to be able to hold a conversation, while showing interest in and knowledge of others' work.
Ask questions. Ours focused on collegiality, teaching and tenure requirements, student quality, departmental infrastructure, gender equality and parental policies. And, most of all, remember to show enthusiasm.
