Interviewing for
Academic Jobs by Mandy Hering
Topics to Discuss
• The application
• The phone interview
• The on-campus interview
• How to dress
• What to pack
• Negotiating offers
Application Materials
• Cover Letter
• CV/Resume
• Teaching Statement
• Research Statement
• Letters of Recommendation (4, with one
addressing your teaching)
• Transcripts (Scan to pdf files)
Where to Apply
You may not know what kind of job you want, so
apply anywhere you may have an interest.
Common websites where statistics jobs are posted:
http://www.stat.ufl.edu/vlib/jobs.html
http://www.stat.ncsu.edu/blogs/jobs/
http://jobs.amstat.org/search/results/
http://chronicle.com/jobCategory/Statistics/73/
http://jobs.imstat.org/c/search_results.cfm?
site_id=1847
http://www.ams.org/eims/
Phone Interviews
• Are now very common, as employers are
trying to weed out applicants.
• They can be awkward if it’s a conference call.
• Have answers to simple questions ready: What
kind of job are you looking for? What do you
enjoy most about teaching? Describe your
research.
• Be calm. Stop talking when you finish.
On-Campus Interview Format
• Arrive late afternoon/dinner with faculty
• Breakfast w/faculty or on your own
• Series of 30 minute meetings with faculty,
deans, and administrative types
• Lunch with faculty
• Give your job talk, usually 4-5 pm
• Dinner with faculty
• Breakfast/More Meetings/Bring to airport
Handling Travel
Consider that you may be changing time zones!!
You book the flight:
Pros: You are in charge of departures/arrivals.
Schedule arrival no later than 5pm with at least 1.5
hours for each layover.
Cons: The department has to reimburse you, which
can take 4-6 weeks.
Department books the flight:
Pros: You don’t have to pay upfront.
Cons: You have no control over layovers/arrival
times.
Preparing an Interview Packet
• You will receive an itinerary 1-2 days before.
• Print off from the university website (1) info on
the university, (2) info on the department/
mission statement, (3) one page per person
you will meet with.
• Put general info in the front, and organize
individuals’ information in the order you will be
meeting with those people.
• Study the packet on the plane. Prepare
questions for each person.
The 30-minute Faculty Meeting
• These can be daunting.
• Most faculty will just say, “Do you have any
questions?” and you interview them for 30
minutes. Rarely do they have questions for you.
• They want to see if you ask the right questions.
• Ask “What do you like most about the dept?”
and “What would you like most to change in
the dept?”
• Ask multiple people the same questions.
Your Job Talk
• Go to Dr Carroll’s interviewing seminar. He
gives invaluable info.
• Do not go over on time. People get antsy.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, say
“I haven’t thought about that, but it would be
an interesting idea to explore.”
• Be well-rested. These can be at the end of an
already long day.
How You are Treated
• It does matter.
• Keep a journal of notes about each place you
visited...what you like/dislike, etc.
• Read between the lines, look for divisions in the
department. They are trying to put their best
foot forward as well, so even small things can
indicate big problems.
• Ex., Are they on time to pick you up?
What to Wear??
• It depends on your schedule. If you go straight
into an interview (other than dinner) right off
the plane, dress up. Otherwise, jeans are fine
for traveling, but avoid sweatshirts, sneakers,
and t-shirts. Also, it can be very cold.
• Guys, ask Dr Carroll. It’s not too tough.
• Ladies, skirts are okay if they are longer, at
least to mid-calf. Suits with pants, a jacket, and
a button-down shirt underneath are also good.
• A scarf is nice on the plane.
Don’t Forget Shoes!
• This is the most important part of your outfit.
• They need to look nice and be comfortable
(which usually = expensive). You will be
walking through large airports and across
campuses. If you start having blisters or pain,
it is very difficult to concentrate.
• Invest in a pair of good shoes, and break them
in before the interview.
How to Pack
• Never check bags. It’s annoying to wait for
them when you arrive, and they can get lost.
• Have a case for your laptop and one carry-on
bag. I suggest a carry-on that does the 360
degree turns. It makes getting through the
airport and in & out of bathrooms easier.
• A travel umbrella comes in handy.
• Ladies, a small purse is nice to have.
• Breath mints, advil, tums, cough drops, bandaids, etc. & whatever is essential for you.
Essentials
• You really have no time for anything other than
the interview, so don’t pack your swimsuit,
workout clothes, etc.
• You get started at 7 am and get back to your
hotel at 9 pm. You have just enough time
leftover to check your e-mail, make a phone
call or two, and go to bed.
• When you get back home, you MUST send a
thank-you e-mail to whoever hosted you and
also to anyone you enjoyed speaking with.
Negotiating Offers
• It is all a timing game. Each school interviews
3-5 candidates. They need time to get them all
in (3-4 weeks) and then make an offer.
• If you are the first person interviewed, you may
not hear from that school for a month or so.
• They make an offer and give the candidate
about 2 weeks to make a decision.
• If you are the #2 choice, and #1 declines, it
may take even longer to hear back.
You can Always Ask
• If you haven’t heard anything, you can always
send another e-mail to follow up, or to say you
have an offer but you are really interested in
working with them.
• Once you have an offer, talk to your advisor
about the details. He/she can help you know if
it is fair or not.
• You can always ask for more salary, lower
teaching load, etc. It never hurts, and many
times, they say yes.
Have Fun!
• It’s important to be yourself and be honest in
all of your answers. People see through
fakeness.
• Even if you don’t get the job, you get to meet
some great people who you may work with
one day.
• This is like your big “coming-out” party,
introducing yourself and your research to the
statistical community.