tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post8079806757081282588..comments2024-03-09T03:20:20.004-05:00Comments on Tenured Radical: A Chorus Line: Preparing for the Preliminary InterviewTenured Radicalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05703980598547163290noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-28484089902578127232010-12-21T14:51:06.849-05:002010-12-21T14:51:06.849-05:00I thought *I* was the only one who got that song i...I thought *I* was the only one who got that song in my head when I got an interview! Nice to know I'm not alone.<br /><br />Thanks for the advice re: Skype and traditional interviews. Very helpful, especially in this market!voncookiehttp://onetoughvoncookie.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-1683605782360650322009-11-15T04:03:20.686-05:002009-11-15T04:03:20.686-05:00new trucks cheap price new car for sale sale chevy...<a rel="dofollow" href="http://new-trucks.us" rel="nofollow">new trucks cheap price</a> <a rel="dofollow" href="http://newcarforsale.info" rel="nofollow">new car for sale</a> <a rel="dofollow" href="http://salechevysilverado.info" rel="nofollow">sale chevy silverado</a> <a rel="dofollow" href="http://aacarinsurance.info" rel="nofollow">aa car insurance</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-1705101041489479852007-12-26T14:03:00.000-05:002007-12-26T14:03:00.000-05:00FYI, I got the to don't list covered.FYI, I got the <A HREF="http://citizense.blogspot.com/2007/12/who-wants-to-be-tenure-track-professor.html" REL="nofollow">to don't</A> list covered.The Constructivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07242149985581771922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-6052990951560574852007-12-13T23:26:00.000-05:002007-12-13T23:26:00.000-05:00Man, I'm not even doing this until next year-- but...Man, I'm not even doing this until next year-- but it is so good to hear someone put it in terms that make this seemingly-crazy market thing into a quasi-normal reality-- Thanks!Lisa Dunickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08530026652363687161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-14452386011328512442007-12-13T17:01:00.000-05:002007-12-13T17:01:00.000-05:00You know, this is probably deserving of a whole po...You know, this is probably deserving of a whole post, but I'm going to refrain, because I don't know enough about it yet. I took a quick look at the IR one, and it looked like the hosts have a set of rules for vetting the rumors -- but I'm not sure the information, even if reliable in a sense, is reliable in the end. At Zenith, we recommend candidates to Academic Affairs and they approve them -- but if they disapprove them, we might have to go back into the applications. So a rumor that we have sent candidates forward is not reliable until they are actually approved.<BR/><BR/>I tried to get on the wiki and failed -- I did go on it last spring and was a little taken aback at the kind of information that was being shared about actual people -- one person's marriage in collapse and getting a job in another town, so the t-t position cancelled, and whatnot. I thought that level of discussion was kind of awful, but maybe it was because I knew the individuals involved.<BR/><BR/>I think for those who are considering using these sites: you need to decide whether you are the kind of person who needs information, regardless of whether it is useful to you or not. If not having information makes you nuts, use them -- knowing that the information you get may make you another kind of nuts. And the one feature I think is a little off is that a rumor isn't reliable if it is sourced to an anonymous person -- and most seem to be.Tenured Radicalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05703980598547163290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-24424322004950142512007-12-13T16:36:00.000-05:002007-12-13T16:36:00.000-05:00What does the Tenured Radical think about job-rumo...What does the Tenured Radical think about job-rumor sites? And what about those ‘malicious deleters’ who try to prevent the circulation of such rumors?<BR/><BR/>http://chronicle.com/jobs/v45/i35/4535spotlt.htm<BR/>http://irrumormill.blogspot.com<BR/>http://wikihost.org/wikis/academe/wiki/startAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-62153148536148239432007-12-12T12:29:00.000-05:002007-12-12T12:29:00.000-05:00Thank you for these tips!! I just made note of the...Thank you for these tips!! I just made note of them and, although I knew the one about future courses this summer, I had forgotten to prep them like I had planned. So now, something else to do before.... <BR/><BR/>Now, though, I am totally going to be thinking "Dance 10, Looks 3". :) I hope I at least get "Looks 5." It reminds me, also, of the chili pepper system on Rate your professors and why I am sad I don't have a rating yet. :) (Not really sad. But why they even put the chili pepper in there-- "just for fun" whatever).zombieswanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16526552785759161988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-41161280660950308062007-12-10T20:21:00.000-05:002007-12-10T20:21:00.000-05:00It's a good idea to not make your political views ...It's a good idea to not make your political views (liberal, conservative, apathetic, cynical pomo hipster, etc.) overly obvious during the quest for an academic job. In every department there is at least one unprofessional individual, who for whatever reason, dislikes a candidate because of his or her political ideology. Despite the candidate's impeccable teaching and researching skills, the unprofessional, elder academic will state, "This candidate's argument is <I>obviously</I> ideologically driven. The candidate knew what she wished to argue before she consulted her primary source evidence. The candidate's political ideology prevented the evidence from empirically 'speaking' to her. Do we want someone in our department who's scholarship is ideologically driven?" <BR/><BR/>The unprofessional, elder academic hides behind a mask of "objectivity" to play the ideology card when he is unwilling (or perhaps unable) to debate the quality of a candidate's scholarship. Unfortunately, his dubious arguments often sway a few people in the room to scan the candidate's folder for negatives. In the end, the elder academic's comments often contribute to the torpedoing of a candidate's job chances.<BR/><BR/>Lastly, I agree with Morgan Leigh, TR and her blog are sources of valuable advice on how to navigate the strange world of academia. I recommend the blog to all of my friends who fantasize about becoming tenured professors.orthohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01475048083814392914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-28941938405375863222007-12-10T09:07:00.000-05:002007-12-10T09:07:00.000-05:00Anonymous 11:41 --The link is incomplete, so I can...Anonymous 11:41 --<BR/><BR/>The link is incomplete, so I can't access the editorial, but I would say that regardless of one's political bent, liberal or conservative, making a point of one's politics in an interview situation would raise a flag for me because I would wonder why the candidate wanted to be the center of attention in that way, when a more complex conversation about scholarship is what is being asked for. It also seems like a risky strategy, in that moving to one's politics potentially puts the candidate at odds with people who might be unprofessional in their prejudices. <BR/><BR/>One good rule of thumb: look at the best practices on your professional association's website, and don't ask them any questions that they aren't permitted to ask you, or volunteer information that it would be unprofessional of them to seek.<BR/><BR/>Of course, if you are interviewing at a very religious school, have no scruples about nudging out others on this basis, and you really are a believer, let them know up front. Many religious institutions seem to think it is their right not to hire people whose beliefs and sexual preference do not reflect doctrine. There is an ongoing debate about whether this should be so, but right now it seems to be legal in most places.<BR/><BR/>But back to politics. Being eager for conflict is not an attractive quality, and raising your politics will surely be perceived as out of context: we all have colleagues who are too quick to fight, and we don't want more of them. There once was a candidate at Zenith -- years back -- whose opening line to a number of people was "So what is the state of the culture wars at Zenith?" As it turned out, one of the quirks of the place was that there weren't any -- not because we didn't have a politically diverse faculty, but because we did not have a core curriculum. Does one really want to hire someone, of any political description, whose idea of how to fit into a department is to back up any constituency in a culture war? Or start a culture war? Oy<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, when one's intellectual and public politics get played out in a civil way around real issues in a department there is an opportunity for mutual admiration and respect to develop among people with differing views. Finding subtle ways to show that you are *that* kind of person, rather than a polarizer, strikes me as worthwhile.<BR/><BR/>TRTenured Radicalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05703980598547163290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-72458760416283480212007-12-09T23:41:00.000-05:002007-12-09T23:41:00.000-05:00also, according to an editorial printed today in t...also, according to an editorial printed today in the washington post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/07/AR2007120701618_pf.html ), you should not state your political views (at least, not if you're conservative). TR: any thoughts on the editorial?<BR/><BR/>-- student at Oligarch U.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-83297298177936299842007-12-09T17:04:00.000-05:002007-12-09T17:04:00.000-05:00I'm no where near the market, but I appreciate the...I'm no where near the market, but I appreciate the advice. I started reading the blog after the AHA blog mentioned the resume/application tips, but the one on giving paper gave me the confidence to feel like I could give a paper--and I just found out I had a paper accepted! Thanks for the e-encouragement!Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03146712908783996112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-82740164428254406922007-12-09T11:39:00.000-05:002007-12-09T11:39:00.000-05:00I also ask "What do you like best about working he...I also ask "What do you like best about working here?" and "What was the biggest surprise to you when you first started working here?" Avoid the negative.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-80804017507723356712007-12-09T11:05:00.000-05:002007-12-09T11:05:00.000-05:00also, when you finally reach that point in the int...also, when you finally reach that point in the interview when they say, "now, do you have anything you would like to ask us?" it is of course tempting to starting asking questions about teaching loads and tenure standards. but in a recent interview i decided that my first question would be, "what are the students like?" at least a couple of the committee members perked right up, visibly pleased with the question, and proceeded to tell me way more than i really needed to know. demonstrating that the students are already on your mind leaves a good impression.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-45470727295828061162007-12-09T10:02:00.000-05:002007-12-09T10:02:00.000-05:00This is all good advice, and I want to underscore ...This is all good advice, and I want to underscore your point that most interview committees are not very well functioning machines. Interviewing is just not something faculty do normally, and the committee is often composed of people who do not have a natural dynamic (sometimes because they represent different constituencies). So two things are important: Don't try to worry too much about reading the committee while you are in the room; if they are awkward and stilted, it's them, not you. Also, don't try to judge too much about the dept. as a whole (or even the people on the committee) from the interview.<BR/><BR/>Another point to underscore: Don't get rattled. At one of my hotel interviews, the door opened just as I knocked, and one of the search committee members came barreling out, saying he felt ill and needed air. I went into the room, and the first comment the committee made was about my age -- someone noticed that I graduated from the same college as his son, only more recently. The rest of the interview was dull and lifeless. I eventually got that job, and have been here nearly 10 years!<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, my best interview was from Tenured Radical's institution. But I found out later that the committee was looking for someone doing something very different than what I was. The committee liked my work, and we had a great conversation -- but there was no way I was getting the job!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-44011088776916437412007-12-08T20:43:00.000-05:002007-12-08T20:43:00.000-05:00I've served on many interviewing committees and wo...I've served on many interviewing committees and would like to add just a bit to the wardrobe advice. "Test drive" your whole ensemble before you wear it to an interview. Put on your interview outfit and walk, sit down, stand up, shake someone's hand, wave your arms in your normal gestural pattern. Make sure that the blouse doesn't gap in the front, the skirt doesn't ride up, the pants and shortie boots don't, while you sit, expose the fuzzy pink striped socks you've worn. Your lucky socks, no doubt, but they'll distract the interviewers.<BR/><BR/>And for god's sake, cut the store tags off those brand new clothes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-63441360073364265562007-12-08T14:22:00.000-05:002007-12-08T14:22:00.000-05:00You are so right about these things -- I did, howe...You are so right about these things -- I did, however, leave out the job talk because I was attending to the preliminary interview, not the campus visit, or "fly back," as it is now called.<BR/><BR/>TRTenured Radicalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05703980598547163290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-48444209636940950112007-12-08T12:46:00.000-05:002007-12-08T12:46:00.000-05:00You left out the job talk, so perhaps you don't do...You left out the job talk, so perhaps you don't do one in your field. The job talk is crucial in mine. Candidates should ask who will be in the audience (students or faculty or both), what the AV equipment is like, and whether they need to supply a title and synopsis (or paper about it). The talk must be well-rehearsed. For our purposes, we expect some teaching flair so it should also be representative of your teaching style. Other places want it to showcase your BEST work and thus be technical and convincing. Bad talks torpedo otherwise strong candidates at teaching institutions. You should supply the person introducing you with facts and make sure you can handle the logistics of the AV (and that it is working) by playing with it at least 10 minutes before the talk. If you ask, they will give you time to do so. You will be blamed for any malfunctions (unfair though that is). Smile a lot but don't laugh or giggle. Make eye contact. Answer questions you don't know by admitting you don't know (but praising the question), etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-54389752994656996332007-12-07T18:56:00.000-05:002007-12-07T18:56:00.000-05:00In the dark timesWill there also be singing?Yes, t...In the dark times<BR/>Will there also be singing?<BR/>Yes, there will be singing<BR/>About the dark times.<BR/><BR/>- Bertolt BrechtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-81357821962950189912007-12-07T18:44:00.000-05:002007-12-07T18:44:00.000-05:00These are great tips. It's a great reminder of wh...These are great tips. It's a great reminder of what happens at these events. I'd add just one comment to the "what to wear" issue. I think you're totally right about being comfortable. But being comfortable is not incompatible with neat and professional. Know something about the place that's interviewing you, because if it's a suit and tie kind of place, then you should look as if you'd fit in. <BR/><BR/>Also (and this is obvious, but still) if you know you look young for your age -- as in "You don't look any older than our students", you probably need to be more formal in your presentation.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716705206734059708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-65598863875955653832007-12-07T16:44:00.000-05:002007-12-07T16:44:00.000-05:00I've just sent this to my students on the market. ...I've just sent this to my students on the market. It covers the whole terrain, and then some. Thanks Claire for caring about how the process feels, not just what it is.<BR/>andreaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-48935170175857420682007-12-07T14:36:00.000-05:002007-12-07T14:36:00.000-05:00So, I don't know much about A Chorus Line (The Sou...So, I don't know much about <I>A Chorus Line</I> (<I>The Sound of Music</I> is perhaps my favorite musical---if I have one), but I ~do~ appreciate the advice given her. It seems that the problem with interviewing on the whole is one imagines it to be an in-human experience, when in fact it's just another very human interaction. Good luck to all interviewers out there reading this great post and these comments! - TLTim Lacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02896230254720822005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-15939512602962211312007-12-07T06:44:00.000-05:002007-12-07T06:44:00.000-05:00I've just discovered this blog...and in good time ...I've just discovered this blog...and in good time as well, as I am one of those grad students on the job market. I'm exhausted at the moment, trying to find time to write my dissertation, to prepare for the one interview I have so far, and to teach a fairly decent course... but I'm also cheered by your latest post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-47208004830401933892007-12-06T19:32:00.000-05:002007-12-06T19:32:00.000-05:00I'd like to add my thanks, but from the other side...I'd like to add my thanks, but from the other side; an interviewer-to-be. Remembering the horror of the meat market, I need these kinds of reminders to keep me going.<BR/><BR/>TR's da bomb. And no, I'd never say that in an interview. Except, of course, to TR!Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10849272391043604637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-65182976773993480172007-12-06T18:43:00.000-05:002007-12-06T18:43:00.000-05:00No interviews. No interviews. No interviews.I have...No interviews. No interviews. No interviews.<BR/><BR/>I have not changed to area code of my cell phone, so it is the same as one of the places to which I have applied. I do periodically get wrong numbers from that city and the one this morning gave me a fucking heart attack.Parishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10724364909872924908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-5466709583037485342007-12-06T15:40:00.000-05:002007-12-06T15:40:00.000-05:00Great post! I hope you don't mind if I link to it...Great post! I hope you don't mind if I link to it.<BR/><BR/>I honestly wouldn't worry about sounding excited. Yes, professionally excited is best, but we all know how rough the market is, and we do want you to be excited about coming to us if we hire you.Bardiachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.com