As it turns out, I'm gaining more job interviewing experience than I anticipated. One of my applications has turned into a telephone interview, followed by a request for an in-person interview next month. The job is with a university in another state, so this means that I'll get to visit a new part of the country.
I wish that I had more experience as a job interviewee, but in truth I've only ever interviewed for a handful of jobs - and three of those were for positions with my current university. I think that during interviews I speak too quickly, I don't answer questions directly enough, and I forget to ask the important questions that I want to know. But I think that I can get better. I've started prepare for interviews more effectively by anticipating general question topics and articulating in writing (before the interview) my response. I've also started to write out my own questions so that I can make sure that I ask them during the interview instead of kicking myself afterwards for forgetting.
And whether I get a job offer or not, I will feel far more prepared for the next time I interview. Thankfully I still have 16 months left on my current contract, and I'm excited about my new job duties, so whether I stay or whether I go, I feel very fortunate to have good job prospects.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Getting Job Ready
We recently went through our interviewing and hiring process at work. We are looking to fill two positions that will become vacant when two of my co-workers complete their 3-year non-renewable contracts at the end of this summer.
We tried a new interviewing process which went really well: rather than interview each candidate for 45-60 minutes in a room full of 15 or so interviewers, we decided to break the interview into 3 smaller, more focused interview with smaller interviewer groups. In each room, the candidate was asked questions and invited to participate in a role play that focused on a different aspect of our institutes's mission statement. Although not a perfect system, it's a big improvement over the old process, and I think that the candidates would agree (in fact one of them did who had experienced the previous process the year before).
I am also subjecting myself to the interview/job application experience. Although my contract is still good for another 18 months or so, I decided that I would start gaining experience in the job market so that I find something before I'm out of a job.
I began applying to jobs outside of my experience range, just to see what the process worked. It was great for me to update my CV and prepare application letters and other associated documentation. About a month ago, responses starting to come in: Thank you, but no thanks. These weren't shocking responses, but I admit that it's still a little disappointing to have gotten 3 rejections without so much as an interview.
Of course I did apply to a few positions that are more in my range. Although most any job that I applied for would really like more experience (not to mention a completed PhD) than I have, I still have several more than have not sent a response. And just last week I telephone interviewed for another one with a university in a wonderful, green, college town.
I don't know that anything will come of these applications, but it's great to keep my CV current so that when the time does come that I need to begin a serious job hunt, I will know that I have most of my work already done. And hopefully after a few more interviews, I won't be so nervous when the right job does come my way.
We tried a new interviewing process which went really well: rather than interview each candidate for 45-60 minutes in a room full of 15 or so interviewers, we decided to break the interview into 3 smaller, more focused interview with smaller interviewer groups. In each room, the candidate was asked questions and invited to participate in a role play that focused on a different aspect of our institutes's mission statement. Although not a perfect system, it's a big improvement over the old process, and I think that the candidates would agree (in fact one of them did who had experienced the previous process the year before).
I am also subjecting myself to the interview/job application experience. Although my contract is still good for another 18 months or so, I decided that I would start gaining experience in the job market so that I find something before I'm out of a job.
I began applying to jobs outside of my experience range, just to see what the process worked. It was great for me to update my CV and prepare application letters and other associated documentation. About a month ago, responses starting to come in: Thank you, but no thanks. These weren't shocking responses, but I admit that it's still a little disappointing to have gotten 3 rejections without so much as an interview.
Of course I did apply to a few positions that are more in my range. Although most any job that I applied for would really like more experience (not to mention a completed PhD) than I have, I still have several more than have not sent a response. And just last week I telephone interviewed for another one with a university in a wonderful, green, college town.
I don't know that anything will come of these applications, but it's great to keep my CV current so that when the time does come that I need to begin a serious job hunt, I will know that I have most of my work already done. And hopefully after a few more interviews, I won't be so nervous when the right job does come my way.
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