[All-postdocs] interview questions list

[rbeinart]

Hi again,
Thanks to all who responded. I pasted the list below, as well as the example questions I found via various online sources. If you have more to add, send them to me and I’ll keep the list going. And at any point if anybody wants the current list, just shoot me an email and I’ll let you know if there have been any additions.

-Roxanne-

Real-world examples:

·      If you are at sea and your instrument breaks, are you the type of person who will fix it yourself, need an engineer to do it, or call the company? 
·      Do you see yourself as replacing X (guy that just retired / is about to retire)? 
·      Do you expect to need to hire someone (lab person) right away? 
·      What are your startup needs (this one gets asked ALL the time)?
·      Describe your academic trajectory
·      Why are you interested in this position? 
·      Who do you see yourself collaborating with here? 
·      So what does your husband do? 
·      Why is X University the right place for you?
·      What is your experience with undergrad advising?
·      What current research would you like to continue and what new avenues of research?
·      What funding sources would you pursue and how?
·      How would you appeal to a diversity of undergrad students?
·      What research would you specifically like to do at X University?
·      What is the most significant impact of your research?
·      How are you different than your advisors?
·      Where do you think your field is going?
·      Why do you want to work here?
·      (in follow-up to question about how I would staff my lab with grad students, undergrads etc...among the people I said I would have a technician): What would you have the technician do?
·      I got asked to give examples of lab and/or field activities I would do in the classes I would teach.
·      Can you give us an example of an experience you had mentoring an undergraduate?
·      How would you bring your research into your teaching?


 
Examples found online:

·      Why do you want this job?
·      What's your best paper?
·      Why do you work on X? Surely, Y is more important
·      What will you do if something goes wrong? What happens if your hypothesis is wrong? Your experiments fail? You can't get access to the archive you need? Your grant is unsuccessful?
·      Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
·      How does your work fit with the group/department/university?
·      Describe a course or topic that you would teach
·      What does collegiality mean to you?
·      If we offered you this job, would you accept it?
·      Tell me about your research.
·      Where will your research take you next?
·      What kind of [support/start-up/lab space/equipment] will you need for your research?
·      How will you fund your research program:
·      How will you involve students in your research?
·      What is your approach to supervising [undergraduate/Masters/Ph.D.] student researchers?
·       How would you go about recruiting talented students to [the geology major/your research program]?
·      What is a challenge to teaching undergraduates and how could you overcome that?
·      What local projects might you develop?
·      How will your research benefit the people of our state?
·      What new project would you try to fund next, and what funding agencies would you be applying to?
·      What are the biggest controversies in your field?








> On Sep 17, 2015, at 10:09 AM, rbeinart <rbeinart at whoi.edu> wrote:
> 
> As we enter another interview/job season, I’m hoping to compile a list of questions that actually get asked at academic job interviews - I, of course, can find lists of examples online, but I’m curious what you all might have really been asked at interviews. If you all are willing to send me questions that you can remember, I will compile them and send them out to the list for all to see.
> 
> -Roxanne-
> 
> 
> 
> Roxanne Beinart
> NSF Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow
> MS #8 220 McLean Laboratory
> Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
> Woods Hole, MA 02543
> www.roxannebeinart.com <http://www.roxannebeinart.com/>
> rbeinart at whoi.edu <mailto:rbeinart at whoi.edu>
> 508-289-3064
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> All-postdocs maillist  -  All-postdocs at whoi.edu
> http://mailman.whoi.edu/mailman/listinfo/all-postdocs

Roxanne Beinart
NSF Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow
MS #8 220 McLean Laboratory
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, MA 02543
www.roxannebeinart.com
rbeinart at whoi.edu
508-289-3064


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