Have a First-Round Academic Interview? Practice with Big Interview!

Have you been invited for a screening interview for a faculty position? Don’t wing it! Of course, you’ll want to prepare and practice. Here are some critical steps you can take to make a great impression and get invited for that coveted campus visit!

Find out what to expect. The departmental contact will likely give you some information like:

  • How long will the interview be? 20-45 minutes is typical.
  • Who will be interviewing you? Most often they will tell you who is on the search committee so you can learn more about the faculty members and their research areas.
  • What’s the format? Since the pandemic, 1st-round interviews have been held via video conference, almost exclusively. Find out which platform will be used (Zoom? Teams? Something else?) and familiarize yourself.
  • What will they ask you? Sometimes they will share with you a list of questions (lucky you!). If not…

Practice your answers to some typical academic interview questions.

  • That’s where Big Interview comes in!
  • MCS has created a curated list of the most typical academic interview questions. You can record your answers and receive feedback from the Big Interview AI tool, including critical interview aspects like how well you address the question, your verbal articulation, level of enthusiasm, use of fillers like “Ummm,” and more.
  • To access our curated list of interview questions for academic interviews, log in to Big Interview (necessary only once), then navigate to Interviews ->  Interview Assignments -> enter code: 03ffe1. Access is available only for Harvard FAS students and alums.

Practice with humans!

  • Talk with your advisor and others in your academic circle.  Academics in your discipline may be able to offer information about what’s happening in the department or institution you’re applying to and guide you on how to prepare for that position in particular.
  • Schedule an appointment through Crimson Careers with Laura Stark, Associate Director for Academic Careers, for additional practice and feedback.

If you’re preparing for an interview outside of academia, Big Interview has much more to offer!

  • Check out this article to learn more about Big Interview’s many general and industry-specific interview practice sets.
  • Then, schedule an appointment in Crimson Careers with Caroline Rende, Associate Director of Graduate Career Exploration for additional practice and feedback in preparation for your nonacademic interview.

We wish you the best of luck with your interview! And remember that Laura Stark and Caroline Rende are here to support you through all aspects of your career development and job search!

By Laura Stark
Laura Stark Associate Director: Academic Careers & Pursuing the PhD