Useless speculation
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argh
Dec 16, 2011 11:52:44 GMT -5
Post by Useless speculation on Dec 16, 2011 11:52:44 GMT -5
On an interview visit, it's so tempting to try to interpret every sentence and every comment, isn't it? When some members of the department talk to you as if you're already hired and starting next fall, are they just going rogue? Or are they revealing a a candidate's "favorite" status? What if you're told near the end of the interview that the dept chair has already prepared his recommendation to the dean? WTF?
How do you just put it all out of your mind?
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argh
Dec 16, 2011 12:13:28 GMT -5
Post by mymethod on Dec 16, 2011 12:13:28 GMT -5
Whiskey and/or Rum. Neat or on the rocks. That's how.
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argh
Dec 16, 2011 13:26:33 GMT -5
Post by not necessarily on Dec 16, 2011 13:26:33 GMT -5
On an interview visit, it's so tempting to try to interpret every sentence and every comment, isn't it? When some members of the department talk to you as if you're already hired and starting next fall, are they just going rogue? Or are they revealing a a candidate's "favorite" status? What if you're told near the end of the interview that the dept chair has already prepared his recommendation to the dean? WTF? How do you just put it all out of your mind? Well, some faculty members may just regard any candidate as a likely colleague and speak in this manner, but don't make too much of it. The choice of which candidate to offer is not always a unanimous one (probably even fairly unlikely, especially in large departments), so one faculty member's favor does not indicate anything more than that person's support for your candidacy, if even that. Now, the business of the chair already preparing a recommendation to the dean might be a different story if there isn't a typical uniform starting point. I'm not sure what the point of telling you this would be unless to indicate that you were likely to be the choice, unless the bearer of news is mean-spirited and intends to tell you that you have already blown it before deliberations have begun. No matter what, the situation will play out as it does. Therefore, try to just carry on with life until the point at which you get a call or letter that lets you know what the verdict is. I will say that I was perfectly fine doing this until the week that I anticipated the decision being made. Fortunately, the call came relatively early in the week (and it was in my favor). security code: dollar signs -- How appropriate for this message board!
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argh
Dec 16, 2011 15:00:53 GMT -5
Post by halfempty on Dec 16, 2011 15:00:53 GMT -5
I find it's better to just assume they hated you and be pleasantly surprised when you get an offer than to assume it went well and be crushed when they choose someone else.
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argh
Dec 17, 2011 1:27:42 GMT -5
Post by unclekarl on Dec 17, 2011 1:27:42 GMT -5
I've had a couple of interviews where an older professor has said something along the lines of 'we need to hire you.' I did not get an offer afterwards. I am almost to the point of believing they are saying code for 'we will not hire you.'
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argh
Dec 17, 2011 12:24:39 GMT -5
Post by onenitestand on Dec 17, 2011 12:24:39 GMT -5
It's a one night stand that's all. They love you now, because it's 200a and the bar is closing.
There's only a one in three chance they're going to talk to you next time they see you around town.
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argh
Dec 17, 2011 12:40:17 GMT -5
Post by me on Dec 17, 2011 12:40:17 GMT -5
Interviews are exhausting, stressful, and incredibly time-consuming. In addition to the three or so days completely taken up by the trip, there are days of preparation that go into it. And this thread is just depressing me.
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argh
Dec 17, 2011 12:59:26 GMT -5
Post by no pressure on Dec 17, 2011 12:59:26 GMT -5
Interviews are exhausting, stressful, and incredibly time-consuming. In addition to the three or so days completely taken up by the trip, there are days of preparation that go into it. And this thread is just depressing me. There's no reason that an interview should be stressful. You are interviewing them as much at they are interviewing you; if they didn't think you were someone who was fit for the job, you wouldn't be on campus. Really, you should go to an interview assuming that you are meeting with future colleagues. It is amazing to me that people interact with faculty damn near every day while in grad school, but suddenly are fearful of faculty members when they are visiting other departments; faculty at a hiring department are no less human than are those with whom we normally chat. Just make sure that your talk is solid, be the best "you" that you can be (but certainly don't try to be anyone you are not, because your discomfort will be evident), and have fun with it. Control what you can control, but some parts of the decision-making process will have little at all to do with you. Just go in looking to put your best foot forward and get as much information about the department as possible (in case you have multiple offers that you must compare), and then just sleep easy on the flight home.
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argh
Dec 17, 2011 13:22:29 GMT -5
Post by unclekarl on Dec 17, 2011 13:22:29 GMT -5
There's no reason that an interview should be stressful. You are interviewing them as much at they are interviewing you; if they didn't think you were someone who was fit for the job, you wouldn't be on campus. +1 Hard to under-stress the 'you are interviewing them' piece. In person interviews tell me if I want to be at a place. "Can I work here?" is a question I ask.
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argh
Dec 18, 2011 17:28:51 GMT -5
Post by OP on Dec 18, 2011 17:28:51 GMT -5
Now, the business of the chair already preparing a recommendation to the dean might be a different story if there isn't a typical uniform starting point. I'm not sure what the point of telling you this would be unless to indicate that you were likely to be the choice, unless the bearer of news is mean-spirited and intends to tell you that you have already blown it before deliberations have begun. OP here. I completely agree. I'm still trying to make sense of this one. Maybe I misunderstood. I know that SCs often have top choices going into interviews, and may want to move quickly on that top choice if the interview is acceptable. But still, it surprised me. I'm optimistic -- there have been other cues that this top choice might be me. Or maybe I'm just drunk on the kool-aid.
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argh
Dec 18, 2011 17:51:10 GMT -5
Post by unclekarl on Dec 18, 2011 17:51:10 GMT -5
OP, it could be the recruitment process. Some top schools seem to have a strategy of investing several hours in trying to lure in their of 3 or 4 top candidates. It maximizes their choice, but in the end you are still left with 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 odds, as they may be saying very similar things to their other candidates, other faculty feel differently, etc.
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argh
Dec 18, 2011 18:40:55 GMT -5
Post by exactly on Dec 18, 2011 18:40:55 GMT -5
OP, it could be the recruitment process. Some top schools seem to have a strategy of investing several hours in trying to lure in their of 3 or 4 top candidates. It maximizes their choice, but in the end you are still left with 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 odds, as they may be saying very similar things to their other candidates, other faculty feel differently, etc. This is exactly right. No place wants to watch choice #1 go elsewhere and then turn to option #2, only to be bitten by the fact that this candidate was already treated as an also-ran. In general, the assumption is that whomever is on a campus interview is good enough to hire, and which of these ends up in the empty office next year depends as much on the decisions of the candidates and other departments as it does on how people vote at the faculty meeting. I wouldn't read too much into the positive talk that one might hear on an interview. After all, they are recruiting from the point that you step onto campus and are just as worried about making a positive impression on you as you are on them. There will be a few people on some interviews who really want another candidate to be selected, but if you didn't have anybody who wanted you to win, you wouldn't be there in the first place.
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