meeting the dean

[here we go]

Does anyone have advice for how to interview with a dean or other administrators?

I plan on looking up their work and interests, as well as being able to discuss what I can bring to the institution (not only the soc dept).

Thanks!

[styles]

Presentation of Self: Knowing her/his background (academic, administration/business, etc) is helpful when thinking about the personality you might encounter…..not a guarantee but helpful to know and think about going in. I never really worried too much about this meeting, other than don’t *fudge* it up. Some are supportive, some just want to talk, and some just want to show their status. Just be polite, respectful and smile.

Ammo: it’s a given that you need to be able to state what your research/teaching skills are…..naturally emphasis is going to very depending on where you are applying to. Doing research on the mission of the university and college in advance so that you can speak to issues that are more immediate and salient to the Dean is certainly worthwhile.

Sorry I can’t be more help but there is just no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to Deans.

Relax and good luck!

[NewProf]

On my interviews, people in the department gave me some idea of what to expect in the interviews with administrators. At one school I had to interview with two deans who were total opposites. On the whole, I would recommend:
Practice talking about your research with someone who is not a sociologist.
Have a lot of questions that you can ask them.

[depends]

Yeah, it really varies between deans and other administrators. I've talked with admin that only asked if I had questions (I also made sure I had questions that were relevant to his/her position - people like to talk about themselves), I've talked with admin that were really friendly, and I've talked with admin that were downright hostile towards my research. Even if they get excited, keep a cool head and figure out a way to say something like, "That's a really good point. I haven't thought about that yet (even if you have)" or "That's a really good point, but in this particular case..." Oddly enough, I was told that the hostile admin I had interacted with was actually really impressed with me, which was one of the reasons I got a job offer last year from that institution.