Timing of interviews question

[skimmilk]

Does anyone know what the general timeframe is for interviews? If the department reviews applications mid-Sept, when do they begin contacting people for an interview? (I understand we don’t hear if we’re not getting an interview).

Also, generally, what’s the timeframe from a call to interview and the actual on-campus interview? That is, a week before they invite you down, so you must scramble to prepare?

[It Depends]

No definitive answers are available here. Any mean would be rendered meaningless by the variance. So many internal factors can affect timing issues.

In general, search committees want two things: conduct the interviews as quickly as possible in order to extend an offer as quickly as possible, and set up the candidates to be successful in their visits to see them at their best. Sometimes these two goals are in conflict, and sometimes a SC doesn’t properly appreciate the value of the latter.

If the interview involves traveling, that usually requires at least one week’s advance notice, and the SC will often give a set of dates to choose from. Most committee members realize that candidates have to make arrangements around their day jobs.