Major Milestones On the Road to a Job! ♦ Application ♦ C.V./Resume ♦ Telephone Interview ♦ Reference Checks, drug screening ♦ Personal Interview ♦ Negotiation for Value

The Interview is Important  The most critical part of hiring (resume, phone interview, face-to-face interview, on-list and off-list references)  People are the most expensive and valuable component of organization  Some organizations train staff to interview  Industry interview is generally conducted by teams who communicate  Academic interview is a series of individual and group meetings, not all of whom may communicate

Telephone vs. Personal Interviews Types of questions usually similar Must be animated and engaged in telephone interviews Must demonstrate energy and interest in personal interviews

What To Do Make eye contact Ask about position specifics and job resources Understand why you are qualified for the job and articulate your specific qualifications Know what you are talking about; or “I don’t know” is a great answer Transmit technical and non-technical skills, communication skills are highly valued Know yourself –communicate personal goals –be honest about skills and areas for improvement –what motivates you? –know your Meyers-Briggs category Know research publications/accomplishments of your interviewers Be prepared for oral and written evaluation

What Not To Do Don’t embellish Don’t dwell on benefits package or salary unless interviewers bring them up (there is plenty of time to discuss these issues after an offer is made) Don’t fidget Don’t give long-winded responses Don’t be vague and general Don’t tattle on or denigrate previous employers or colleagues

Some Example Interview Questions What are you most proud of in your career? Is there anything you’d change about your career? Where is current technology going? Have you ever managed people? What is an important paper you’ve recently read? Why is it important to your area of expertise? If you were part of a pizza, which part would you be and why?

What Does Industry Look For? Setting goals Managing timelines for results Problem-solving and innovation Discretion Team work (i.e. no empire-building) Knowledge of the business model

What Does Academia Want? Teaching experience and philosophy Student advising (UG, GR) Student organizations Grantsmanship Research publications Most positions want some level of teaching and some level of research

Can You Transition from Industry to Academia and Vice Versa? To Academia: Build your refereed research publications record; develop evidence of grants or private fundraising; develop evidence of outreach or instruction, even if not in your discipline To Industry: Develop evidence of reaching milestones on a timeline; develop evidence of cost-effective technical innovations; develop evidence of team-based success; build your leadership skills