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Category Archives: Interviewing
How do you get an academic job in biology?
You have published your research, figured out how to apply for grants, identified some absorbing big ideas to spend a few years or a lifetime on, but now you want that coveted academic job to put this all together. It … Continue reading
Remember the rules on allowable questions for job candidates!
Here in biology at Wash U, we interview for open faculty positions every year, usually. Now is the time we are doing this. It is really fun to meet these candidates, hear about their science, hear about what it is … Continue reading
Posted in Interviewing, Jobs, New assistant professor
1 Comment
Why are chalk talks so hard?
Have I ever heard a good chalk talk? Do they really even help us make a wise decision? I can think of some spectacular failures in hiring the right person based on the chalk talk in the past at another … Continue reading
Posted in Interviewing, Jobs, Talks, Uncategorized
1 Comment
Interviewing students the Oxford way
You made it! You have an interview at the top university in the world! You will meet in person with several professors or other academic staff from two or three of the colleges. One of them might be the cloistered … Continue reading
Job interview: how to avoid 10 pitfalls
You got an interview! How do you do your best so they choose you for that elusive position on the faculty of a college or university? Actually most of this advice applies to any kind of in-person job interview. Perhaps … Continue reading
Chalk talks: how to avoid 10 pitfalls
You got an interview for a job, a faculty or a postdoctoral position! But they want you to do a chalk talk. What do you do? What is a chalk talk anyway? First of all, be sure you find out … Continue reading
Posted in Interviewing, Jobs, Talks, Uncategorized
Tagged academic fit, big questions, controlling the room, grant proposals, talks
4 Comments
Five reasons to hire you for our open faculty position
Hiring is one of the most important things we do. A new hire is a colleague for years, possibly decades. The new professor will figure out things we don’t know, will even completely change the way we view a major … Continue reading
Posted in Interviewing, New assistant professor
Tagged assistant professor, creativity, faculty, hiring, research and teaching
1 Comment
How getting into grad school in cell biology or neuroscience is different from ecology or evolution
You would think getting into grad school in one or another area of biology would be more or less the same. You might even think that if you went to a better undergrad university, had better grades, more research experience, … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Interviewing, Undergraduates
Tagged admissions, ecology, evolution, Graduate school
5 Comments
The three questions on our prospective graduate student evaluation form
We learn so much about our new grad student applicants, but the form we fill out on line for our Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, DBBS, only wants us to put down three things. We are asked: 1. What … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Interviewing, Undergraduates
Tagged evaluation, grad school, interviews, judging, Research
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Don’t lose focus on grad student interviews!
It is again time to interview next year’s potential grad students. They have flown in from all over the country and will be spending a few days with us. Our current grad students will let us know how collegial they … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Interviewing, Undergraduates
Tagged ecology, evolution, graduate student, Interview, leadership, self-starter
3 Comments
Sociobiology 