Prepare for an academic interview

Panel interviews are most common, where you are interviewed by a number of people together, usually between two and six. The panel is likely to include at least one person from the department (possibly the head of department or research group), a representative from Human Resources, and often someone from another department outside your discipline. 

You will usually be asked to give a presentation either to the panel or to other members of the department or research group. This will commonly be on your research and could include plans for future research. You may also be asked to present on your teaching practice or give a mini-lecture. 

You may also be given the opportunity to talk informally to other departmental staff to find out more about the department and teaching and research activities. 

Take time to develop a deeper understanding of the research group you're applying to. Use a variety of approaches to get to know the department or institution; you could ask your colleagues, explore the institution's website and read relevant papers related to their research.

Job adverts often include contact details of someone you can talk to informally about the vacancy before applying. It is a good idea to do this especially if you are not already known to the people recruiting. 

Here are some examples of the things you will want to know:

• what are the research interests of other staff and how can your research complement or add to the group? 

• (if it’s a teaching position) what courses are currently being taught? Where you can make a contribution? 

• are there any new courses you could develop as a result of your subject expertise? 

• what opportunities are there for collaborations, both intra- and inter-disciplinary? 

In preparation for your presentation you should ask for advice from, and practise with, your supervisor and any other members of your department or research group who have  knowledge of your research area. 

Find advice on presentations for academic interviews on the jobs.ac.uk website: 

jobs.ac.uk - tips for presentations 

Part of your preparation should include thinking about the questions which might come up during the interview. Academic interviewers will focus on questions about your: 

• previous research, including research methodologies and skills 

• ideas for future research projects and funding proposals 

• track record in attracting funding 

• teaching experience and style 

• thoughts on how you can contribute to the teaching and research of the department 

• involvement in the wider academic community through committees 

Some examples of the type of questions asked at academic interviews are given below. 

Motivation and Knowledge 

• Why are you attracted to this post? 

• What do you feel are the key skills of an effective lecturer? 

• Describe your working relationships? For example, tell me about your experience of collaborative projects, close working with colleagues in department, development of external relationships? 

• What are the current issues around teaching, learning and assessment in Higher Education? 

• What do you think are your particular strengths that would make you the ideal person for this job? 

• There is considerable administration involved in running courses.  How do you think you would cope with this, as well as the teaching and research? 

Research  

• How do you feel your particular research interests would allow you to contribute to and complement the research activities in this department? 

• What do you see as your major research achievements? 

• How can you demonstrate international excellence in research quality? 

• Describe your experience of generating research income. What plans do you have to generate research funding in the future? 

• What impact do you believe your research to date has made? 

• How have you disseminated your research findings? 

• What does “making an impact with your research” mean to you? 

• Tell me about your publication record? How would you judge this achievement and what are your future plans? 

• How much influence have you had on the direction of work undertaken?  Tell me about something which you have initiated. 

• Tell me more about your future research plans. 

Teaching and Supervision 

• How equipped do you feel to contribute to teaching within our degree programmes? 

• What teaching methods have you used? 

• What level of experience have you had in planning and developing teaching material for courses? 

• What do you think are the main challenges facing a lecturer when teaching a large group of undergraduates? 

• How would your teaching methods vary according to the size and level of groups you would be teaching – if at all? 

• How do you address different learning styles in your teaching? 

• What experience do you have of using e-learning systems? 

• How do you evaluate your teaching effectiveness? 

• Teaching is important but in your view should a department give it as much of a priority as research? 

• What experience have you had of supervising research projects or students?