The fear of the unknown is one of the greatest causes of failure in many job interviews. Aside from being well groomed and punctual, one ought to be mentally prepared for whatever questions may come up during the interview. The job interview must be prepared for with a lot of seriousness as this is the point at which you can land or miss a job.
When you are aware of what will probably be asked during the interview, you will be more confident and give the right answers to the questions. Not thinking through the kind of questions that are going to be asked will only leave you vulnerable. Do not be fooled by how simple some of the questions may seem – the reality is that even the simplest questions may carry a lot of weight in the final recruiting decision.
Here are some questions you should expect in a college professor job interview:
- Tell Us About Yourself – This question catches many people off guard given that it is open ended. One may end up giving a response that is contrary to what is expected, give too much information or give too little information. While answering this question, you ought to give prominence to your most important achievements and most significant skills. It should be short and clear. Make sure you back it up with facts and examples. There is no harm in finding out whether they need you to provide more detail if they think your response was too short. But be cautious not to give irrelevant information that has nothing to do with a college professor’s career.
- Why Should We Have You in Our Institution? – The best answer you could give to this question is: because you are the best. Of course, just that statement alone will not be adequate. It is always more appealing to recruiters for you to recognize other candidates ability but then go on to insist that you have additional qualities that make you more suitable for the job. Give some examples to back up your credentials.
- What Are Your Long-term Goals? – While answering this question, you should consider your main objectives in life and give an example of what you are currently doing to achieve them. Remember to invoke the college in the articulation of your goals. You may, for instance, talk about the steps you will take to become an effective professor at the institution. By including the particular institution in your long-term goals, you show that you not only have your career in mind but that of the institution as well.
- Was the Education You Completed Relevant to Your Career? – This question might seem difficult but it is very simple. It basically requires you to connect the various courses and activities you took back in school to your abilities as a professor. For instance did you gain hands on experience? Did you ever hold a leadership position while at campus? Backing up your description with examples and illustrations is always advisable in all answers you give as well.
- What is Your Weakness? – At first glance, this question is very tricky. Remember, the interviewer wants to dig up a possible conflict to hiring you. Never make the mistake of giving your strength as your weakness because it misses the point. For instance, I’m too hard working or I’m a perfectionist. This is a bit of a cop out and interviewers will see right through it. You also don’t want to give an example that could hurt your job performance. For instance, saying that you are never on time. You should instead give a weakness that you can provide a resolution to. For example, you should say that your weakness is failing to keep dates but you have since dealt with it by walking with a pocket diary.
What experiences have you had with answering tough professor interview questions?
Join over 47,000 subscribers that receive job search, resume writing and interview tips delivered to their inbox every week. Plus, immediately download 20 education specific job interview questions and answers now!
