Senior Lecturehsip Interview questions

[Jaagojaago]

Does anyone here have ideas on what sort of questions to expect at the SL level interview? Some info below -

Field is social sciences-humanities mix - I am more social science-y.

job talk has the brief of presenting a module outline, a sample lecture snippet and of course the research talk which is about current research and future plans.

My research talk includes my research narrative, sketches projects within it, a research consortium I direct, my current grants, grant bids in the pipeline (under review, to be submitted next month etc) - and I draw out questions of fit with specifics - as in my work dovetails with X and Y in cliuster Z very well - and I am bringing A and B to potentially clusters Z and M in your department type stuff.

For the main interview - I've got HoD, deputy HoD, 2 SLs, and 1 L.

Till now questions I've thought of include -

why do you want to work here?
Why seeking a move?
What are your research plans?
What kind of teaching do you see yourself contributing?
What kind of admin roles would you be thinking of?
What outputs do you think you can bring to the REF 2020?

In terms of questions to ask them I have two nice ones.

Can anyone at SL level or higher, add to my list in terms of other questions i need to anticipate?

Thanks much :)

I remember getting the call to offer me my current job at 9.30am on a Saturday. I was quite happy to not have to wait, to be honest.

Before the interview the HR person handling this vacancy spoke to me just as he had locked up his office to leave and said I shouldn't expect to hear anything before Monday.

I suppose the HoD could still have called.

My last experience of the job market was the lectureship application- applied to two places, got interviewed for both, interviewed for the first in Tuesday afternoon got offered the job within 15 minutes after interview (declined) and interviewed for the second on a Wednesday morning and got offered the job on Thursday (accepted).

Now 5 years and tons of stuff achieved on the way - with my first interview done at the close of play 6 pm on a Friday - I am ready for my first rejection in academic job markets (yep, hasn't happened till now but may well!)

I'm sure if they really wanted me they would have called today.

Anyway onwards!

In general somebody 20 years your senior who is still at lecturer/senior lecturer wouldn't be a better candidate - academics would look for future potential and wouldn't be able to see much in a guy who'd been stuck at the same level for years.

I would agree on the senior colleague not being a shoe-in. From my perspective on hiring, it's all about the trajectory. His (?) may not be that impressive if he s been a L since the 90s. We would not expect anyone to stay at L for longer than 7years, once you have discounted all periods of leave such as ML, carers leave etc.

You sound brilliant by the way.

I'd hire you, put it that way!

To get someone as well-qualified, with your REF/grant stuff for SL would be excellent.

I really wouldn't worry about the seniority thing, that could go either way, as others have said.

I'm SL and have far less to offer!

You guys are wonderful.

Yes it's a him. He started L around 198 ish. But I was an early teen in school then so I've spent yesterday demoralising myself that I simply wasn't able to say things like I've had long term expensive teaching experience. I couldn't because well I haven't have I - I've taught during my PhD and taught for the 6 years since then but i wouldn't call it long term.

I've done a huge lot in those 6 years but it's still not an "extensive experience in HE".

He met me on his way out and said something like "oh you're interviewing too are you, naughty girl," and left before I had registered anything. I'm not a "girl" though. not naughty either

Anyway I'll go back to my first sabbatical now and work on a revise and resubmit. The massive esrc bid went in this morning so finally that's left my desk.

Thanks for the replies will let you know either way. I really enjoyed the interview you know - they said how important my consortium activities are post brexit and we really got a nice intellectual conversation going in the room and they seemed nice

Ah well

I agree with others about someone working at one level for so long not necessarily be g tbe preferred candidate. Things were different 20 years ago - no REF as it is now (although actually as I write that, I remember the first RAE in 1997 - ish?) not as much emphasis on funding etc etc.

So people starting then weren't pushed the way we push ECRs now. It could be that he got left behind. But a department may well not care about that, and they have to have blindfolds on not to see what you're offering.

He said what?!

Best of luck, Jaagojaago.

International university rankings strongly favour research (especially research with international links leading to a considerable number of publications and citations) at the expense of teaching programmes and undergraduates. Your colleague would have little to offer a panel at a university aiming to climb the rankings. Where I work you would be a shoo-in for the SL position.

This thread has been very timely for my self esteem :) and I agree objectively that in terms of ref, potential, grants in pipeline, distance travelled since PhD 6 years ago, international networking, research leadership, capacity building, departmental administrative service teaching and leadership and citizenship : I could truly not have done more in these 6 years.

I've also had a baby in these 6 years and met dh and bought a house and all without any family (I'm an immigrant) in this hemisphere. So perhaps irrespective of he outcome I should be kind with myself and take a break to remind myself that I've worked hard.

Tomorrow is Monday --- hope they have a decision for me either way.

Crossing fingers for you!

I had thanked the panel via the HR guy after my late interview. This morning he replies saying thanks very much will let them know. could have told me yay or nay probably nay at least!

Oh there was also this sentence I didn't see "we will let you know when the decision is made"

Well in case anyone is interested - neither myself nor the other guy has heard - and he guy who's my senior I can't ask as not that kind of rapport.

HR replied to my thank you email by saying I'm welcome and they haven't decided yet.

Giving up hope :(

Maybe they didn't have time to discuss all the candidates after the interviews (you said it finished late) and the committee needs to meet again to make a decision.

The UK is a bit unusual, I think, in that academic job offers are often made immediately after the interviews. It's not so unusual in other places for decisions to take a few days or even weeks after the interviews. Mind you, in other countries, it's also more common for applicants to come on different days rather than all be interviewed on the same day.

Yeah this is the UK - I've just been reading their recruitment policy and bloody hell the post interview steps and protocols are crazy. They explicitly bold underlined forbid anyone except HR to make even a phone verbal offer whereas both my prior offers involved a simple phone call from hod.

Jaagojaago,

Where I work we have had to wait a week or so before we hear. Nobody hears straight-away.

same here - offers only come from HR, noone else.
It can take over a week with all the paperwork to be returned...

No answer yet. HoD replied to my thank you email from after the interview with this today -

"Thanks for your email OP. It was very good to meet you too, and thanks for coming. We should be able to let you know about the outcome of the process very soon

With best wishes

First name of HoD

Writing more for myself than anyone else as I doubt anyone's reading this anymore.

Still have not heard. HR replied to my thank you email earlier this week saying "I am hoping to have the decision by the end of this week" - and the HoD replied indepdnetly to my thank you email as I have posted earlier here.

Obviously i know what has happened. I am "on hold" - while they negotiate with the preferred candidates. Its a Department of X. They had three Lectureships/Senior Lectureships advertised in Areas X Y and Z. They interviewed for X on Wednesday, Y on Thursday and Z on Friday. I was the last candidate of the Z lot.

So presumably I have not been let down yet because of the "hold" factor.

For some bizarre reason (probably due to never having faced rejection before) - I have absolutely crumbled over this.

Very strange - because these things happen. People are rejected all the time. Great brilliant people are rejected due to lack of fit. This is not personal. I should move on and focus on my ongoing sabbatical and get that book written.

Yes. I know.

gosh this really has affected me.

Thanks for reading.

I think you're right, but it's tough. And very hard not to take personally. The "fit" issue is the hardest hardest thing to explain to candidates (I'm usually on the selection side atm, rather than the applicant side). Or that all candidates were all appointable, but one just had more of what we were looking for etc etc.

I've just been through a selection process for a key post at my place - as in, doing the selection. And it's nail biting when you have several equally good, but different, candidates. Second guessing oneself.

No comfort for you, of course.

Well blooodyy he'll!!!!!!!!!!

I've got it got it got it!!!

Senior lecturer!!!!!!

I need to calm right down now.

Woo. amazing well done.
although from the sound of your experience and research etc I'm not a Tony bit surprised. we currently have SL posts going in social science and can't attract people of your calibre. in fact half the people applying don't have their PhDs yet, all very strange. I'm very happy in my L post and have no desire to apply for promotion for a long time as I currently work from home when I'm not teaching and I prefer that arrangement over a promotion and increased admin and requirement for 'presenteeism'.
Congratulations though, I do hope that you drink ALL the champagne tonight. Well deserved x

WOWSERS!

too early for but not really, and also

Great news!

Thank you guys. I am feeling all wobbly but I'm annoyed I allowed myself to get so distraught at the possibility of rejection. I should have been able to handle rejection but I clearly wasn't (when I thought it would be a rejection). Either way perhaps best not to beat myself up about that and celebrate tonight