Eight failed postdoc interviews (and many more failures beyond). What now?

[NicolaNineLives]

Three years post-PhD (health sciences/social sciences) with plenty of publications and teaching experience. I can't get a job.

I have tried for postdocs (which is what I want) and have tried branching sideways into policy, private sector, FE as well: nada.

I have a professionally-written CV and sound fantastic on paper but despite endless coaching, mentoring, training sessions, I am terrible at interviews. Some mental health challenges and a bit aspie too, which puts people off, and huge glaring gaps in my employment record due to medical challenges too.

I am so tired of forcing my smile back, dusting myself down, moving on. I would consider any reasonably stimulating and interesting work - it would just need to be fairly sedentary and daytime hours.

Any ideas?

Solidarity.

It's just very rough, I think. I do have a friend who is further post-PhD than you (5 years?) and just got her first postdoc, so it does happen. She has enormous determination, though.

Do they make proper allowances for you during interviews? I think academia is still often really awful in this respect, but they should.

Solidarity appreciated. I'm not sure what allowances or adjustments I could ask for within an interview setting. What helps is when interviewers speak slowly and calmly and quietly, and I don't know how to request that without sounding either a bit dim or a total snowflake.

" I would consider any reasonably stimulating and interesting work "

What else have you applied for, besides university research jobs, I mean?

Civil service, FE lecturing, local authority, voluntary sector and some private sector research consultancies. Zilcho.

I know you mention you've had coaching but have you had specific coaching to address how you perform in interviews? And may I gently suggest to reframe how you're thinking about this as you're using very catastrophic language of "failure". In the grand scheme of things, eight interviews is nothing, I'm a sociology PhD turned IT project manager, it took me six months and fifteen interviews to secure my current role. So the good thing is you are getting interviews. Have you asked for feedback? Are there any common themes and patterns that you could address? Last but not least, have you tried recruitment agencies such as HAYS? This is how I got my role, they are good about education/public sector roles.

Did you get interviews for those non-academic roles?

If you get to interview, then I doubt very much that the gaps in your CV counted against you. You're right, it's something about your interview manner.

I know people who come out in lots of situations & state they have ADHD or Asperger's whatever, and it breaks the ice & lets people adjust their expectations, not get distracted by quirks etc.

Have you asked for feedback afterwards about why you didn't get the position -- what did they say?

Do you know what you do in interview that goes wrong? Mumble, show lack of confidence, pick your nose ? Argue about precise details, 2 word answers to questions that require discussion. Freeze up?

There's a new guy at work (cleaner). I'm convinced he's a bit aspie. Never smiles, nervous. He put up an odd note about keeping our desks clear of paperwork if we want the desks cleaned (on a Monday). No other cleaner would have dared. His note is a bit OTT, but OMG, he's a wonderful thorough cleaner. I hope he doesn't get fired or up anyone's nose. Really want him to stay.

Can you ask colleagues or friends to mock interview you and be really frank? There may be tactics you can adopt. This is broadly my field too and it is a tricky one because often hiring committees claim to be open to any discipline when they have a strong preference.
I’ve sat on a few hiring committees for postdocs this year and seen some brilliant candidates come second - often because the first choice person conveyed more enthusiasm for the post.

This is an incredibly helpful thread, thanks.

I have just had yet another rejection email with feedback: you did brilliantly at all of the pre-interview work-related tasks, but didn't talk about X or Y or Z at the interview. Grrrrrrr. I know and I knew that I needed to be ready to talk about X and Y and Z, and I had planned out exactly how I would do so, but in the interview I'd somehow failed to grasp that they were asking me.

lljk Yes, I am your cleaner. Poor guy.

Ellboo Yes, exactly. Methodologically, I am very flexible, and my publications show that - but I somehow don't manage to explain that when I talk.

coffee Thanks for the suggestions.

Am gonna ask a friend to do me a mock interview. She works in the criminal justice system, and has been trained specifically to look tough and to responswith scepticism.

Mock interviews or interview coaching would be good, as others have said above. Good luck.

I worked with this coach 121interviewcoaching.co.uk/ to learn how to be better at interviews (used to be terrible), was worth the money, I used to freeze and end up babbling and get similar feedbakc to you (didn't explain this and that...).

So, I did a couple more interview training sessions with a life coach type person and practice runs with friends.

Then I had three more postdoc interviews. I failed each of them. Apparently I was the "reserve choice" in two. But I just want to cry.

Nicola how frustrating you can't catch you break with this. I don't know what to suggest, just stressful for you.