help me prep for my dreeeeeeam job interview

[notafanoftheman]

Landed an interview for a job in Switzerland. I think I'm in the final 2 or 3. Does anyone know the Swiss system?

More specifically, when you're in the humanities, what sort of thing counts as bringing in the funding? I've been lead on some tiny projects - budget basically covering room hire and a buffet - and peripheral on some massive AHRC-type funded projects. I never know how to present that sort of thing.

Surprised to see this still unanswered. Can't help but hope someone else can!

Thanks! Not great timing I guess, everyone is deservedly on holiday.

peripheral on some massive AHRC-type funded projects

Co-investigator on an AhRC grant? AHRC-funded Post-Doc? British Academy grant? Leverhulme? Wellcome

I'm really surprised someone going for a dream job doesn't have a handle on this ... if you're in a UK post, you'll know about the REF, and what counts as funding for that.

Time to talk to your mentors - this is the sort of thing that PhD students get trained in as 'professionalisation.'

Basically, think about external funding you've been awarded in competition to enable to you to do research. Was your PhD funded by an AHRC or ESRC DTP? To be awarded an AHRC or ESRC PhD studentship is usually a pretty good start for an ECR towards claiming competitive funding success.

I don't know the Swiss system specifically, but in my experience of continental European academia, funding from Marie Sklodowska Curie and/or the European Research Council would be highly prestigious. An idea for pitching to the ERC (investigator-led, curiosity-led) or the more strategic Horizon 2020 schemes would show you are on the ball about external research funding.

But it depends on your 'weight for age' to borrow a racing term - your achievements in relation to your post-doctoral career age.

These are things that you should know if you're working (or aspiring to work) in the UK system, as well as Europe - get your head around them now if you want to be successful on the job market.

Thanks. I’m not in the UK and funding isn’t a metric where I am.

OK, luck you! (It's a metric in the UK, RoI, Australia, and sometimes in the USA) So think about what you did on the AHRC-type grant - were you involved in conceptualising the research project? writing the application? What did you gain from your involvement - what info/skills/knowledge about conceptualising & applying for funding, setting up a research project, managing a team, delivering the research outputs etc etc?

Think laterally about what they're asking you.

Go and look at the SWiss national funding bodies, and the ERC websites

I was listed as a visiting expert (I am 15 years post PhD). I think they’re looking for ability to bring in the big bucks, but that’s not just a feature of the system in my area 😩

Gentle post-name-change bump. I’m hoping for more advice on how sensitive hiring committees are to different working practices in different countries, which explains why I don’t have experience in some areas you might expect at my career stage - because it’s just not expected in my country.

I haven’t read the whole thread, but here goes:

It is very case specific: I’d be sensitive to your different experience (After all why would I invite you to interview if I didnt think you were in contention), but I’d need reassuring that you make up for any gaps in skills by knowing something else relevant amazingly well, and by demonstrating how quickly you can learn new skills. If however you’re speaking of, say, experience running projects, then be prepared to offer equivalent experience, e.g. how while you haven’t had that specific experience, by running sub teams while PI was another campus you effectively were the local team leader. Or if it’s about bringing in big bucks, have a ready list of easy wins, perhaps local collaborations you could build, connections you’ve made here that link well with what they’re looking for, etc

I’d be sensitive to your different experience (After all why would I invite you to interview if I didnt think you were in contention), but I’d need reassuring that you make up for any gaps in skills by knowing something else relevant amazingly well, and by demonstrating how quickly you can learn new skills

I would also expect that you have done your research, and know about the working practices in my system.

For example, in the UK, asking "What's the REF?" or something like that would be an excellent way to be categorised as "Unappointable."

Good academic jobs are rare, and can offer remarkable career possibilities & perks (yes, still!), and I think you have to do your due diligence. In my view it's not really good enough to say "that's not how we do it in my country" if you want a job in another country's system.

So do your due diligence, because you also need to know whether it's a system you want to work in.

Your responses "it's not a metric where I work" wouldn't cut it in interview for me, unless followed by "However, I see that your Department has already got some funding from Horizon 2020 in field X, and I'd be ready to develop a grant application in field Z to complement (or build) on that success. I have experience in doing Z and I would use this to develop a collaborative project etc etc"

You're not applying for a job in the system you're currently working in - you're seeking a post in a system which values external funding. Do your research about the Swiss funding system, and then as @impostersyndrome suggests, think about some low-hanging fruit/easy wins in your field, that you could deliver, and would fit with the research strategy of the department/unit you seek to join.

That’s excellent advice, thanks!