Somewhere in almost every faculty interview, a committee member will ask some version of this question: “What is it about this opportunity that excites you?” Or: “Why did you apply to our department?” Or simply: “Why us?” It sounds like an invitation to be enthusiastic. It's actually something more specific than that. The committee is asking whether you did your homework — and whether what you found there genuinely connects to where your work is going. What the Question Is Re

I don’t enjoy giving academic talks. Weird choice to be a professor, right? Public speaking makes me nervous. Actually, it’s not the speaking part. It’s the question and answer part. I’m always afraid I might not know the answer, or “that guy” who wants to be the smartest person in the room will walk up to the microphone. What I have learned over the past decade is: hostile or aggressive questions are not a sign that your skills are in question. In many fields, they are a sig

Interviewing for an academic position in English when it is not your first language is challenging. You are expected to present complex research, discuss teaching techniques, and demonstrate your “fit” within the department all while processing questions in real time. The good news: search committees are not evaluating you as a native speaker during your faculty interview. They are evaluating your ideas, clarity, and professional communication. The first part of this mult

The second part of this multi-part guide provides concrete strategies used in professional Academic English coaching to help international scholars perform with confidence. Interviewing for an academic position in English when it is not your first language is challenging. You are expected to present complex research, discuss teaching techniques, and demonstrate your “fit” within the department all while processing questions in real time. The good news: search committees a

The third part of this multi-part guide provides concrete strategies used in professional Academic English coaching to help international scholars perform with confidence. Interviewing for an academic position in English when it is not your first language is challenging. You are expected to present complex research, discuss teaching techniques, and demonstrate your “fit” within the department all while processing questions in real time. The good news: search committees ar