Why Us? What Academic Hiring Committees Actually Want to Hear

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 Really Testing

An academic hiring committee has usually read dozens of applications from candidates who are accomplished and promising. What they can’t always tell from a letter and a CV is whether you actually wants to be there, at their institution, in their department, or whether you are applying everywhere and hoping something sticks. [And you should definitely apply to many positions, but you want to convince the committee their institution is your top choice!]

“What excites you about this opportunity?” is the question designed to find out if you and the institution are a good match. A strong answer demonstrates that you know something specific about the department — its people, resources, students, institutional context, etc. — and that you have thought seriously about how those things connect to your own work and development.

Weak Answer vs Strong Answer

The difference between a weak and a strong answer to this question is almost entirely a matter of specificity.

Weak answer I am very excited about this opportunity because your department has a strong reputation in my field, and I think it would be a great environment to continue developing my research. The students here are also very strong, and I would love to be part of a department that values both research and teaching.

Strong answer What excites me most is the opportunity to work alongside faculty like Dr. Chen, whose longitudinal work on food insecurity aligns closely with my own. I also noticed that the department recently received funding for a community health clinic — that kind of access to clinical populations is exactly what my next study requires and is genuinely hard to find. And the undergraduate research program here would allow me to involve students in data collection in a way my current institution does not support.

The weak answer could have been written by anyone, about any institution, without ever visiting the website. The strong answer could only have been written by someone who read the department’s faculty profiles, followed the news about recent funding, and thought carefully about what the position actually offers. That is the research the question is designed to test, and your answer can be used to signal genuine excitement about the position.

What to Look for When You Prepare

When you prepare your answer, look beyond the job posting. Read the department’s website carefully, including faculty profiles, recent news, research clusters, funded projects. Look at the institution’s strategic priorities and items like mission or vision statements. Can you use some of these key words in your application materials and in your verbal responses? Consider the student population, the surrounding community, the clinical or research infrastructure. Think about what this specific environment offers that would genuinely enable or advance your work in a way another institution could not. Then practice saying it out loud, in English, until it sounds like a conversation rather than a prepared statement.

Ready to Practice?

Our Academic Interview Short Course helps prepare you to come across as comfortable and competent in the academic interview setting: https://www.absolutelyenglish.com/courses.

Individual coaching sessions build on the material covered in the course and provide you with personalized preparation and live feedback: https://www.absolutelyenglish.com/book-online. Reach out with questions!