The Right Questions for a Candidate to Ask an Interview Committee

From the Marshall Memo #425

In this Chronicle of Higher Education article with K-12 implications, Georgia Perimeter College professor Rob Jenkins says that in his experience, the most awkward moment in academic job interviews is often when the committee asks candidates if they have any questions. The worst thing is to have no questions, he says, but coming up with a good question is more difficult than it appears. Ideally, says Jenkins, your question shows that you’re truly interested in the job, embrace the school’s mission, have done your homework, are genuinely curious about a specific issue – and are not an idiot. Here are his suggestions:

• Don’t ask questions that you could find the answers to by doing a good search of the website – for example, vacation times, class size, school facilities, lab space, classroom support, etc.

• Some questions should be asked outside the interview format – for example, the salary level or whether the school will pay travel expenses. 

• The way you ask a question is important. For example, rather than asking, “How much extra money can I make by teaching in the summer?”, ask “Are there opportunities for new faculty members to teach in the summer?”

• Don’t ask questions that convey a sense of entitlement or superiority about the institution (Jenkins says this comes up frequently in interviews at community colleges). 

Here are some model questions: (a) At my last institution, about 35 percent of our students began in developmental courses. Do you have a similar percentage here, and would I have the opportunity to teach some of those courses? (b) I see from your class schedule that you offer a large number of online sections. I’ve taught online in the past and really enjoyed it. Is that something I might have the opportunity to do here as well? (c) I read in your catalog that you have a number of student organizations on campus. That’s something I’ve always been interested in. Are there opportunities for faculty members to be involved in sponsoring those organizations?

“In the end,” says Jenkins, “what you ask the committee may be nearly as important as what they ask you… The overriding principles here are that, first, you should go into your campus interview prepared to ask at least one or two relevant questions, and second, those questions should help your candidacy, not hurt it.” 

“What to Ask – and Not to Ask – in Your Interview” by Rob Jenkins in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 24, 2012 (Vol. LVIII #25, p. A34), 

http://chronicle.com/article/What-to-Ask-and-Not-to/130837/