ICIR welcomed students back for the Spring 2011 semester with a colloquium focusing on the job interview process. Participants had the opportunity to learn from the experience of their fellow student colleagues, Josh Dickhaus, Skye Cooley, and Sarita Stewart, who have all secured future faculty positions with other universities during their Ph.D. studies. Faculty members from the College of Communication and Information Sciences were also present to share valuable insider perspectives and experience to the roomful of budding academics.
Aimed at better preparing students for the daunting job application process, the session dealt with the crucial components in assembling a well-tailored job application packet and meeting expectations from job interviews held in campus and over the phone. The session also addressed pressing questions on negotiating salaries, the expected level of personal teaching and research experience, and the various avenues for locating job openings.
On top of addressing more traditional job application matters, the session also touched on the challenges and opportunities provided by today's information technologies such as the Internet and social media. Some issues dealt with various ways of coping with the increasingly popular online job interviews being conducted through video-phone technologies; as well as the significance of managing one's personal image properly through social media means.
Participants were reminded of the importance of a good personal fit with the location and working culture of the university faculty they ultimately choose to be a part of. As APR professor Dr. Lance Kinney shared, "You may be able to work anywhere... but you cannot live anywhere."
