I've got a meta question about advice like this. Given that hiring/admissions are generally zero sum, what's the point of giving it? To the extent that someone benefits by reading it (eg, they avoid a faux pas that would have cost them an offer), somebody else loses out just as much (the person who would've gotten the offer).
Maybe you feel a personal connection to your readers; you'd rather your readers get offers than the people they're competing against. That strikes me as pretty natural, and probably the best way to understand the common practice of offering advice on the internet about how to win zero sum competitions. But I'm not sure, and would be curious for your take.
That's a great meta-question. It makes sense for me to give an edge to my students (I want them to do better than other people's students), but why for my readers? It's interesting that I never asked myself that question. I just thought "here's some helpful advice", never thinking of the consequences of helping some people at the expense of others.
So, my answer is: I never thought of it that way. Now that I do, do I regret my decision to post this? Not really, but I need to give it some thought.
I'll add that I don't see this as _purely_ zero-sum. If every applicant followed my advice and turned interviews into conversations, I think the process would more pleasant for everyone. But this doesn't get me off the hook.
I think Paul’s advice is very transferrable to every day situations! If one is interested in someone and asks questions and knows somethings about them or their subject matter or inquires into such information the conversation will probably evolve into something memorable. People laugh at me because I usually go to a place a day or two before to check out the environment before my meeting or interview. It’s like boots on the ground. It’s self directed orientation. I was once researching Loblaw‘s as a company and I wondered about their turnover rate of employees? So I did a site visit. I went to the meals to go counter and placed a small order. I asked the clerk how long people stay to work at Loblaw‘s on average and what the turnover rate was like? The clerk answered I don’t know, “I just started today”! I smiled and thanked them for their service…. As Professor Nick Epley of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business would advocate - practice doing cold calls!
For what it's worth, my 2 cents for Small Potatoes:
@Paul Bloom is right on!
I practiced this as a graduate student (long, long ago) both on my application form to MIT (from India) as well as once I got to the US at Cargnegie Mellon. In those days (1977) there was no internet and the only way to research a professor's research work and interests was to delve through the hard copy citation index and then access those papers from the college library or through an interlibrary loan if the journals were not available at my school (referred to as college in India).
As an applicant to faculty positions (as recently as last year) researching professors' interests was in fact a piece of cake what with the availabilty on line of write-ups from the department, on-line journals and nearby university libraries.
I second EVERYTHING that Paul has written in this advice post.
The only thing I would like to add is PLEASE, PLEASE have your CV handy if it's an in-person interview. Too often have I interviewed candidates that have walked into my office empty hands swinging! Even if the interviewer has been sent a copy of your CV or accessed it from Indeed or other websites, it is polite to have a few handy (especially if multiple people are going to interview you, not all of them who may have your CV!
This is great advice outside of academia as well, which of course you probably know. I hired a lot of people and those few who behaved as if they had read your piece stood head and shoulders above the rest.
I agree that these are transferrable skills, and would frame Paul's entire approach to the experience as a chance to learn. Reading papers by the people who will interview is an opportunity to improve the interview but also take advantage of the opportunity to delve into the paper with the author, if only briefly. So aside from learning about how to interview, it is learning about the domain. Seems like a win independent of the outcome, which can induce a more positive state in the interviewee.
As our nation becomes a solidified kakistocracy in a few short days, this is the absolute last thing I’d be interested in. Maybe you could post it on LinkedIn…seriously.
I've got a meta question about advice like this. Given that hiring/admissions are generally zero sum, what's the point of giving it? To the extent that someone benefits by reading it (eg, they avoid a faux pas that would have cost them an offer), somebody else loses out just as much (the person who would've gotten the offer).
Maybe you feel a personal connection to your readers; you'd rather your readers get offers than the people they're competing against. That strikes me as pretty natural, and probably the best way to understand the common practice of offering advice on the internet about how to win zero sum competitions. But I'm not sure, and would be curious for your take.
That's a great meta-question. It makes sense for me to give an edge to my students (I want them to do better than other people's students), but why for my readers? It's interesting that I never asked myself that question. I just thought "here's some helpful advice", never thinking of the consequences of helping some people at the expense of others.
So, my answer is: I never thought of it that way. Now that I do, do I regret my decision to post this? Not really, but I need to give it some thought.
I'll add that I don't see this as _purely_ zero-sum. If every applicant followed my advice and turned interviews into conversations, I think the process would more pleasant for everyone. But this doesn't get me off the hook.
I think Paul’s advice is very transferrable to every day situations! If one is interested in someone and asks questions and knows somethings about them or their subject matter or inquires into such information the conversation will probably evolve into something memorable. People laugh at me because I usually go to a place a day or two before to check out the environment before my meeting or interview. It’s like boots on the ground. It’s self directed orientation. I was once researching Loblaw‘s as a company and I wondered about their turnover rate of employees? So I did a site visit. I went to the meals to go counter and placed a small order. I asked the clerk how long people stay to work at Loblaw‘s on average and what the turnover rate was like? The clerk answered I don’t know, “I just started today”! I smiled and thanked them for their service…. As Professor Nick Epley of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business would advocate - practice doing cold calls!
For what it's worth, my 2 cents for Small Potatoes:
@Paul Bloom is right on!
I practiced this as a graduate student (long, long ago) both on my application form to MIT (from India) as well as once I got to the US at Cargnegie Mellon. In those days (1977) there was no internet and the only way to research a professor's research work and interests was to delve through the hard copy citation index and then access those papers from the college library or through an interlibrary loan if the journals were not available at my school (referred to as college in India).
As an applicant to faculty positions (as recently as last year) researching professors' interests was in fact a piece of cake what with the availabilty on line of write-ups from the department, on-line journals and nearby university libraries.
I second EVERYTHING that Paul has written in this advice post.
The only thing I would like to add is PLEASE, PLEASE have your CV handy if it's an in-person interview. Too often have I interviewed candidates that have walked into my office empty hands swinging! Even if the interviewer has been sent a copy of your CV or accessed it from Indeed or other websites, it is polite to have a few handy (especially if multiple people are going to interview you, not all of them who may have your CV!
This is great advice outside of academia as well, which of course you probably know. I hired a lot of people and those few who behaved as if they had read your piece stood head and shoulders above the rest.
I agree that these are transferrable skills, and would frame Paul's entire approach to the experience as a chance to learn. Reading papers by the people who will interview is an opportunity to improve the interview but also take advantage of the opportunity to delve into the paper with the author, if only briefly. So aside from learning about how to interview, it is learning about the domain. Seems like a win independent of the outcome, which can induce a more positive state in the interviewee.
Typo: the link for How to Be a Good Podcast Guest is "mallpotatoes..." Unless you've started a greengrocery (=produce store) sideline...
While I'm unlikely to ever be interviewing for these kinds of jobs, this was an interesting read!
As our nation becomes a solidified kakistocracy in a few short days, this is the absolute last thing I’d be interested in. Maybe you could post it on LinkedIn…seriously.
"Counselor and artist. Compassionate and humble boomer. Kindness not hate. Lover of Mother Earth."
That's supposed to be a description of you?
(I shouldn't make this type of comment, but come on)