The Community College Interview Tips and Strategies by

The Community College Interview: Tips and Strategies by Al Trujillo Palomar Community College

OK, You’ve Received an Invitation to Interview…. Now What? Some important things to know about a typical 2 -year college first round interview: • Will be attended by a (sometimes large) committee • Consists of a series of questions; lasts about 1 hour • Includes a 15 -20 minute teaching demonstration • May also include a written question before or after • Committee members will be taking notes but may not be allowed to interact • You will not be paid for travel expenses But first…how WERE you selected?

What Hiring Committees Are Looking For • • • Teaching experience, especially at the college level Breadth in the subject area Can fill the need immediately Commitment to helping students Enthusiasm for teaching An understanding of assessment Experience with technology Enthusiasm for the community college environment and familiarity with our department and college Respect for students and colleagues, easy to work with Commitment to doing the best job possible, and hence filling in gaps in expertise (ability to teach yourself)

How Does the Committee Select Candidates to Interview? Qualified applications are viewed by the committee, who employ a rubric and assign points for: • Teaching Experience: College/high school experience a plus, participation in field experiences, courses taught, variety in course delivery methods including online • Academic Background: Courses taken, interdisciplinary breadth, educated in science (Master's degree required…) • Professional Experience: Relevant job history, research, field work, resume listings • Technology: Instructional technology experience, computer literacy, online course delivery, GIS, Web page development • Application Materials: Overall presentation of application and special qualities (such as committee work, student organization involvement, community involvement, travel)

The Interview Process Once all applications have been reviewed and scored, candidates are selected and invited to campus for an interview, which typically includes: • A short teaching demonstration • A questions and answer session about teaching and learning • A time for you to ask questions of the committee • Optional activities (before or after the interview): § Respond to a written question § A meeting with an administrator (usually reserved for second or third level interviews)

Who Will Be on the Hiring Committee? A typical hiring committee includes: • Members from the department, including the department chair • A professor from another department (key in evaluating your teaching demo) • A Compliance Officer from Human Resources (does not vote) • No dean or other administrator (will be available during other interviews if you are called back)

Preparing for the Interview: Plan Ahea d • Get all the information you can on interview particulars: time, • • • place, length of time, topics, A/V equipment available, etc. Bring backup to the interview in case the computer crashes Dress? Casual professional Do your homework and demonstrate your work ethic/ standards; showing is better than telling Learn what you can about the college and the department before the interview Relax and be yourself! Treat it like an audition for a play – there are so many things you have no control over that they might be looking for. There's nothing you can do about that, so just do your best, be confident in who you are, and be prepared to "not get the role. " It’s nothing personal.

Should I Contact the Department Ahead of Time? • Although it might seem like a good • • idea, the department may not appreciate being contacted by you outside of the interview process In fact, Human Resources may prohibit candidates directly contacting the department (awkward if you are a part-timer) It’s best to check first, but be prepared for “no”

The Teaching Demonstration • Helps committee assess your teaching style • The topic will be given to you beforehand • Demonstrate a diversity of teaching • • • methods: Use a novel approach or active learning activity if appropriate Try to stand out (positively) Do NOT run over the time limit! Can include time for a review or summary Teach the class as if you were teaching students (even though they are experts) Involve the committee but realize they might not be able to respond to you…

Some Sample Teaching Demonstration Topics • Prepare a lecture describing the evidence that • • helps support the concept of sea floor spreading Describe how scale is important in understanding maps Prepare a simple lecture on how tides work Describe the tectonic processes that occur at deep-sea trenches How would you present the scientific method in class (including the difference between a fact and a theory)?

The Question and Answer Session (Panel Interview) • Helps the committee discern: § § Your knowledge and experience What courses you are qualified to teach How you maintain currency How you might respond to situations in the classroom • Committees must submit a list of 8 -12 questions • • (including preferred answers) to Human Resources before interviewing occurs Each member must ask the same question and in the same way to each candidate Answers are scored according to a rubric

Some Advice about the Question and Answer Session • Beforehand: Practice! • Include specific examples/be as detailed as possible • Make sure you answer the question (can ask) • Pace yourself accordingly (can return to a question • • later) If you are allowed to view the interview questions prior to the interview, take notes on how you might answer certain questions Don’t assume the committee knows your experiences

Some Sample Questions • What courses are you qualified to teach? • Why would you choose to teach at the community • • • college level rather than at the university or high school level? Tell us about a novel or innovative teaching technique that you use in your classroom For most of the students in your class, yours will be the last science course they take. How would this affect your teaching strategies? How do you handle unprepared students in class? Tell us about a bad teaching experience you’ve had When a student fails, who is at fault?

At the End of the Question and Answer Session • You will be allowed to ask questions • of the committee The kinds of questions you ask tell the committee a great deal about you, so avoid: § § What is the pay? How much time off will I get? Can I teach at other nearby colleges? How soon before my first sabbatical? § § § What might my teaching schedule be like? When will a decision be made? A question showing you have researched the college • Instead, ask thoughtful questions:

Optional Activities (Before or After the Interview) • You may be asked to provide a written answer to a question to assess your writing and organization skills § Ex: A student from your class approaches you and expresses an interest in a career in your field. The student has not declared a major but is considering law or business. What would you say to that student? • You may also have a meeting with an administrator (dean or vice president)

After the Interview • At the first available moment, write down every question • • you can remember (helps you prepare for next time) Can follow-up with an e-mail or letter thanking the committee chair or department If you have done well, you will be invited back (sometimes at the college’s expense) for a second level interview: § A smaller committee, including members from the first round § More generalized questions about teaching philosophy (Ex: You will be teaching the same introductory courses for the next 30 years. How would you avoid burnout? ) § Expect questions about how you might participate in departmental activities and shared governance • Some colleges employ a third level interview with the college president (and perhaps one other member)

If You Don’t Get Hired The First Time • Remember that most candidates interview • • • numerous times before landing a job If you have been teaching part-time at a college, don’t assume you are a “shoe-in”; it’s a nationwide search and the department may end up hiring someone else Put your best foot forward and let the cards fall where they may; keep a positive attitude Afterwards, you can contact Human Resources, who will review your interview materials and suggest where your weaknesses might be

Tip: Locating Job Openings You can find out about community college job openings at: • The California Community College Registry at www. cccregistry. org • The Chronicle of Higher Education at http: //Chronicle. com/jobs

A Final Tip: Salary • You can find out the starting salary for Palomar • College faculty positions online at: http: //www. palomar. edu/hr/Personnel/faculty. htm Salary is calculated using a grid based on: § Education (units beyond a BS degree) = Grade § Number of years teaching = Step

For More Information • Academic Job Interviews at http: //serc. carleton. edu/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/jobsearch/interviewing. html#t ips • The 2 -Year College Interview (incl. sample questions) at http: //serc. carleton. edu/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/jobsearch/2 YCinterview. html by Katryn Wiese (City College of San Francisco)

The Community College Interview: Tips and Strategies End by Al Trujillo Palomar Community College