Reflections on Interview

Attended recently an interview for an adjunct position, my first on-site interview since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were in total five interviewers plus a secretary, an exceptional number since I was usually interviewed by merely two people. Although I am unsure why I was chosen to become the first candidate on that day, I think I enjoy the advantage that the interviewers appeared more patient for most of the time. I perceived a mixed signal that, during the final question and answer section, the chief interviewer avoided answering my question on the main difficulty of the job and said the answer could be developed into a doctoral thesis. This moderate impatience could be resulted from my lack of sufficient preparation due to anxiety these weeks, if not months. Through the interview, I strived for success by citing the skills I learned from my research and teaching experience and, maybe more importantly, answering with confidence.

As always, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.