Friday Five

Mother Laura at Revgalblogpals writes:

Songbird just had an interview for a "vague and interesting" possibility, and More Cows than People is doing campus visits for doctoral programs. There always seem to be a few RevGals applying for new positions, and I just got my first call for this year's preliminary interviews for college teaching jobs at the American Academy of Religion meeting in San Diego coming up in a few weeks. It's for my dream job among this year's offerings, and I am flip flopping between excitement and nervousness. So please keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer for everyone facing such conversations, and share your thoughts on the wonderful world of interviews:

1. What was the most memorable interview you ever had?
I think my most memorable interview was my Ordination interview. All the members of the Commission on the Ministry were present. The were sitting in this large board room around a huge table. When I walked in, they all stood up and when I reached my seat (at the head of the table of course), they all sat down. I was SO nervous

2. Have you ever been the interviewer rather than the interviewee? If so, are you a tiger, a cream puff, or somewhere in between?
I have been the interviewer. My tendency is to be more of a cream puff, but I have learned if you don't be somewhat of a tiger, you may end of hiring the wrong person for the job.

3. Do phone interviews make you more or less nervous than in-person ones?
I don't like in phone interviews because you can't read any non-verbal cues. I really like eye contact and reading people's expressions. So I find phone interviews more difficult.

4. What was the best advice you ever got to prepare for an interview? How about the worst?
I don't know that anyone has ever really given me any advice, other than be yourself. Which has always worked pretty well =)

5. Do you have any pre-interview rituals that give you confidence?
Prayer. Prayer. Prayer. Just before I left my apartment to go to my nerve-wracking ordination interview, there was a knock at the door. I had been fitted for my robe the week before. I was told it would take 4-6 weeks to arrive. When I went to answer the door, it was the UPS man with my robe. somehow, that was a sign for me that everything would be okay.