Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Hiring at My Community College
Several weeks ago, two colleagues at my community college organized a meeting between tenured faculty and adjuncts. The purpose: give adjuncts conducting job searches relevant and useful advice so their searches will be more successful. As an adjunct, this is exactly the kind of information that I desire and seek. Not only does it help me in my quest for work outside of my current institution, it helps me understand the culture and expectations of where I work.
The tenured folks raised many important and useful points. However, I am going to focus on just three. First, do not try to spin the committee when they are interviewing you. If you do not know the answer or have one, say so. Do not pretend to know the answer. They will be able to tell that you are blowing smoke. The last thing any person or committee wants in a colleague is someone who can’t admit that they do not know something. And if that knowledge is essential for the position, and you do not have it, you probably shouldn’t get that job. If you need time to compose an intelligent answer, ask for a moment. Then, be silent while you get yourself together—apparently many job candidates chatter while trying to come up with answers. And, from what several colleagues have said, this space-filling chatter weakened the candidates’ chances.
In addition to making sure that what you say is meaningful, it is wise to prove your interest in, understanding of, and participation with shared governance. Investment in shared governance was important to almost all of the tenured faculty. They emphasized how large a role shared governance plays in the community college, both in terms of how the college operates as well as how much time it requires of tenured faculty members. Apparently, many applicants are unaware of just how much time tenured faculty are expected to give to the institution through service to committees and governance.
The last point that the faculty emphasized was being sincere and genuine. As several asserted, when looking for work it is easy to act, say, or do things that you think will play well and get you a position but that you, as an instructor, do not necessarily believe in or support. If you are hired, your colleagues and peers will expect you to live up to what you promised and how you presented yourself during the interview process. As such, it is better to be honest and genuine so the committee will know who you really are. They are intending to hire you as a colleague who will work with them for a decade or three. The last way to start off that relationship is under false pretenses. Additionally, you are cheating yourself if you do not show who you truly are. It is not comfortable attempting to be who others want you to be; rather, show them what you can offer and you will likely perform better and receive special job offers.
Caveat: Every community college and university hiring committee has a different culture and set of expectations. Therefore, it is goofy to believe that one system’s standards or expectations will fully apply in another situation. Please keep this in mind! And, while this seems obvious, it is worth repeating!