Thread by @sanjaysaint

Interview season has begun.

Will you be interviewing for a tenure-track job at an academic medical center?

Or do you have a #mentee that soon will?

If so, here are 10 suggestions for giving the ‘job talk,’ a usual reqt for tenure-track positions

#JobTalk
#MedEd
#Mentoring

1/ Find out in advance about the audience & tailor accordingly. A talk to a small research-focused audience (scientific seminar) will be different than a noon conference to housestaff or a Grand Rounds presentation to entire Dept. Best to find this out several weeks beforehand.

Suggestion #2/ Avoid putting in fancy animations or videos as they (the videos, especially) are fraught due to technical difficulties.

Suggestion #3/ Make sure every slide is easily readable. This usually means the smallest font is 28 Arial. Simpler slides are better than complicated ones, and this includes color scheme and slide template.

4/ Ask ahead of time - not just before the talk starts - for a remote slide advancer (and, if a large audience, lavalier microphone) as strolling while talking is more engaging than being tethered to the podium or laptop. I’ve been known to even bring my own slide advancer...🙄

Suggestion #5/ Practice the talk before giving it, including to your trusted #mentors and #coaches. Ask for both substantive and stylistic feedback. Anticipate the questions you will be asked and even practice how you will respond to those questions.

Suggestion #6/ Just before the talk: Make sure you go through each slide on the computer you will be using. Get to the venue early and ask for time to ensure that everything is loaded properly. Send the talk in advance and also bring on a jumpdrive.

7/ Describe your work for a general audience as some of the key decision-makers (Chief, Chair, Center Director) are likely to be unfamiliar with your specific area of scholarship. These are the individuals that will need to be convinced that investing in you is a good idea.

8/ Important to go over your research findings to date & what you have found. As important to mention where your research is going so they can see the upward arc of your career. If certain agencies (eg, #NIH, VA) interested in your topic, mention specific Program Announcements.

Suggestion #9/ Q/A session is very important! Provide adequate time for this (at least 15 minutes). Let the person asking the question finish completely before attempting to answer. If the question is unclear, ask for clarification...

#9 cont’d/...Try to avoid ‘over-answering’ - stick to answering the question that was asked. If you can anticipate some of the questions, fine to have additional slides that can be placed after your final ‘Thank You!’ slide to show ancillary analyses or detailed methods.

Suggestion #10/ If things go wrong – technical difficulties, poor turnout, starting late, uncomfortable questions – take it in stride. Grace under pressure will help you win the audience over, and most audiences want to see you succeed.

You got this!! 👍🏾👏🏽😎

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