Here is a list of questions I received most often during (first round) interviews, per request. Hope the list helps this year’s JMCs prep
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#EconTwitter #EconJobMarket
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Questions about the JMP:
clarifications? What’s the significance/contribution? What are the shortcomings? How would you enhance it & (implicitly) what is stopping you from doing so? What is your main policy implication?
clarifications? What’s the significance/contribution? What are the shortcomings? How would you enhance it & (implicitly) what is stopping you from doing so? What is your main policy implication?
Qs about the JMP:
Where does this fit in the literature? How does this weigh against other evidence on the topic? What would <someone else who has written on the topic> critique about your work?
Where does this fit in the literature? How does this weigh against other evidence on the topic? What would <someone else who has written on the topic> critique about your work?
Qs about the JMP:
Do you think your findings are externally valid? What are your key assumptions? Is X a threat to your paper’s findings? How would you apply your findings to X situation?
Do you think your findings are externally valid? What are your key assumptions? Is X a threat to your paper’s findings? How would you apply your findings to X situation?
Questions about your research pipeline:
What other research are you working on now? What research would you like to be doing in 5 years? How do you connect the various disjointed parts of your research agenda?
What other research are you working on now? What research would you like to be doing in 5 years? How do you connect the various disjointed parts of your research agenda?
Questions about you as a researcher:
What are your strengths as a researcher? Where do you still need to improve? How do you plan to improve? You frequently collaborate with others; what do you bring to a research partnership? What did you do on X collaborative project?
What are your strengths as a researcher? Where do you still need to improve? How do you plan to improve? You frequently collaborate with others; what do you bring to a research partnership? What did you do on X collaborative project?
Where you’ll fit in the department:
Whom in our department do you overlap with/complement? What second-year grad course would you like to teach? What undergrad course would you like to teach? What are your preferred areas of service?
Whom in our department do you overlap with/complement? What second-year grad course would you like to teach? What undergrad course would you like to teach? What are your preferred areas of service?
School-specific questions often focus on the things they perceive are unique to them such as teaching MBAs/MPPs, moving to a specific area, being a liberal arts place or interdisciplinary etc.
Why do you want to come here? What attracts you to liberal arts/policy/biz schools?
Why do you want to come here? What attracts you to liberal arts/policy/biz schools?
School-specific questions:
What is your optimal mix of teaching & research? What do you like about liberal arts/policy/business/interdisciplinary schools? What was the last policy/business/interdisciplinary paper you read?
What is your optimal mix of teaching & research? What do you like about liberal arts/policy/business/interdisciplinary schools? What was the last policy/business/interdisciplinary paper you read?
Curveballs I received (and have loved discussing thereafter, but was surprised by initially):
Who is your economic role model? What makes a paper AER-worthy? Why do X and Y famous econs disagree about your JMP topic & what evidence might build consensus?
Who is your economic role model? What makes a paper AER-worthy? Why do X and Y famous econs disagree about your JMP topic & what evidence might build consensus?
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