Thread by @NataliaHEmanuel

A handful of thoughts on flyouts for job market candidates.
One of three 🧵s – threads 2 and 3 have tips specific to in-person flyouts and remote flyouts

#EconTwitter #EconJobMarket #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter

You have two goals in a flyout:

Primarily, you are still angling for an offer and therefore should mostly focus on making a good impression.

Yet you also need to gather enough information so that you know your own preferences.

Firm/employee match-quality matters.

Put thought into the attributes that will enhance your productivity & happiness, and conversely what traits you contribute to an institution.

Seek to gain info about the former and share the latter.

The tips on interviews I posted before still apply

Especially having a 3-min routine/song/mantra/stretch that calms, focuses, and energizes you. There WILL be moments when you’ll need it.

https://twitter.com/NataliaHEmanuel/status/1468596059375083527?s=20

Review the notes & screenshots you took during first-round interviews so you remember what this employer/school asked you about and whom you met.

The structure of a flyout is generally fairly standard:
1-on-1 interviews with faculty
your job market talk in the middle of the day
more 1-on-1s
maybe a meeting with graduate students
maybe lunch/dinner with faculty

Making a good impression part 1: 1-on-1 interviews

Do your homework about interviewers: what are their areas of research? Which papers of theirs are you excited about? What areas of overlap might you have?

Let your interviewer guide the conversation if they have an agenda.

But don’t be grumpy/awkward if they can barely remember who you are or what your research agenda is (they’re meeting a lot of people too!) -- just take the lead in directing the conversation

For each interview, identify what you want to discuss, in case they don’t guide the conversation. Bring up a piece of (non-JMP) research you’re working on, their research, the institution, or a current debate in the field.

Making a good impression part 1: Job Market Talk during flyouts (this really deserves its own thread…)

Know roughly who in the department is invested in your type of work and can anticipate what they’ll be curious about.

Manage your time – don’t go over time, don’t speak a mile a minute. Be willing to cut sections if it means you’ll end on time

For your JM Talk, internalize everything @economeager says about public speaking for academics dropbox.com/s/4h9soo9dpndj… Truly spectacular advice there!

Tips for gathering employer info to inform your pref:

List the (non-offer-specific) employer-traits that inform your preferences.

E.g., how do you value mentorship? Teaching/admin duties? Internal politics? City? Office sunlight? Engaged students?

Be honest with yourself about what you actually value – it may differ from what your peers, advisors, or various rankings value. It also might not.

Having clarity about your own preferences will help ensure a good flyout and, ultimately, a good match.

Gather info about employers subtly rather than asking outright.

“Are your colleagues back-stabbers?” is not incentive compatible.

Instead, ask what your interviewer loves about the department and see how it lines up with your priorities.

Finally, try to keep your head in an excited space rather than a stressed space.

It helped me to focus on the joy of meeting thoughtful and engaged people and discussing topics I genuinely like exploring.

Good Luck!!