Regardless of how it’s framed, interview candidates are typically asked to provide answers to this question. But, if you are an academic applying for a position with academia, your answer to this question should be based on personal teaching, research, leadership, and management experiences and interests. This is so because these areas are dominant in academia and those in which you would have had some experience and interests.
You may be asked to answer this question by giving a 5 or 10 minute presentation with or without the use of PowerPoint software. Regardless of the length or format, you must show how your experience and interests connect to the key areas of the job as described in the job description.
First, to do this, carefully read the job description and look at the key areas that the employer highlights. Based on the prescribed duration of the presentation, formulate responses to three or four of the highlighted areas. Here are three sample responses taken from a submission for a research assistant position at a newly formed academic research center. An examination of these answers will reveal the key areas highlighted by the employer to be teachers and teachers, and the novelty, competence and reputation of the institution to which the center is attached.
1. The position gives me the opportunity to work in an area in which I have been involved for the last 10 years, that is, teaching and teacher research.
2. The position provides an opportunity to re-engage in a pioneering activity and contribute to something new.
3. I am drawn to the fact that one of the missions of the new center is to support student teachers working in marginalized communities.
Second, turn your answers into main headings and give three examples from your experience to support each one.
Using heading 1 above, an example of experience could be: This is so because my 60+ research items comprising books, chapters, and research articles, and activities as a reviewer of conferences and journal articles focus on the various aspects of teachers and research teaching.
Using heading 2 above, an example of experience could be: I helped develop a similar research center. My role involved in over ten successful research projects, making presentations at conferences showcasing the work being done at the center, and hosting an annual research conference hosted by the institution. This center is now fully functional and continues to make an important contribution to the institution’s profile.
Using heading 3 above, an example of experience could be: My background is from the group so classified. This gives me an insider’s perspective that could be invaluable to the TTRC and my interest in this area has led to research papers such as…
Third, practice your presentation and time yourself. Doing so helps show that you are organized in your thinking, that you have thought through and applied the instructions, and most importantly, helps you stay focused during the presentation, which can be ‘nervous’.