I’ve had my fair share of horror stories in job interviews, mostly involving candidates who arrived and we could tell in 5 minutes that it just wasn’t going to work and they ended up putting their foot in their mouth for the next day. Painful for everyone. But one of my horror stories was interviewing for a faculty position at a University where things went otherwise well, except with the Department Chair. I spoke to a class before dinner and she interrupted me and said “we have a RESERVATION.” Not knowing what time we were to leave, this was an odd moment for me and for the class. When we got to dinner with the rest of the faculty and the search committee, she asked me about my experience at the place where I earned my doctorate. I relayed that I loved it. She then spent a seemingly endless amount of time ripping the program to shreds. In the final interview, she asked “If you are as impressive as your resume as, how ever could your current institution let you go?”
At first I thought she might be serious. Then I quickly realized it was brutal sarcasm. Chalk that one up to a place I wasn’t meant to be. Fortunately, I found the pefect fit the following year.
