I feel happy after my most recent interview for a TT position

I just finished a Zoom interview for a tenure-track position at an R1 university in the U.S., likely my last interview of the season.

This was my second Zoom interview this cycle. I had the opportunity to present my past work, current projects, and future research plans. Although there wasn’t enough time to go deeply into technical details, I was able to give a comprehensive presentation that conveyed the big picture and clearly explained my scientific questions, motivations and research vision.

The first half of the interview consisted of my slide presentation, followed by questions about my research. Toward the end, I had the chance to ask them a few questions as well. Interestingly, they didn’t ask the typical template questions (e.g., why this position, why this department, plans for lab size, mentoring philosophy, classes you can teach, who you can collaborate), even though I had prepared extensively for them (Probably because I tried to cover those questions in my slides).

Overall, I feel very happy about how the interview went. For the first time, I truly felt that I was able to explain my research and articulate what genuinely excites me. Even if I don’t move on to the next round, I know I did my best. I presented myself authentically, and I’ll walk away without regrets.

I’ve learned a lot from this community. Thank you, everyone.