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[includes4]

Whichever job I take I'll be relocating with 2 school age kids (and husband), so school/neighborhood options are a big part of my decision making process.  Is it appropriate to ask faculty (during lunch, say, or informal interviews) about where faculty live/schools, etc. in the area?  I definitely need this kind of info to make a decision, but would it be best to keep things strictly professional and not get into family-talk at a campus interview?  (For the record, I'm a woman -- I tend to think men have more leeway in discussing kids and maintaining a professional image).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[expatinuk]

I usually ask to have a meeting with a real estate agent and those are the kinds of questions that I ask her. It's her job to know about the housing and school market. Good luck with your interviews.

[sibyl]

SCs asked me this question all the time when I visited, usually during a meal.  I interpreted it as their way of saying, "This is a great place to raise kids, please please come here."  Come to think of it, most of these places were in small towns, and small-town faculties often feel they have to work hard to lure folks away from big cities and "company towns" like Ann Arbor or Madison. 

Then again, I'm a man.  I think you're probably smart to keep it to yourself (though I wish you didn't have to).  But be prepared for them to ask you.  If they do ask you, just say you're mostly interested in a good work environment and you can work out family issues for the right job, but you're always interested in knowing if there are good schools.

[bigsky]

I think those are all essential questions to ask. Often times it will be very apparent that certain interviewees want to put those qualities forward. For example, if you meet with someone in their office they might have pictures of their family, pets, etc. By all means ask about neighborhoods and where faculty live, that doesn't necessarily indicate what kind of perceived issues you may or may not have. In interviewing a few dozen candidates over the past several years our department has yet to have one leave the interview without somebody knowing something about the candidates' personal lives. Of course I am speaking about those that we are really interested in or those that are very interested in us. If it is very clear that our department will not be a good fit for the interviewee those issues become less relevant.

[drangie]

Is it appropriate to ask faculty (during lunch, say, or informal interviews) about where faculty live/schools, etc. in the area?  I definitely need this kind of info to make a decision, but would it be best to keep things strictly professional and not get into family-talk at a campus interview? 

It is both appropriate and necessary to ask these questions, since you don't want to go too far down the road with a job that you won't be able to take.  And an interview committee that is closely following the rules about what you can and can't ask a candidate may avoid spouse/children issues--questions about spousal employment issues can be construed as a way of asking about marital status, which is not allowed.  However, you are welcome to bring these topics up, at which point the committee may discuss them with you.

[conjugate]

Is it appropriate to ask faculty (during lunch, say, or informal interviews) about where faculty live/schools, etc. in the area?  I definitely need this kind of info to make a decision, but would it be best to keep things strictly professional and not get into family-talk at a campus interview? 

It is both appropriate and necessary to ask these questions, since you don't want to go too far down the road with a job that you won't be able to take.  And an interview committee that is closely following the rules about what you can and can't ask a candidate may avoid spouse/children issues--questions about spousal employment issues can be construed as a way of asking about marital status, which is not allowed.  However, you are welcome to bring these topics up, at which point the committee may discuss them with you.

Yes, exactly.  I have had committees that said, "We don't know if this is appropriate or not, but just in case you're interested, the local schools are...."  This was a way of giving me information that would influence my decision without asking me about my marital status or presence of children.  So ask, or as suggested above, talk to a real estate agent about it.

[day_dreamer]

in my interview I asked them about the best schools etc. But the university has great regulations for families so they were trying to talk about it, I got the message and asked them! they were so happy to talk about how that is a great place to have a family. watch the signs, they will let you know!

[larryc]

We would welcome such questions. It shows you are serious about the position.

[wrausaw]

Everyone that has posted has offered some great advice and I definately agree that you should not be afraid to bring the subject of area schools in an informal setting.  The best time to ask would be at lunch, since it is usually the most informal of the meals on the interview itinerary.  Since it is unprofessional, and in some instances illegal, to ask or probe you for information about your personal life, bringing this into conversation is totally up to you.  If you have the chance to meet up with the HR director to speak about benefits and such, you can mention that you are interested in learning more about the school district(s) and he/she should have some info for you in the form of conversation, printed materials, or phone numbers.  I served on three SCs for executive administrator positions when I was an undergrad and most of the women that applied for those positions gave some information in their cover letter that indicated they had families.  If this is you, don't worry about bringing it into conversation.  The SC members expect it to come up at some point, and if you do bring it up, it shows that you are really interested in the position.  Don't fret too much about this.  Good luck!!

[athena1]

JMO, but I wouldn't mention kids/family. I think it hurt me in my first go-round. Now, I'm on the market again and plan not to mention my 2 kids, however, I had "informal" calls from 2 faculty members at one institution and the first time, my 5-yr-old answered the phone (plus he mentioned that my doc advisor whom he'd spoken to said I had kids) and the other one could hear the kids in the background and asked about them (she was also a mom). So, in the end, they may know anyway. . .

[case_insensitive]

I don't have children and have know my single status has been a turn on in some interviews (single people aren't stable you know...)... however, asking about schools is a good way to learn about the city and neighborhoods and property values as well as the schools themselves. These are perfectly reasonable questions whether you have children or not.

Good luck!

c i

[case_insensitive]

too many typos - must get sleep....


I don't have children and know my single status has been a turn off in some interviews (single people aren't stable you know...)... however, asking about schools is a good way to learn about the city and neighborhoods and property values as well as the schools themselves. These are perfectly reasonable questions whether you have children or not.

Good luck!

c i

[eddean]

I am an education dean so children are a form of job security for my faculty. The suggestion above that this is a reasonable lunch time conversation is a good one. I ask the search committee to arrange different groups of 2-3 to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with the candidate. This gives the candidate a chance to ask important questions that do not always fit in the formal interview. We also ask the candidate if they would like a realtor to show them the area. They can have conversations that the search committee members simply cannot and should not have with the candidate at this point in the search.