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[87735501111]

Hi everyone,
I have done a few searches, and although have gotten some interesting tidbits about visas, university culture and taxes, I haven't run across anything that gives an overview of the Australian hiring process and timeline. Can someone please speak to this or give me the link I haven't so far found?

Specifically, I was wondering whether it was the same as the UK, with a cattle call interview on the same day? A process that basically takes 2 months max? Or is it more like the protracted US process? Do I need to show extra interest so they don't think this is just some lame practice interview for me, or would that be offensive?

Any other pointers on interviewing in Australia as a US PhD would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[highway61]

I have applied for 4 Oz academic jobs and in each case it was this:

• send the letter of application (making sure you cover each of the criteria in a bullet point or whatever--NOT like the US 2-page summary)
• Get invited to interview. Two of these were in person on campus and I was expected to cover transport (though once I was put up in a hotel near campus for a night). The other two were phone interviews. Did not meet any other candidates when on campus. The interviews were very straightforward (I'm in humanities): Tell us about your research, your teaching, what makes you want the job. Nothing difficult.
• Wait for word. The two times I got the offer, the call was immediate. Well, one was the next morning but they told me later they'd tried back an hour after the interview, when I was on a run. The other time I missed the first call because I was on the subway into town after the interview.
• And that was it.

I did this all from within Australia, but at least once, the most recent time, I know that the other 3 finalists were overseas and they were interviewed via phone. I suspect they'd do Skype these days.

[bill_childs]

i submitted my Vita, a few weeks later they emailed my references (telling me they were going to do so), next was the skype a few days later, and in the next few weeks they are flying me over from the US for a campus interview (they paying, not me---with hotel and flight, about 3 grand).  So with the exception of the (understandable) skype call, it is the same as the US thus far. 

[87735501111]

Thanks everyone!
Looks like we have divergent practices, from n=2. Although maybe I should ask - Bill, was this for a senior position? Maybe that accounts for the difference.

I am definitely interested in other people's experiences as well, if they are willing to share.

[bill_childs]

Senior Lecturer, but it was the same for new people.  They gave me an offer on the last day.  Much faster than the US (for me anyway).

[totoro]

I'm now a full professor in Australia at a Go8 university in social sciences. I've applied for plenty of jobs here both from outside the country and inside and been on search committees including right now. Usually we do interviews on different days here at this university but at two universities in Brisbane and one search here all the candidates were there on the same day like in Britain, in one case we met up and in another I didn't see anyone else. But an interview will never last more than a day unlike the US. There is always a formal interview with the full search committee as well as a seminar of varying length. Only once was I taken to dinner (in the economics department here which has a lot of US applicants and grads on its faculty - they also spent the whole day getting me to meet people). In the two cases where I was actually offered a job it happened immediately after the interview. But it will depend if there are more candidates to interview still and how much debate there is. In one case I was rejected by phone the next day. Right now we've been debating for almost 2 weeks whether to make someone an offer. What can take a long time is the gap between advertising and the deadline and between the deadline and the interviews. The latter usually seems to take 2 months at least at my current university. Mainly because people travel a lot and it is hard to coordinate all of the SC to be in one place. All committees always have someone from outside the department and may have the Dean or even pro-vice-chancellor (like a provost) in some senior searches. I've never been ask to fund the trip myself. We are used to paying to interview overseas candidates at least here. I'll be happy to answer any other questions.

[87735501111]

Thanks! This is all very helpful.

[totoro]

I was on search committees when I lived previously in Australia and things seemed to proceed very informally as far as short-listing candidates went. So I'm on my first committee here a decade later at the short-listing stage. We have a "short-listing form" which asks whether the candidate meets the criteria. Each candidate now has next to them "meets most criteria", or "meets all criteria" and then in another column "does not meet criterion 3" etc. So they take this very seriously in deriving a short-list. At least at this Go8 university. So the main thing is to show in your statement whether you meet the criteria or not. Probably lengthy examples aren't going to be that useful.

[pintu56]

Hi All,

I hope someone can shed their opinions on where I am in the process for a level B hiring. I list the steps below in chronological order. Needless to say the wait is torturous.

- submitted application (2 months ago)
- short listed for interview
- video conference interview with panel
- referee reports sought and received
- informed that there might be multiple appointments
- was told to anticipate decision before xmas
- appointing officer informed before xmas that the formal process is not complete, however "I am one of the strongest candidates"
- an ex-colleague who also applied to the post received a rejection email (after video interview, no referee reports sought).

[scampster]

It sounds promising, but you can't know. Maybe the delay is administrative, maybe it is because they chose someone else and are negotiating with them (but they haven't officially accepted the offer).

[pintu56]

thanks for the reply. I too have a feeling that there has been an offer to another candidate. Administrative delays might be a possibility - the recruiting officer was abroad and only arrived a few days before the end year break. In any case I hope there is an option of multiple appointments.

Will post an update on the thread as soon as I find out.

[ochreluna13]

Hi, all.  I'm in the process of accepting a position at an Australian university (currently in US) and it has been painfully slow over the break as everyone including HR was out until 1/3 and then most folks are still out until 1/9...  so I would not worry too much if you've not heard anything... 

My interview process went very quickly.  1. application 2. scheduled phone interview within 2 weeks of due date 3. phone interview (told me they would tell me in 2 weeks, which was just before Christmas) 4. offer letter received 12/21 via email (1/3 by snail mail) 5. no one in office until 1/3, so been pretty slow since then, but did accept offer, working on start date.

Maybe I'll see some of you on the other side... 

[pintu56]

the recruiting officer said i will be contacted at the start of next year, so I too am assuming people are still on vacations.

[scampster]

I'm amazed by how many Australian schools make the hire with only a phone/Skype interview! I had two Australian interviews last year and one was hiring from the phone interviews and the other did the phone interview and then flew me over for a campus interview (which was UK-style). I thought the first was the anomaly but it appears that the second is.

Pintu, don't give up hope yet! This time of year really is tricky.

[pintu56]

thanks for the encouraging words, the number of scenarios explaining the situation are really endless :-) keeping my fingers crossed for a positive outcome.