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[docmaa]

I have submitted my PhD although the viva will not be until November. I have applied for a few Lecturer positions and having not heard anything from some of the schools since the application closed 2 weeks ago, i assumed i was not shortlisted. I have an interview in Cambridge on Friday and am  preparing  for this as they want a 10 minute presentation followed by a formal interview.

I also have another interview scheduled next week in case i am not successful at this one  but remain also optimistic.

Today i received an email from Imperial inviting me for an interview on Thursday. Is it unusual for them to send an invitation a few days before the interview. The other two universities gave me at  least a week notice.

I am now stressed because i have to change my travel plans to include accommodation to be in London for the interview on Thursday.

my last question is can anyone give some suggestions on what to expect during the formal portion of the interview.
Thanks.

[expatinuk]

can anyone give some suggestions on what to expect during the formal portion of the interview.
Thanks.

I've found that every interview is different. Read the job and person specification before you go to the interview and re-read your application to refresh what you wrote. Don't obsess.

[drspouse]

Is it unusual for them to send an invitation a few days before the interview. The other two universities gave me at  least a week notice.

I was away and HR didn't read my out-of-office reply, but I got an email on Weds night (which should have been Thursday morning except I checked when I got home) inviting me for an interview on Friday for my current job. They were able to put me off till Monday (only because they had another candidate coming that day), but no further.

[oddlyodd]

Congratulations on getting the interviews - the job market is very thin at the moment.

There's no 'normal' period of time between shortlisting and inviting to interview: it all depends on internal processes, which of course vary by institution. It must be annoying to change your travel plans, but at least Cambridge is only a 1 hr train ride from London.

As others have said, don't obsess too much about the interviews. If you're applying for a teaching post, they may ask you about your teaching philosophy, but it is more likely that the majority of questions will be about your research (especially as the 'Research Excellence Framework' is coming up in a couple of years). Be prepared to talk succinctly about the main findings of your PhD (there will probably be a non-expert on the panel) and future plans for publications, applying for funding grants etc.