I applied for a junior lectureship position in Ecological Science a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I didn’t get the job, but the experience forced me to think about who I am as a researcher, what my strengths are, and also what my goals should be if I want to be successful on the next application.
As part of the interview process I had to prepare a 20 minute presentation on:
Your research strengths and future ambitions, how your research profile presents opportunities for developing impact and knowledge exchange, and in what ways you foresee yourself contributing to existing research communities in the Institute, School and wider University.
I also had to prepare a 10 minute presentation followed by a 30 minute discussion on teaching. The brief was (paraphrased):
How you would approach designing, delivering and assessing a field-based course for first year undergraduates on core field skills for ecologists.
The course would be taught over 10 days in late May-early June with day visits to surrounding habitats. Plan for 65 students on the course.
Include an overview with a syllabus, learning outcomes, methods of delivery, formative and summative assessment, and your approach to feedback.
Finally, I did a normal question-based interview.
I have decided to make the two presentations available online: