1. Why do you want to work here?

Bad answer: Because I desperately need a job, stupid!'

This is a tough one. What they are asking for is some thoughts on what you have seen and heard about the way they do things that make you want to work for them. The
emphasis in the question is on the word here'. So, to answer this question you need to know a lot about the university and the department. Look at the person specification for
the job. If they are obviously looking for someone who is a good teacher rather than an international researcher, answer this question by prioritising teaching.

Good Answer: I wanted to move to an institution like this that prioritises good teaching practice and dedicated pastoral care of students. I believe I can offer this because of [x
and y examples of experience from your previous career].

2. What makes you different from the other candidates?

Bad answer: Um, they all seem to be much more confident and professional than me and I am very intimidated'

This question is not requesting that you attack the character of your fellow candidates or compare yourself negatively to them. It is short-hand for why should we hire you?' or
why are you special?' Again think about the person specification and make sure you know what sort of academic they are looking for. Tailor your own responses to that as much
as possible. Make sure you give examples from your own history to support your assertions. So, for example, if it is an up and coming department looking for a high-flying
researcher to boost their reputation, emphasise your role in this. If there is anything you do that makes you stand out, for example a skill or area of experience, mention that
here too.

Good answer: Although I am an all-rounder and could contribute to departmental life in many ways, I know that I have the international research profile that you are looking for.
[Go on to give details of books and articles written, prizes won etc.]

I also think I am unique in that I have direct experience of running online courses and would be happy to take a lead on introducing that here if colleagues were interested.

3. What are your plans for research?

Bad answer: Not sure. I have been so caught up with trying to find work that I haven't thought about it.'

This question is obviously asking you to look forward to the future, so drawing up one year, five year and ten year research plans is helpful before going into an interview. (If you
are completing a PhD and looking for your first job this might sound a little excessive, but believe me, it will make you stand out and be taken seriously). They will not just want
to hear about the topics you wish to cover but will crucially be interested in two other areas: research funding and your output (i.e. publications). As well as telling them about
your exciting projects, tell them how you're going to pay for them (which grants you will apply for) and what published benefits there will be in concrete terms. Aim high at this
point; you don't want to sell yourself short. You can write that monograph or get an article into a world-renowned journal. The scope of your ambition will help to sell you as the
ideal candidate here, so don't worry about sounding arrogant.

Good answer: in the next year I will be finishing up the revisions on my manuscript for x book which is due for publication on x date. I have several other projects on the go that
I wish to pursue after that [give details]; if my funding applications to the x and y grant bodies are successful I should be able to see those projects to publication by [give date].'

4. What courses could you offer to teach?

Bad answer: I am so desperate for a job that I will teach anything you ask me to'.

You want to seem keen and flexible and show that you are happy to fit in with the department's teaching requirements but they also want to hear about new courses that you
would like to offer. In order to answer this question you need to look at the department's current undergraduate curriculum. That way you can be sure the courses you have
invented will fit in with what they offer now. So if the department already has a course on Nazi Germany, do not propose to offer a new one. You have to be careful here: do not
let your creativity run away with you. If you do get the job, your new colleagues might say I loved that course you proposed in your interview, can you run it next year?'

Make sure you suggest something that you could feasibly teach, preferably based on your previous experience. Think about whether you would offer it in the first, second or
third year, and briefly state what some of your teaching exercises and assessment strategies might be. If you can make use of technology then mention that too.

Good answer: I would be happy to contribute to some of the existing courses you run, such as x and y but I also have a few ideas of my own that I feel would appeal to
students in the x year of their education. [Describe the course] I feel that it would fit into your curriculum particularly well because it complements your other courses in x field but
is unique because it covers an earlier time period or uses different resources [examples].

5. How would you contribute to the administration of the department?

Bad answer: Don't you dare find me a time-consuming admin job to do. That's not why I became an academic!'

Here they want you to talk about your past admin experience if you have any, and to show your enthusiasm for this side of things! Fake it if you have to. Pretending that you are
desperate to become the new admissions officer will help you to get the job if that's what they are looking for. If you have experience of running your own courses, managing an
entire programme, or doing a specific administrative task then mention that. If you can, give an example of a contribution or innovation that you instituted in that role. If you are
at the very start of your career then simply show even more enthusiasm and emphasise the transferable skills that are vital in these roles, i.e. being efficient, well-organised and
a good communicator.

Good answer: I look forward to having the opportunity to fully contributing to the life of the department. I have a special interest in the area of admissions/ exams/head of year
etc'. I had some experience in this role at my last institution and realised that I have the skills necessary to do it well [name them] and actually implemented changes to their
policy on x. However, I realise the need for flexibility here and would happily take on the challenge of any administration role that would suit my level of expertise.

============================
1) Why do you want this job?
It's amazing how many people struggle to give sensible answers, which creates
a dreadful impression particularly if it's the opening question. Prepare
your response, which needs to be confident, specific, and well structured.
For example, "There are three main reasons why I see myself as a good fit for
this role".
When it comes to the content, avoid being generic (saying the same as
everyone else). And don't sound selfish: the panel want to know how they will
benefit from having you on their team as much as, if not more than, how you
will benefit.

2) What's your best paper?

This might be your highest-impact paper, but it doesn't have to be. What
counts is that you give a sound rationale for your choice. Perhaps you're
proudest of the paper which marks a transitional moment in your research or
your career. Or perhaps it's the paper that you know had a direct, positive
impact on someone else's work. It doesn't matter, as long as you've thought it
through.

3) Why do you work on X? Surely, Y is more

important
Try not to interpret this sort of question as an attack. Fundamentally,
interviewers want you to address their concerns. You work on gibbons I
work on gorillas, so how is your work relevant to mine? You study
Shakespeare I study Marlowe, so what can I learn from you?
Take a structured approach: "Let me break that question down into two.
The reason why X is an important topic is []. I understand that what Y is
trying to achieve is []. What I think that the two studies have in common,
therefore, is []."

4) What will you do if something goes wrong?

What happens if your hypothesis is wrong? Your experiments fail? You can't
get access to the archive you need? Your grant is unsuccessful? Don't pretend
that your research is impervious to failure. Doing so will probably come across
as denial or, worse, a lack of self-awareness. What matters is how you
handle setbacks, and how you plan to overcome predictable hiccups.

5) Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?

Lots of people tackle this question by naming the job title which they hope to
have attained, for example: "10 years from now, I want to be a professor." This
is OK (provided you can explain how you intend to get there), but it's awfully
predictable. Think about achievements rather than status. This
question also gives you an opportunity to show that you have a vision for
where your field is going. What's the next big question that, in a decade's time,
you expect to be working on, or even to have solved?

6) How does your work fit with the

group/department/university?
Interviewers don't recruit candidates who see themselves in solipsistic
isolation. So, based on all your preparatory research into this employer,
identify the specific ways that your work aligns with their needs and priorities.
Think about: particular specialisms, research clusters, possible collaborations,
undergraduate or graduate curricula, interdisciplinary links with other

departments, outreach initiatives, etc. Don't turn this into a conceptual answer
ground what you say in a couple ofspecific, tangible examples.

7) Describe a course or topic that you would teach

Too many candidates talk about prospective teaching as if its value were
entirely self-evident, or they simply lean on the intrinsic intellectual interest of
the topic. Instead, think in terms of outcomes and learning objectives,
because evaluation is integral to good teaching. What will the students get out
of the course? What work will you set, and how will it be assessed? What skills
will they acquire? How will it complement the rest of their studies?

8) What does collegiality mean to you?

Panels are recruiting someone to work alongside themselves or other
members of their institution, so it shouldn't be a surprise that working
relationships are on interviewers' minds. In truth, some people are simply
not good colleagues. So, what kind of a colleague do you intend to be? How are
you going to help others to be successful?

9) If we offered you this job, would you accept it?

This isn't a trick question, and the best response isn't necessarily just to say
yes, without hesitation. There are innumerable factors that could have a
bearing on what you might say, not least the vexed issue of waiting to hear
back about other applications. But let's not assume that being honest is always
a bad thing. The crucial point is that, before you get in the room, you
should take time to think through whether you would accept the job,
and to discuss it with peers and mentors.

10) Do you have any questions for us?

This will almost certainly come up and is generally taken as a measure of how
interested you are in the role. You should therefore be prepared with a
couple of questions. Bad types of question to ask are: essentially selfish
(e.g. asking about benefits, annual leave, sabbatical entitlement); ill-informed
(i.e. things you could have found out for yourself if you'd spent a few minutes
on the employer's website); or downright naive (e.g. "Would you say that
the Research Excellence Framework is important to this department?").

Steve Joy is careers adviser for research staff in the arts, humanities, and
social sciences at the University of Cambridge follow him on
Twitter @EarlyCareerBlog
Do you have any tips to add? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Looking
for your next university role? Browse Guardian jobs for hundreds
of the latest academic, administrative and research posts.