How To Give an Amazing Academic Job Talk

Giving a job talk can be stressful. You know that landing a job can hinge on how well you are able to deliver it. But, even if you give a solid (read — average) job talk, that’s not necessarily going to cut it. I always tell anyone in this position to assume that everyone else will give at least a decent job talk.

The trick then becomes this: How do you give an amazing job talk that separates you from the pack?

#1: Create a Catchphrase

Create a short, actionable, and memorable statement about your talk. Keep it in the range of three-five words. Yes, it’s ok if you go a bit beyond that, but try to keep it around three-five.

Here’s the thing: Most people are not going to remember the bulk of what you said in your talk. They might kinda sorts remember bits and pieces of it. Your catchphrase allows them to latch on to a phrase that they can remember later on and use when discussing your talk with others.

For example, the last time I gave a job talk my catchphrase was “Tell Their Stories.” I wove this into my talk very early on (it was even in the title), and then I would come back to it periodically as needed. I also made sure it was in my final statement.

No one is going to remember the major details of my talk. But they can remember “Tell Their Stories.” If they can remember the catchphrase, then that phrase should trigger other details about my talk they can share with others.

*Related Video: What To Expect When You Give a Job Talk *

#2: Have An Idea Worth Sharing

Yes, this is very TED talk-ish. You want to share something with your audience that makes it worth their time showing up for. You also want to make sure that you idea extends from your catchphrase.

For example, my catchphrase of “Tell Their Stories” was expanded into the following idea:

How do I tell the stories of others, in ethical and equitable ways, that helps society?

I considered how, as researchers, we are telling the stories of other people with our data. This is the question I want my audience thinking about as they go with me through my job talk. Now, I was still presenting a study, sharing data, and discussing findings. The catchphrase and question (my idea worth sharing) take it up to the next level by giving my audience a bigger issue to consider, and one that is relevant to their lives.

Your audience is going to vary in terms of their background and what they do research in. They won’t all be in your field. The catchphrase and idea worth sharing can help people with varying research backgrounds connect to your work.

#3: Package Your Talk As A Story

This one may seem a little less obvious. You’re still giving a job talk. How do you take components like a theoretical framework and data collection and present them as a story?

The truth is, there are going to be some parts of a job talk that might be a bit dry. However, what I work to do is embed a story around these parts.

For example, in my last job talk I shared my journey as a researcher within the project I was discussing. This required me to shift how I framed my talk. So instead of saying, “Here’s my framework, here’s my research question, here are my findings,” and so on I now framed it as, “Here’s what I learned about what it means to share the stories of others through data.” Again, how I frame my story has to align with my catchphrase and my idea worth sharing.

Why These Components Matter

Within this, you are still sharing all the regular components of a job talk. However, you are now framing it in such a way that:

• people are more likely to remember you
• most anyone at your talk will be able to connect with you
• your talk will elevate you to stand out amongst the other applicants

Adding these three components in takes time, but it is time worth doing.

What questions do you have about giving an outstanding job talk? Leave them below in the comments.

Looking for help landing your dream job? Check out Get Ready For The Academic Job Market: Tips & Tools to Land Your Dream Job.