‘The Division of History, Heritage and Politics wishes to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced Grade 7/8 Lecturer in International Politics. International Politics is a core element of our interdisciplinary research in relation to politics and policy, including human rights, justice, climate, energy, resource conflict, sustainable development, international security, and health. The appointee will pursue a programme of research, including research outputs and funding applications, in that context. In particular, we seek applicants who can contribute to research relating to theoretical approaches to International Politics. We are open to applicants with regional specialisms (such as Africa, Europe, Americas, or Asia). We also welcome a critical focus on gendered and racialised dimensions of international politics.
… We seek to appoint to an open-ended contract from 1 August 2024’.
I am one of the pre-interview contacts. To speak with someone with more expertise in International Politics, please email Professor Andrea Schapper andrea.schapper@stir.ac.uk
These are my personal thoughts on that process, which blend background information and some helpful advice. These notes are also there to address a potentially major imbalance in the informal side to recruitment: if you do not have the contacts and networks that help give you the confidence to seek information (on the things not mentioned in the further particulars), here is the next best thing: the information I would otherwise give you on the phone.
Here are some general tips on the application and interview processes.
The application process:
- At this stage, the main documents are the CV and the cover letter.
- You should keep the cover letter short to show your skills at concise writing (I suggest 1-page, but others may seek something a little longer). Focus on what you can offer the Division specifically, given the nature of our call, the further particulars, and the detailed ‘Description of duties’ in the main advert.
- Lecturers will be competing with many people who have completed a PhD and have some publications – so what makes your CV stand out?
- We take teaching very seriously. Within our division, we plan an overall curriculum together, discuss regularly if it is working, and come to agreements about how to teach and assess work. We pride ourselves on being a small and friendly bunch of people, open to regular student contact and, for example, committed to meaningful and regular feedback.
- You might think generally about how you would contribute to teaching and learning in that context. In particular, you should think about how, for example, you would deliver large undergraduate modules (in which you may only be an expert on some of the material) as well as the smaller, more specialist and advanced, modules closer to your expertise. However, please also note that your main initial contribution is specific (as follows) and that you are expected to have some grasp of theories of international politics (or theories of IR):
‘The appointee will contribute to our successful Masters Programme — International Conflict and Cooperation (ICC) — and BA programmes in International Politics, as well as doctoral and dissertation supervision. An ability to contribute to introductory undergraduate modules, as well as design and deliver an advanced undergraduate and ICC module, is essential. The ability to teach qualitative or quantitative research methods is welcome. The appointee will also undertake administrative duties as prescribed by the Head of Division’.
The interview process
The deadline for applications is mid-February, and the interviews are scheduled for March 1st (subject to change), so you should know by then if you will be invited for interview.
The interview stage
By the interview stage, here are the things that you should normally know:
- The teaching and research specialisms of the division and their links to cross-divisional research.
- The kinds of modules that the division would expect you to teach.
Perhaps most importantly, you need to be able to articulate why you want to come and work at Stirling. ‘Why Stirling?’ or ‘Why this division?’ is usually the first question in an interview, so you should think about it in advance. We recommend doing some research on Stirling and the division/ faculty, to show in some detail that you have a considered reply (beyond the usual ‘it is a beautiful campus’ and ‘I need a job’). Since it is the first question, your answer will set the tone for the rest of the interview. You might check, for example, who you might share interests with in the Division, and how you might develop links beyond the division or faculty, since this is likely to be a featured question too.
- Then you might think about what you would bring to the University in a wider sense, such as through well-established (domestic and international) links with other scholars in academic networks.
- Further, since ‘impact’ is of rising importance, you might discuss your links with people and organisations outside of the University, and how you have pursued meaningful engagement with the public or practitioners to maximise the wider contribution of your research.
The interview format
For open-ended contracts, we tend to combine (a) presentations to divisional staff in the morning, with (b) interviews in the afternoon. They will be in person if possible (but Teams if need be). The usual expectation is that if you can’t make the date, you can’t get the job. In addition:
- We recommend keeping the presentation compact, to show that you can present complex information in a concise and clear way. Presentations are usually a mix of what you do in research and what you will contribute in a wider sense to the University. Please note that most of your interview panel will not attend the presentation, so treat them as two different exercises/ audiences and don’t worry about repeating yourself (rather, you should repeat the points that you think are most important).
- The interview panel format at this level will have four members: one subject specialist – Professor Schapper – plus our Head of Division, Dean of Faculty , and a senior academic in another Faculty.
- Since only 1 members of your panel will be a specialist in International Politics, you need to describe your success in a way that a wider audience will appreciate. For example, you would have to explain the significance of a single-author article in the top-rated journal in your field.
It sounds daunting, but we are a friendly bunch and want you to do well. You might struggle to retain all of our names (nerves), so focus on the types of question we ask – for example, the general question to get you started will be from the senior manager, and the research question from the subject specialist. Our 4-person panels tend to be gender balanced (although this one will be 3 women, 1 man) but are often all-white panels. I hope that you can see other more useful signals about our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in this and other materials relevant to the post.
We are happy to answer your questions, via email in the first instance: andrea.schapper@stir.ac.uk and p.a.cairney@stir.ac.uk . Perhaps you should ask Professor Schapper but copy me in.
Paul Cairney: Politics & Public Policy 