Dennis Barden, senior vice president at the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, has identified a ‘top ten list’ of mistakes made by aspiring university president, provost and dean candidates.
- Mistake 10 – Eschewing graciousness.
- Mistake 9 – Not dressing the part.
- Mistake 8 – Overzealousness in showing your stuff.
- Mistake 7 – Handing out material during the interview.
- Mistake 6 – Excessive seriousness … or excessive levity.
- Mistake 5 – Ignoring the obvious.
- Mistake 4 – Telling the search-committee members what the candidate thinks they want to hear.
- Mistake 3 – Not signaling a desire for the job.
- Mistake 2 – Talking, talking, and then more talking.
- Mistake 1 – Not acting like a leader.
The complete article can be found in the Chronicle of Higher Education (Bardin, D., ‘Not Dressing the Part, and Other Interview Mistakes’, May 13, 2013). Be sure to read the comments at the end of the article where readers provide additional mistakes such as:
- Additional Mistake 3 – Not writing a follow-up thank you note/email.
- Additional Mistake 2 – Being snotty to the secretary/receptionist.
- Additional Mistake 1 – Gentlemen, check to see that your fly is in the upright and locked position!
For two vignettes of job interview mistakes, please read the following post “Academic Search Campus Visit – Mistakes to Avoid”.
– from the pen of Dr. Percy Trappe
The Academic Anchor 
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