Interview
How many of you require that an applicant send beforehand a written essay as part of the interviewing process?
At least in my field (Audio Engineering), a written essay wouldn't be very helpful. It would be better to get any personal anecdotes that would be written through a personal interaction, considering how important that personal interaction is in the day to day work that we do.
We do not require a written essay. We look more into the verbal skills.
We do not require that an applicant submit a written essay as part of the interview process. At our school it is not very necessary. However, I think it is a good idea when appropriate.
Because written communication is an important aspect of teaching, I believe it is important to request that applicants provide a writing sample of some sort. A writing sample will be indicative of the applicants ability to organize thoughts and clearly communicate information in a professional manner.
I don't ask applicants for an essay; rather I ask them to respond to some sample student emails to gauge their tone.
I will request the essay but I have to concern other matters of the applicant like subjects that he is going to teach, or if he is referred by staff/ faculty that I trust.
This is requested if I need more info to evaluate the applicant.
Hello Richard,
I think your scenerio provides insight for you into your candidates critical thinking skill set. I like this idea.
Hello J,
We do not require an applicant submit a written essay. I can definitely see how it would be helpful. I've hired individuals before, not necessarily faculty, who put simply cannot write a simply sentence. (grammar, punctuality, misspellings)
I would not require an essay due to the fact that there is no proof that the applicant actually wrote the essay. It sounds like a great idea, but the applicant would need to write the essay during the interview visit. Otherwise, it would not satisfy the purpose of having the essay.
I have never used this technique as a part of the interviewing process. Just think, a candidate can get anyone to write a really impressive essay and submit it as if he or she wrote it. Some people will go to great extremes to get an interview.
