You’ve interviewed on campus; now it’s a waiting game. Use this time to rest, get ready for your next interview, work on your dissertation, etc.

Things to Do

• Send handwritten thank you notes almost immediately after your visit. Make sure to include everyone that you met, and don’t forget to send notes to students and to professional staff. In a separate, typed letter, send in for reimbursement any expenses that you incurred during your trip. In your letter to the search chair, express your appreciation for the campus visit and your continued interest in the position. If you are no longer interested in the position, say so. [Alternate view: only write a thank you letter to the search chair.] Send thank you notes even if the institution was not a good match and you are sure to turn down any offer that’s proffered. Doing so shows that you know the norms of polite society. Most likely you will see some people from that institution again, especially at conferences, and you don’t want them to remember you as being impolite.
• If you’re offered the job and are waiting for other offers, be honest. The search chair likely will provide a deadline for your decision.
• Again, be patient with the search process; it may be a very long time after you interview before you hear from anyone. Colleges and universities often are on lengthy timelines when it comes to hiring, and timelines often get extended through no fault of search committees. While you are waiting to hear from an institution, gather any additional information that you need in case you receive an offer.
• Share with your professors the details about your visit to campus.
• Rest up and prepare for your next interview. Revise your presentation, your handouts, your questions for the next institution, etc. Have your interview clothes dry cleaned. Remember that if you were invited to interview once, chances are good that you will be invited by other institutions as well.

Things to Avoid

• Don’t burn any bridges. You will see these people again, at conferences, in collaborative work groups, etc. You also never know who knows whom. Remember that this is a relatively small professional field.
• Don’t count a job out until you hear from an institution that the search is closed. Recognize, however, that unfortunately some institutions will not be polite enough to ever inform you of the result of their search.

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