The research talk I gave to ace the job interview and successfully land a postdoc offer had only about 30 slides. In a way, it was quite minimal and delivered with a lot of confidence. I gave this talk over Skype during the Michigan State University interview with the professor who would hire me.

The whole call/job interview lasted for nearly two hours. The length of this talk worked well for me as it allowed enough time to transition from giving this talk and answering research questions to asking questions about the role and what I would be doing at the institution, in this case, Michigan State University. The overall interview went well and turned into more of a conversation – that is always a good sign.

This postdoc position was particularly well-suited to my interests and the closest one to what I was doing already for my Ph.D. research work while also being a different experiment which would add breadth to my knowledge in particle astrophysics. So, although a pretty cold application, I thought it went well at the job interview.

I got an offer! So, I share this job talk template in my book as an example of a successful job talk given at an interview. I hope it helps to give you an idea of what it takes. I have been sharing content from the book on this blog itself, so stay tuned here if you are not getting the book. Either way, I will keep you posted.

It might be surprising that the research talk at this job interview was not too long nor too technical. Keep in mind that you are representing your field as a whole at the job interview, not just showing all of the technical work you have done in all its gory detail.

Speak with confidence about the field, where the research of your field, in general, stands right now, while also highlighting important contributions that you have made leading to game-changing results. That is what it takes to get a job offer.

Lastly, believe in yourself and your work. You need to believe that you deserve to be awarded an opportunity to do the research that you want to do. Be optimistic and excited about the work you want to do.

Recognize the importance of your work, the contributions you have made to your field, and then practice explaining the same. Having good ideas is not enough, working hard is not enough.

YOU are enough, though. You have done good work. Leverage this and connect it to your next opportunity to be awarded the same. As you know, academic opportunities are not abundant.

To have a better chance of actually getting an opportunity, make as many connections as you can between your current work and the next opportunity, whether in terms of network or the type of work that you have done.

In your research statement, or job talk, or anytime during the interview, build a case for why you are well-placed to make strong contributions in this next opportunity. If there is funding, this should lead to your dream postdoc.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.