University academic job talk practice interview
Presenting a coherent research contribution and answering questions on methods, teaching and future academic direction. Practise the 6 questions the real interviewer asks with follow-ups. Paid plans add scored feedback on every answer.
Free with an Intaviu account: 320 credits a month, at 10 credits a minute of practice. Private: interview creators never see them.
- 20 minutes
- 6 questions
- Scored feedback on paid plans
About this interview
An academic job talk allows a university audience to assess both the research and the person presenting it. The discussion tests the clarity and significance of your contribution, how you respond to scholarly challenge and whether you can build a credible programme of research and teaching.
How to prepare
- Build the talk around one clear question, argument and contribution.
- Remove specialist detail that does not help the audience follow the reasoning.
- Rehearse to time and check that every visual can be read from the back of a room.
- List the strongest objections, alternative explanations and limits before practising questions.
- Connect your future research and teaching to the department's broad needs without inventing a fit.
Common mistakes
- Trying to present an entire research career in one talk.
- Using dense slides as a script.
- Becoming defensive when an audience member questions the method.
- Describing future work without a clear question or feasible route.
What to expect
A real mock interview
6 questions the way the real interviewer asks, with follow-ups when an answer needs more.
Spoken, like the real thing
Speak your answers in your browser or the free desktop app, with live captions. You can ask the interviewer to repeat anything.
Scored on 5 areas
The things this interview weighs most. With a paid plan, your report shows how you did on each one.
A private report
On Plus, Pro and Premium: every answer scored, your strongest lines quoted and what to say differently next time. Interview creators never see it.
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