A new academic describes arriving uncertain and intimidated, then getting mentored by an experienced chairperson who reviewed materials, gave feedback, ran mock interviews, and explained what chairs actually look for. The guidance transformed their confidence.
You know, one of the things that was also intimidating is, okay, you get here, but yet you're stuck. What do you do? And so I was a little bit embarrassed by that, but I think for him there was a sense of ease that I felt. It was exactly what I needed. As soon as we started, I basically turned over everything that I had, and he gave me some feedback on that specifically, which was really helpful. Offered me different perspectives, and that part was really important because it's not just assistance in the dark, but because Because he had chaired and understood from the mindset of a chairperson, he could really give me input that I otherwise wouldn't have. I had his time, I had his ear, and he had the experience to be able to really help me in terms of understanding what my chair was looking for, what to expect. I had the opportunity to have mock interviews when I was ready to present.
