First Audition? How to Apply for Professorships

The workshop is designed to provide you with information about the most important phases of the appointment procedure for W1 to W3 professorships in Germany as well as concrete advice for your applications.

Format

This event takes place in a blended learning format. You will be given access to a self-study video (3 hours 45 minutes) in advance, in which all essential content on the topic of "Applying for (junior) professorships" is presented in detail. The video first deals with the procedure and formal aspects of the appointment process. Then all the necessary application documents (especially CV, cover letter, concepts) are discussed in detail and illustrated in part with sample materials. In the third part, the expectations and requirements in the hearing with the appointment committee as well as important preparation steps are discussed. You will receive tips and short demonstrations on how to structure your scientific presentation and teaching demonstration. In addition, the most frequently asked questions and topics in the committee interview are presented.

Accompanying Task

Preparation of a 3-minute presentation to introduce your own profile.

Group Session

In the group sessions, there is first of all the opportunity to clarify any remaining questions about applying for professorships. Afterwards, all participants give their prepared 3-minute presentation to introduce their own profile and receive feedback from the participants and the lecturer. This allows you to practice important aspects of the application process (e.g. introduction to the scientific presentation, committee interview). Finally, the interview with the committee is discussed separately. Here you will answer some typical questions from committee interviews and also receive feedback on these.

Please note: Watching the video and preparing a 3-minute presentation is a mandatory prerequisite for meaningful participation in the group session. The workshop includes subsequent process support. Participants have the opportunity to send their application documents to the trainer when they enter the application phase and receive written feedback on how to optimize them.

Recommended Career Stage - Experienced Postdocs: Postdoctoral researchers with (typically) over three years of experience following the completion of their doctorate.