How to Get a Job at Reed
Apply early. Unless stated otherwise, we review resumes and begin phone screens as soon as applications are submitted. You will apply through our free Interfolio portal and while you may upload your documents in any format, .pdf works best.
Write a short and memorable cover letter. Your cover letter should complement, not restate, your resume. Make sure you answer the questions listed in the job posting.
Answer our question about how you would contribute to diversity on our campus. We’re serious: we all can and should contribute to inclusion and equity on campus. You would be surprised how many candidates skip this question.
Have someone check your resume and cover letter for typos. A mistake-free resume and cover letter demonstrate your professionalism and attention to detail.
Submit a resume that is chronological. It’s hard for us to understand your prior experience if you don’t tell us what jobs you’ve held and when. Start your resume with your most recent experience and work backwards. You don’t need to provide months of employment, just years. Be honest about any breaks in employment--there are lots of good reasons for breaks, so don’t worry about them. If we want to know more, we will ask you.
Practice phone interviewing. Have a friend or family member call you to practice phone interviewing. Start with the question “Why are you interested in this position?” Research shows that candidates feel more confident when they stand during phone interviews and use a headset rather than holding the phone.
Research behavioral interviewing. Our favorite interview questions are behavioral, such as “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person.” The best responses are stories about a specific time that you faced this situation. There is plenty of information online about how to answer behavioral interviewing questions, so do the research and practice.
Prepare questions for us. Be curious! Don’t forget that you are interviewing us, too. It’s fun for us when you’re the interviewer and we have to answer your questions.
Prepare your professional references. Before we extend a job offer, we call your references. Bring a list of references with you to your first interview on campus. Make sure that at least one of your references is someone who has been your boss.
Send a thank you note. If you appreciated the interview and are even more interested in the job, let us know. Email or paper, the choice is yours, but don’t miss this opportunity to practice a common courtesy.
Remember that we want you to succeed. We don’t do stress interviews. We want you to feel confident and welcome here. We want you to have a good experience, whether you get the job or not.
For staff roles, we typically have a three-step process.
Phone screen A 20-minute conversation with the hiring manager or recruiter so that we can fully understand your work history and why you want this role.
First-round interview A 45-minute in-person or Skype interview with the hiring manager and a couple others from the hiring team.
Final-round interview A half-day to full-day interview with people that you’d be working with on campus.
Note that it may take 30 or more days for us to contact you about your application. We do our best to respond to applicants as soon as possible.
About Following Up
At the end of every interview, you should be told exactly when to expect an update about your status. If you don’t receive an update by that time, it is perfectly acceptable to contact the person who promised you the update. Email is generally the best way to follow up with us.
About Job Offers
Reed College does not negotiate starting salary or benefits. The salary listed in the job posting (or shared with you during the phone screen) is exactly what you can expect. Salary negotiations tend to disadvantage women and people from cultures where monetary negotiation is not practiced. Whether or not you’re a good negotiator will not influence your salary at Reed.