After applying online (sending CV and cover letter) I had the first interview with HR arranged after a week and a half. HR confirmed that they had read my CV along with the appropriate academic staff member and assessed me as a good fit for the role. I was a bit hesitant as I only have a bachelors in the discipline and 3 years of industry experience, but my masters and PhD are in a different discipline, but they assured me it was fine. They explained the salary was €55k during the first 6 months of the probationary period, rising to €60k after that.
Three days later I had a second interview with three faculty members (none of them had any qualification in the discipline). The interview had the usual questions about motivation for applying, what I saw as important in teaching, etc. When I mentioned decolonising the curriculum they seemed disturbed by that idea and shocked how decoloniality applies to the discipline.
When I asked about the teaching load, they said it was about 600-700h a year, Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8pm - it’s a lot! In the UK, full-time teaching only staff teach on average 150h per year. 700h in the classroom means you don’t really have any time for research - so the quality of the faculty is the best at the start but if a university doesn’t give you the time to do research then lecturers will soon be out of step with the industry - a really bad practice and a shortsighted business model! Clearly focused on making money not on quality!
When the main interviewer asked if I saw myself as more of a discipline specialist or educator I explained my educational background and they seemed shocked - as if they hadn’t read my CV. I felt judged (which is ironic given that none of the interviewers had any education in the area!)
I had to do a mock lecture for 10 min. The instructions given were very vague - they literally said “prepare a 10min lecture on a topic of your choice”. So I prepared a very interesting case study and I prefaced it with situating the lecture in a wider context of the lesson that I prepared - I had prepared a whole 4h lesson plan, handouts, reading list, etc. following their specific methodology. I showed them my work and they were visibly impressed.
They said they’d give me the answer the following day or even the same day if I needed it… they didn’t. I emailed them twice the following week but they ignored my emails and only responded with a job offer 4 weeks after the interview. I asked them to put me in charge with the person responsible for the discipline so that I could discuss what I would teach - they still haven‘t gotten back to me!
Their contract is a joke, they forbid you from talking with colleagues about salary (a sign of a toxic working environment), they want to take all your intellectual property rights (much more intrusive clauses than in the UK), and they won’t sign the contract with you until you have moved to Berlin and have found accommodation. That’s a risk I won’t be taking (as they can change their mind at any point) and it’s extremely hard (impossible) to find a place in Berlin, without a signed emolument contract.
Really unprofessional! Not focused on staff wellbeing, only focused on money!
I don’t recommend working there! "
