I had been primed to ask the interview candidate about three publications that he used when teaching the Information Delivery module. One of these was co-authored by me, with the candidate himself.

This was just one of the strange things about the whole interview experience. It also included a movie clip build-up, a full audience seated in a lecture theatre with the candidate amongst its members, and an interview panel of over a dozen staff, the majority of whom chosen to ensure that its composition met strict diversity and equality requirements.

I waited patiently for JK, as interview chair, to pass the questioning over to me so that I could play my role on the panel. He confused the audience by instead giving me a white EpiPen, in full view of everyone.

“Good grief, they’re all now going to assume I’m a drug addict” I muttered to him under my breath. “I hope that you will announce that this is a hayfever treatment and nothing more sinister”.