If you're given an hour, is it bad to finish a job talk in half an hour?

Question

I am applying for postdoc this year. I was given standard one hour for my job talk. I prepared for a 45-50 minute talk and 10-15 minutes for Q & A. But probably I spoke bit too fast and also people didn't interrupt me, my talk was over by 30-35 minutes. Is it really bad for getting a job?

Answer 1

You can probably figure this out yourself.

Do you believe you covered the topic in full? If not and there were no questions, that is not a good sign.

Do you have reason to believe the audience was pressed for time, and was glad you went quickly? If not and people sat around staring blankly at you, that is not a good sign.

What does the rest of your application look like? If it is stellar, or if you are not really being hired to speak, it may not matter.

In any case, if you did not practice to be sure you had a 45 minute talk. Don't make the same mistake again. Practice, practice, practice.