More fears about the market process...

11. & 12. I've heard from many people, and it makes complete sense, that one should "research" an institution before applying for a position, and definitely before making a campus visit. My fear is two-fold: First, I'm afraid I won't be able to tell the difference between an institution's "brochure" truth and an institution's reality. Second, I'm afraid I won't know how to explore/investigate discrepancies between the two during an interview (whether at MLA or on campus).

I should qualify this fear with the confession that I'm fairly gullible. I'm not stupid, and I'm not entirely lacking in common sense. However, I tend to *want* to believe the best about people, places, things, etc. I'm not suspicious by nature; instead, I go into most job or career-related situations sort of inherently believing "This is good. This is what I want. These people would never tell a lie or be unethical." I know, of course, this isn't always true, but how/when do you know - really know - when to ask the hard questions, what the hard questions are, and how to ask them?