I have now had the opportunity to be on both sides of the interview process. My research group just finished formal interviews for prospective students, and I wanted to share some observations and tips that should be helpful in any interview situation. While they may seem rather obvious, everyone can use practice on improving their skills.
1. Interpersonal skills are key
The students that most impressed the members of our lab and our advisor were the ones who not only cared about meeting the professor, but meeting the students as well. It is important to get a feeling of your co-workers and your boss. If you are visiting a university and have an interview with a professor, mention to him that you would like to meet his students as well. This will impress the professor and help you gauge the working environment.
In an internship or full-time position interview, feel free to ask about whom you will be working with and voice your questions over what type of environment in which you will be working.
2. Communication
Whether you are discussing your goals, your accomplishments, or the previous night’s game, being able to clearly articulate and communicate your points can work wonders in an interview (the reason communication is a pillar of the SELF program). Take advantage of as many opportunities to work on your communication skills prior to an interview. One such exercise that I utilized during my early years of practicing public speaking/communication was to talk to myself in front of a mirror. You quickly become aware of your body language and issues that may need changing.
Also, remember to ALWAYS send a follow up thank you. Even an email is generally acceptable.
3. Red flags – an abridged list
These can apply to any interview situation, and should be avoided:
Don’t ask about money– this will come with the offer of employment. For full-time positions it is generally acceptable to politely negotiate for ~%5 higher than the offer. In graduate school, it is almost never possible to negotiate, and would generally be frowned upon.
Avoid asking about working hours – even if the question is sincere, the interviewer may take it the wrong way. If you are curious about typical working hours, phrase the question to ask about a normal working day, when team meetings occur, etc.
Not having questions– Not everything can be covered in an interview, so there should always be unanswered questions by the end. Make sure to have some prepared ahead of time. Try to think of questions that are advanced and not the traditional Google’d questions. Interviewers will remember the candidates who ask sincere questions and are genuinely interested in the company.
4. A few funnies
I figured I would finish with several real responses I have heard to interview questions. In case you could not tell, these are not good answers.
When asked about motivation for attending graduate school:
A: ...I want to build a human sized robot…
When asked about questions regarding graduate school:
A: Is there a lot of writing in grad school? (The answer to this question is
YES)
When prompted for any questions for the interviewers:
A: Why did you ask me where I want to be in 5 years?
Regarding possible weaknesses:
A: I don’t really have any (snicker).
Finally, since the Holy Grail of College Basketball is upon us, I thought I would share a list of great locations to watch the Hawks in Lawrence (at least I enjoyed them).
1) The Wheel – get the Wang Burger during the day and pizza at night
2) Brothers– night games on Tuesday and Wednesday are the best
3) Set’em Up Jack’s – chill location in East Lawrence off of K10
4) West Coast Saloon – another great location for burgers
That’s all until next week.
Matt