What does this mean?? Interviews and POI Correspondance

[leahallegra]

Hi there,

Got an email from my POI at one of my top programs on Thursday wanting to set up a phone interview for the following day. He calls me Friday and we had what I percieve to be an excellent 45min interview in which he discloses I am one of his top applicants he is interested in hiring and his lab will have enough funding for only one grad student although he is hoping for more funding to take in a second soon. About 4hrs after he sends me an email saying it was nice to talk to me and attaching an article he figured I would be interested in. I respond to the journal article, giving my opinions on it, asking some questions on it, asking some related questions to his work, and relating it to my research. He responds again attaching another article. I repeat. He responds a third time less than an hour after article 2 email went out attaching another article. I respond to that too. He sends a fourth article the next day. Again, I respond in a similar manner reviewing my opinion on the article, asking about his stuff, relating it my work blah blah blah. I have no solid offer yet (although he did only just contact me Thursday) but I think this is a good thing? Do I keep critiquing and relating to these articles? Do I cut contact and just wait? Do I pester him to give me something solid to work on? This process is getting slightly annoying and quite time consuming since some of the articles are pretty detailed and reading and gathering my thoughts on it takes a good chunk out of my day. If he offers I will accept. Help and thanks!

[tom5156]

I think this is definitely a good sign. For now, I would only respond to him if he keeps sending you articles, and if you haven't heard anything in a few weeks you could drop back in and shoot him an e-mail. But from what it sounds like, he is interested in you, so congrats!

[Ameonna]

Keep reading, and keep responding! This is actually a really important part of the process; look at it as an awesome opportunity to get thoroughly acquainted with the research interests of someone whom you may be working with for 5+ years, and to judge whether or not this type of research is something you could see yourself devoting time and energy to. If anything, I would take it as the POI being excited to work with you and wanting to share his research with you. Definitely a good thing!

One thing I'll say is you may be pressuring yourself too hard to respond IMMEDIATELY; obviously, you don't want to sit on the articles forever, but I'm sure this professor won't mind if it takes you a couple of days to process the information. I actually went through a similar process, and while I felt that same pressure to respond ASAP, I gave myself the amount of time I needed to respond comfortably and meaningfully, which really helped, I think.

[leahallegra]

Keep reading, and keep responding! This is actually a really important part of the process; look at it as an awesome opportunity to get thoroughly acquainted with the research interests of someone whom you may be working with for 5+ years, and to judge whether or not this type of research is something you could see yourself devoting time and energy to. If anything, I would take it as the POI being excited to work with you and wanting to share his research with you. Definitely a good thing!

One thing I'll say is you may be pressuring yourself too hard to respond IMMEDIATELY; obviously, you don't want to sit on the articles forever, but I'm sure this professor won't mind if it takes you a couple of days to process the information. I actually went through a similar process, and while I felt that same pressure to respond ASAP, I gave myself the amount of time I needed to respond comfortably and meaningfully, which really helped, I think.

Hey there! I am very happy that he has been communicating with me although it seems I jinxed myself by complaining up here since he hasnt e-mailed me back in and its been two days now (cue panicking about him finding a more appealing candidate). I definitely have been feeling pressured to respond ASAP so I needed a reminder to think it through, calm myself, then respond in good time. I am curious as to what the outcome with the POI who was emailing with you was? Were you accepted? Ugh, now Im in a grad applicant psychosis about him not responding ASAP like he was- I hope I didnt scare him off or seem desperate!

[Ameonna]

Hey there! I am very happy that he has been communicating with me although it seems I jinxed myself by complaining up here since he hasnt e-mailed me back in and its been two days now (cue panicking about him finding a more appealing candidate). I definitely have been feeling pressured to respond ASAP so I needed a reminder to think it through, calm myself, then respond in good time. I am curious as to what the outcome with the POI who was emailing with you was? Were you accepted? Ugh, now Im in a grad applicant psychosis about him not responding ASAP like he was- I hope I didnt scare him off or seem desperate!

Don't panic! He may be busy with something, or be out of town for a couple of days, or some other perfectly reasonable explanation. As for my situation, I was ultimately invited to visit campus for an interview so that we could talk in person, and I was accepted soon after that. The in-person interview was actually a really wonderful experience! I can't say for certain if that is what's planned for you, but it is a very real possibility.

:EDIT: It's probably also worth mentioning that I was given a phone interview before the in-person interview, as well; that's what started the whole correspondence, which is another reason why this sounds so similar...

Edited February 16, 2012 by Ameonna