Saman

I had an on-site interview at a university this week. 
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personal trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.
 

Calgary is a strong program. Their business school also has several I/Os, and they work closely with psych folks. 

It is a true IO program as well, yes. A lot of the profs there did their PhDs at Western's program (e.g., Kibeom Lee, Tom O'Neill, etc), and it's a very great place if you're interested in the kind of research happening there. They have been very productive and are really ramping things up in recent years. I'd highly recommend it!

Often, you can tell the difference between social-organizational (not true IO and much less likely to get you the kind of good starting-off jobs in IO that people are looking for) from true IO by how much of the I-side they have.
If they are lacking in advanced stats, measure development, applied personality research, performance assessment, and courses/research areas like that, you're not looking at a true IO program.
A social-organizational program is less likely, if it lacks those topics above, to teach you the hard skills that set IO apart from other fields in psych, and that are in job postings for this growing field. Having a strong psychometric background, coupled with as much programming and data analysis as you can learn, is key to a lot of beginner IO jobs, as a lot of the more organizational side jobs come from things like coaching and consulting, and are more fuzzy, which means the people who take up those spots and succeed in them are older and have usually spent more time in the workforce.
True IO programs: U Conneticut, Florida International University, Akron, Minnesota, Guelph/Waterloo/Western (these three are in Canada)
Social-Org, non-true-IO programs: Columbia, Adler, the New School, Windsor (Canada)

I believe you are in a good shape. Your research experience seems to be focused and identified, hopefully you'd be able to align that with POI from schools you plan to apply at. I would only advise you to take the GRE sooner so you would have a chance to retake it before the application deadline.
Best of luck!

I can't open this for some reason. I will try again later. If it still doesn't work maybe you can try messaging it to me? Thanks again!

Hi there,
I am also conducting a meta-analysis as a part of my master's thesis and, as a result, I referred to various resources to get a better sense of the meta-analysis/systematic review process. I am not sure which methodology you are following for your systematic review, but most people in social sciences follow Schmidt and Hunter's (2015) approach to meta-analysis, therefore the first part of my advice is based on their approach. Schmidt and Hunter (2015) have published a third edition of their book which explains everything you need to know to conduct a meta-analysis. Also, they have provided YouTube tutorials which explains the process of conducting a meta-analysis using a software developed by Schmidt and Le (2014).
On the other hand, if you are following Hedges and Olkin's approach to meta-analysis, then, in addition to Campbell collaboration, you can also refer to the Michael Borenstein's YouTube tutorials (This approach is slightly different than Schmidt and Hunter's approach). Furthermore, there are various books as well such as "practical meta-analysis" by Wilson (2001) and "Introduction to Meta-Analysis" by Borenstein (2009) which do a great job at explaining even a tiny issue of the meta-analysis process. Links are given below for these books if you want to have a read. 
http://www.textbooks.com/BooksDescription.php?BKN=488315&SBC=SG9&kpid=9780761921684U&kenshu=575dacf6-c394-4b5e-bb82-17a66f6ee3f2&mcid=XKS-7564-41-4219-GoogleShopping-PRIDREPLACE-291&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzd3GBRDks7SYuNHi3JEBEiQAIm6EI8ZK3O3jpedcZNOkMe4Ri2zhbiA2tVgm1gxnaWz55NIaAmSn8P8HAQ
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/introduction-to-meta-analysis-michael-borenstein/1101201023/2694977426406?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+greatbookprices_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP24014&k_clickid=3x24014
Hope this helps.

Hi there,
I am also conducting a meta-analysis as a part of my master's thesis and, as a result, I referred to various resources to get a better sense of the meta-analysis/systematic review process. I am not sure which methodology you are following for your systematic review, but most people in social sciences follow Schmidt and Hunter's (2015) approach to meta-analysis, therefore the first part of my advice is based on their approach. Schmidt and Hunter (2015) have published a third edition of their book which explains everything you need to know to conduct a meta-analysis. Also, they have provided YouTube tutorials which explains the process of conducting a meta-analysis using a software developed by Schmidt and Le (2014).
On the other hand, if you are following Hedges and Olkin's approach to meta-analysis, then, in addition to Campbell collaboration, you can also refer to the Michael Borenstein's YouTube tutorials (This approach is slightly different than Schmidt and Hunter's approach). Furthermore, there are various books as well such as "practical meta-analysis" by Wilson (2001) and "Introduction to Meta-Analysis" by Borenstein (2009) which do a great job at explaining even a tiny issue of the meta-analysis process. Links are given below for these books if you want to have a read. 
http://www.textbooks.com/BooksDescription.php?BKN=488315&SBC=SG9&kpid=9780761921684U&kenshu=575dacf6-c394-4b5e-bb82-17a66f6ee3f2&mcid=XKS-7564-41-4219-GoogleShopping-PRIDREPLACE-291&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzd3GBRDks7SYuNHi3JEBEiQAIm6EI8ZK3O3jpedcZNOkMe4Ri2zhbiA2tVgm1gxnaWz55NIaAmSn8P8HAQ
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/introduction-to-meta-analysis-michael-borenstein/1101201023/2694977426406?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+greatbookprices_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP24014&k_clickid=3x24014
Hope this helps.

Hey guys,
Hope everyone is doing great !!
Looks like I'm also in the same boat as rest of you. I am looking forward to apply to a couple of doctoral programs for fall, 2018 in Canada. I will be applying to both I-O psych and educational research, measurement, and evaluation programs though. 
Best of luck to everyone.
P.S. I am an international student here in the states, currently enrolled in a master's, and hopefully will be graduating this December
 
 

Thank Victoris! I actually live by that site! I use it to write everything. 
 
Saman, thank you for the suggestion. I will have to check it out. If it has examples, that will be all the better. I just get bogged down sometimes regarding how certain sentences should be worded. I've tried using some psychology journals as guidelines, but I've noticed so much variation between some of them that I started to get confused regarding what is ok and what isn't.

I have the APA book so if you need that you can let me know. I think that is the most helpful resource I have ever had. It got all the guidelines along with examples.  

I think that's correct. Definitely not important to the extent it would be for a PhD program. My research interests for my MS aren't too closely related with my potential advisers, same for the other school I applied to and got into. I think the fact that I AM interested in research, was specific about what topics, and have research experience helped me along. 

Thank you so much ClinicalPsychPhd20 for your thoughts. And yes I'm applying for Ph.D in I/O Psychology, and Master's as a back up. Anyway I don't think I can boost those V score since I have done my best and memorized  lots of words already but couldn't achieve the desired score. Do you think in anyway I can compensate for that low V score in my app. Please let me know views.
 
Again thanks for your response     

Yeah that would work if I am not mistaken. Since property is a commodity which can be translated in liquid money it should work but not 100% sure, still I would advise you to have a word with concerned people I recommended in earlier post.  

OHHHH I see. I didn't read the part where you said you had 2 pubs. That should help considerably.

Yes, the APA list is probably more comprehensive than the SIOP list. I know SIOP list is missing a few of the newer I/O Ph.D. programs. Not trying to be discouraging, but I applied last year with GRE scores almost identical to yours (a little lower GREV score) and didn't get in anywhere. This year, I retook the GRE and my scores didn't improve much (3 pts. combined). What made the difference for me was the fact that I had manuscripts under review. Therefore, my suggestion to you would be to join as many research labs as you can (2-3 would look great!) and inquire with whoever you're working with if there would be an opportunity to collaborate on a manuscript. It could be what puts you over the edge! If you're considering retaking the GRE, may I suggest www.magoosh.com. It's cheap and they guarantee a 5 pt increase in your score if you go through the entire program or your money back. Just make sure you start a few months ahead of the retake because there are A LOT of questions.
 
Best of luck!

Hi,
What made you to transfer from NewYork to Canada ?? I mean I was also thinking to apply in canadian schools for my MS in I/O along with US universities. So it would be great if you can share your experience with Canada and what benefits an international student can reap in Canada ?? I am bit skeptical considering Canada for my MS in terms of quality education and job opportunities.
 
Thanks in advance to take some time out to have a look at it. 
 
regards

Hi Meen,
 
Some differences between a PhD and a master's in I/O:
1) A PhD is a research degree and a master's is usually thought of as an applied degree.
2) A PhD program is usually more difficult to get into in that applicants need to have very good GRE scores and GPAs and some research experience in psychology,
3) Often people with PhD's in I/O go into teaching/research at the university level.  PhDs may also work in applied settings in large businesses or in consulting firms, and often their position is a research position within an applied setting.  With a master's you would more likely go into applied work in a consulting firm or an HR department.
 
I do not know if there is any difference between an MS and an MA.  And this brings me to my next point:  go here --> www.siop.org.  Here you will find information about the field, job prospects, information about graduate programs and interesting articles on various aspects of I/O.  I/O is not necessarily HR, although it is strongly related.  I/O can be thought of as the science behind HR.  But it is so much more than that.  I/O psychologists study all topics related to work, including at the organizational level beyond the purview of HR.
 
If you want to get into a PhD program an internship in HR may be helpful but it seems that PhD programs are more interested in applicants' research experience.  Hopefully, you have done some research in your undergrad career, either assisting in a lab or conducting independent projects.  I don't know of any internship you can get as an undergrad that will show you what it would be like to work as an I/O psychologist.  I know some consulting firms (e.g. HumRRO) do have internship positions but students already in a master's or PhD program will get those.  You may be able to find an internship that is tangentially related, as HR is.  Others on this forum may have more info on that.  Also you can probably find more info about this on the SIOP website.
 
If you are more interested in the HR aspects of I/O, you should also check out SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management.)  Their website is probably .org, but I'm not sure.
 
I have read that the job market for I/O is projected to have faster than average growth through 2022.
 
Best wishes to you!  I/O is a great field - at least I'm excited about it.  I am definitely more into the research and the psychology aspects of it than the applied/HR aspects of the field (so I'm going to pursue a PhD.)  But one of the great things about the field is its broad scope.

I disagree and it is not necessarily "harder" to get into a phd program after a terminal masters degree. If the masters program does not have a thesis look for a position or volunteer in a research lab so you can continue to amass research experience. I have been in couple labs that was supportive of my independent research and I was able to produce a publication out of it. In essence, it was my "thesis" and I feel that this is really helping with my application process. Remember, research experience is the most that counts for the application so whether it is a thesis, lab experience, or a research job, you need the experience if you want a shot at a phd program.

Well my research interests were very specific and so I only applied to schools with professors in my area. Out of 7 programs I applied to three Canadian schools, two of which were in my top 3. What really sealed the deal for me at my current program was the structure of the program and the perfect match with my supervisor. 
 
I'd say some of the benefits that I've learned about so far are the funding opportunities. I would say, hands down, the Canadian government (e.g., SSHRC/CIHR is probably akin to the NSF) provides way more opportunities for everyone, ranging from first year students to tenured professors. While I can't really benefit now, it is my expectation to apply for residency after I get my masters in the hopes of landing a job here as well. While I don't yet know much about the Canadian job market, from what I've heard it's pretty much the same as the U.S.
 
However, if staying in Canada is not something you are considering, much more of your decision will have to focus on how the program fits your internets and needs. I certainly wouldn't dismiss the quality of Canadian Universities. While my program (i.e., social psych) is really small here, the professors are all incredibly well-known and highly respected in their specialities. Classes are top-notch and student focused (not something most people experience at research universities). I also like how my program is more distinctly divided into MS + PhD rather than straight PhD track because I have the opportunity to complete a master's thesis (whereas at my ugrad they just took comps). Because of this I have had more hands-on independent research opportunities than some of my friends who are second and third year phd students elsewhere. 

Hey everyone. Fall 2014 Applicant here. I've seen other people create these posts before and I was hoping to receive some helpful advice from everyone. Been worried lately on my chances at some of my prospective schools due to the verbal section of my GRE score. I'm taking it again on the 18th, but in case I don't raise the score I was just wondering if I should be worried.
 
GRE:
 
Quantitative: 150 (630)
Verbal: 152 (490)
Total: 302 (1120)
 
Some of my schools say 500-500 minimum for both sections, while others say 1000 minimum in total. Is there any possibility that the schools who want 500-500 on both sections would consider me? The 1000 minimum schools definitely will, but I am just worried that I will get weeded out without them looking at the rest of my application because I missed the cutoff by 1 question
 
Here's the rest of my application: 
 
GPA:
 
Cumulative: 3.41
Psych: 3.87
Junior/Senior: 3.92
 
Research Experience:  
2 semesters at an I/O Lab (Team Workforce and Development Lab)
3 semesters at an I/O Lab (Institute for Simulation and Training - Directing Human Systems Integration Research)
 
TA Experience:
Social Psychology class
2 I/O Psychology Classes
 
Letters of Recommendation:
One letter from the I/O Ph.D Director from my university (UCF)
One letter from a psych teacher (25+ years of teaching)
One letter from a Grad student (It will be from the office of a known member in the field of I/O luckily ) 
 
Also hoping to finish a paper that I will be a co-author on before I send in my final applications. 
 
So...what do you guys think? If I don't manage to get my 490V score up to 500, will I automatically be filtered out from some of my prospective programs? 
 
Thanks in advance for any help. I would really appreciate it!

You will have to talk to people at the schools you plan to apply to.  Due to the fact that you have research experience, period, and that you are considering master's programs, what you want to study might be more important than what you have studied.  If research is your interest.  If you don't want to do research and want an applied master's then there should not be a problem.
 
Read the information provided on master's programs websites and talk to people at the programs you are interested in.

Lewin, I think you may have misunderstood what OP meant.  I read it as him meaning that there are some "hardcore" OB topics, or some topics that are very traditionally OB.  Not that gender/sexism research can't be hardcore. 

hi,
 
I'm in little dilemma here. What if somebody have a research experience on social issues such as women empowerment, gender research which is more inclined towards the social factors but not on the hardcore OB topics will add-up in the research experience ??
As I have done my bachelor's and trying to find the hardcore internship which I can relate to I/O field but not getting it. which ultimately forcing me to join the internships which are based on above mentioned topics.
 
So please tell me if this experience will be counted toward my research work or not. Or I should wait for the opportunity which relates to OB field.
 
regards
 

1. Official transcripts are issued directly from your school in a sealed envelope, usually with some marking on the envelope flap or some indication that the envelope seal has not been tampered with. 
 
2. Your GRE scores are low compared to what seems to be the average scores of students accepted into PhD programs in I/O.  Go here to search through a list of I/O programs and see GPA and GRE averages for I/O programs:  http://www.siop.org/gtp/GtpLookup.asp       <<this site also has links to I/O program websites where you can read about the general standards and program content of each program. 
 
3. You should (ideally) be interested in the specific research of a specific professor(s) at that university.  Professors need to have expertise in the topics you want to research in order to be able to advise you.  Additionally, they want students who know their research topic areas so the students can be useful to them as RAs.  Again, use the siop.org site links to go read about faculty research interests on program websites.  For example, to say you are interested in selection is a bit too broad.  You should refine that a bit to, say, assessment centers or personality as it relates to selection or whatever other more specific aspect of selection would be of interest. 
 
4. Depends on the program you apply to.  Most schools strongly prefer students with research experience, for a number of reasons which I won't go into here, so your lack of research experience will put you at a serious disadvantage for many programs.  Your practical I/O work experience is great and will definitely be a plus. 
 
Do you know what I/O topics you are interested in conducting research in?  Is there something about the experiences of your current job that have made you want to research a certain area?  Why do you want to get a PhD?