WTF Do Interviews Mean?

[perpetualalligator]

just realized I forgot to add CUNY to the list of schools that interview as part of the application process 

[jp5125]

Hey all,

I posted this in the Fall 2019 applicants thread but someone suggested I use this thread instead... so im reposting lol.

I have a skype interview with my potential advisor from CUNY this Friday. This is my first application cycle and I'm not entirely sure what to expect/prepare for in an unofficial interview with an advisor. I know were probably going to discuss how our research interests and ideas mesh, as well as specifics about her field site, but I was wondering if any of you who have more experience with this process than I do have any suggestions to help me prepare.

Thanks!

 

[manicape]

Hey @jp5125,

I've done a couple Skype interviews at this point. Your intuition is right; they are probably going to ask about why you think their program is a good fit for your interests, and even though I don't think you need to remember every small detail of the resources you can find online, know generally what their site says about labs, collabs, consortiums (nycep?), and equipment. Have those pitches practiced and polished. "What can you tell us about yourself?" "What can you bring to our department?" "What kind of work, in what region of the world, with whom do you see yourself practicing in the future?" And any research or field school or any experience at all that you've done in the past, KNOW IT WELL. 

And then be prepped with questions yourself. I didn't do so well on my first interview last cycle because I kind of bumbled through questions. My POI went into her own spiel about what work would be like so I was like... welp there go all my questions. And I really should have seen it coming. Basic questions about community culture and work environment, what they think about their program's balance between coursework, research, and teaching, and how they mentor their students (hand's off to breathing over your shoulder and anywhere in between) are good places to start.

There are lots of good threads on this site, I think someone linked to this earlier from the psych forum but I'll put it here again.

And I wish you the BEST OF LUCK!!!! So exciting you'll be able to talk with your potential advisor!!!

 

 

 

 

[jp5125]

@manicape awesome advice and pointers. Thank you so much!

[AnthroScopic]

I just got a Chicago interview invite, I think that they're sort of doing them gradually, rather than all at once.

[phyanth]

FYI, Kent State also interviews. If you're not invited, you won't be admitted. 

[Guest tarsila89]

15 hours ago, manicape said:

Hey @jp5125,

I've done a couple Skype interviews at this point. Your intuition is right; they are probably going to ask about why you think their program is a good fit for your interests, and even though I don't think you need to remember every small detail of the resources you can find online, know generally what their site says about labs, collabs, consortiums (nycep?), and equipment. Have those pitches practiced and polished. "What can you tell us about yourself?" "What can you bring to our department?" "What kind of work, in what region of the world, with whom do you see yourself practicing in the future?" And any research or field school or any experience at all that you've done in the past, KNOW IT WELL. 

 And then be prepped with questions yourself. I didn't do so well on my first interview last cycle because I kind of bumbled through questions. My POI went into her own spiel about what work would be like so I was like... welp there go all my questions. And I really should have seen it coming. Basic questions about community culture and work environment, what they think about their program's balance between coursework, research, and teaching, and how they mentor their students (hand's off to breathing over your shoulder and anywhere in between) are good places to start.

 

 

@manicape, Great advice!

 

 

 

[manicape]

Just had another interview ?  Here are some more questions!

Why anthropology?

What are some obstacles that you've faced, personal or professional, that you've managed so far?

 

[bonesandbakes]

Hey everyone!

I got contacted about interviewing for a PhD in Anthropology at University of Pennsylvania, and thought I'd share some of the questions they asked me in the interview.

1. What are your research interests, and what steps do you need to take in graduate school to bring yourself to the level to conduct that research?

2. Why anthropology? Why UPenn?

3. Why do you want to go to a PhD program right out of undergrad?

4. How do your relations work with the faculty supervising your current research?

5. How do you feel about coming to Penn for your PhD, but having to do dissertation at another university's facilities? (They don't have the facilities there necessary for my future research.)

 

Hope these helped someone and good luck to everyone!

[pmcol]

1 hour ago, bonesandbakes said:

Hey everyone!

I got contacted about interviewing for a PhD in BioAnth at University of Pennsylvania, and thought I'd share some of the questions they asked me in the interview.

1. What are your research interests, and what steps do you need to take in graduate school to bring yourself to the level to conduct that research?

2. Why anthropology? Why UPenn?

3. Why do you want to go to a PhD program right out of undergrad?

4. How do your relations work with the faculty supervising your current research?

5. How do you feel about coming to Penn for your PhD, but having to do dissertation at another university's facilities? (They don't have the facilities there necessary for my future research.)

 

Hope these helped someone and good luck to everyone!

This is great @bonesandbakes thank you!

If I may ask, what kinds of questions did you ask you POI during the interview?

[transrelativity]

On 1/26/2019 at 8:43 PM, LetsGetThisBread said:

Sorry! I don’t know why I used the word disagreement. 

I meant to say just that I only saw the one MIT result, so I always assume it’s spam when it’s only one. 

Congrats on the KH interview! No clue how that process works but it’s definitely competitive.

This is just a post to say that upon first read, I thought @HealthyAnthro had an interview with Kingdom Hearts.

[bonesandbakes]

1 hour ago, pmcol said:

This is great @bonesandbakes thank you!

If I may ask, what kinds of questions did you ask you POI during the interview?

@pmcol Honestly I found it difficult to come up with questions to ask (because I had already skyped with the POI back in December and asked a lot of questions then). At my interview I asked what a typical timeline looks like for a PhD student when it comes to dissertation development (like when do people generally formulate a topic, when do they begin research, etc.). I also asked what merits they think the language requirement from the department has for biological anthropologists, as a lot of other programs in biological anthropology don't involve a language requirement.

[GenericResearcher]

This may be way too basic to help people here, especially if you're like me and have been interviewed more times than you can count, but in my previous career one of my duties was hiring and interviewing applicants (pretty competitive almost 12-month process with multiple interviews, but not academic). 

What I noticed was the most common (and easily avoided) mistake was interviewees not acting like real people. Being a little warm and convivial makes a huge difference, rather than coming across like a well-read automaton.  Even if you're not going to be working directly with the person you're interviewing, there's still an aspect of "Would I want to work with this person?"

So for anyone who gets really uptight whilst being interviewed, that's my (potentially unneeded, fully unsolicited) advise. 

Also if you're practicing with a colleague or friend first, I highly suggest also practicing being the interviewer. I honestly think the best way to learn how to be interviewed is to be the interviewer.

 

 

[ShubhangniG]

Hi! I got an interview invite for Stanford PhD anthro (archaeology) on 29th Jan. Interview slated for 6th Feb via Skype (I'm an international applicant from India). Any pointers for prep would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and good luck with your interviews!

[cheexs]

To add to the list, I have an interview set up with BU as well. However, it's on Skype and they said it was "informal"--TBD exactly what that means! 

 

I'm assuming this is also dependent on what division of the department you're applying to; I'm personally applying to cultural anthropology and only meeting with professors in that realm.