Zoom Meetings with Potential PIs

[bobdogs20]

Hi, 

I have some Zoom meetings with potential PIs I have reached out to in Biomedical Engineering, specifically, cancer imaging. Does anyone have any advice on how to prepare for these meetings? Will they be more casual? 

[essiec]

What kind of a meeting is it?

If it's a formal interview, I know someone who just did some med school interviews and she's worn a nice blouse and/or blazer for it. 

If it's a casual just-to-meet-you-and-hear-about-your-interests meeting, which I've had with a potential advisor, I just wore what I was wearing that day (casual, but not sloppy or busy with patterns or anything.)

Zoom meetings/pandemic have changed how people dress these days (there was an interesting NYT article about this recently), but in general it's better to air on the side of overdressed rather than underdressed.

Whatever you wear, you should look polished and put together. Clean hair helps. I think a nice buttoned shirt goes a long way without looking too stiff (just make sure it's crisp—iron out those wrinkles!! Wrinkles make a good shirt look sloppy.) 

Edited December 8, 2020 by essiec
edited to add an extra "o" on "too" ;/

[Crucial BBQ]

Based off my own experiences, yes, they will be casual.  That said, while you do not need to wear a suit, you also do not want to be too casual.  Sweat pants and lounge wear are out.  Take the time to properly groom before hand.  A solid color long-sleeved collard shirt in white or blue is a good a choice.  If striped, checkered, tartan, etc., pair it with a sweater.  As mentioned by essiec, patterns can be distracting.  Wear pants, even if you will be seated the entire time.  

Set up the location before hand as well, test and adjust the lighting as necessary. Make sure the background is appropriate and professional.  Ideally, no one else will be home during the meetings but if someone else will be in the house let them know they need to be quiet.  

With my meetings of this nature, they were more like conversations.  I went in to each with only one question, tell me about your lab/the program.  Perhaps not the best strategy, so you might want to have a list of questions to ask before hand, but I have found the questions to organically arise as the conversation progresses. 

To prepare for the meetings, do your research into the programs, the associated labs, read papers by the POIs, and so on.  You want to be able to answer the question why this lab/program?