UC Berkeley RA Interview -- any tips?

[zep]

A UC Berkeley professor just emailed me to request a Skype interview! This professor has contributed several major results to my field, and I think he would be a fantastic advisor. I have a few quick questions about what to expect in this interview.

1. How does a typical RA interview compare to, say, an industry interview? (Is there such a thing as a "typical RA interview?")

2. How should I prepare for the interview? Should I review a few of the professor's recent papers? Should I review fundamental concepts in my field?

3. What questions should I ask the professor? (I have a few questions in mind, but I want to see what you GradCafe folks suggest.)

[Amogh]

I'v never done an interview before but I think you should go through his recent papers and see where your fit lies. Express the skills you have and how you think you will be a good match for his lab. Read his papers and ask him any questions that arise or any ideas you come up with for further work. Ask him what other work he will be working on in the coming few years, what he expects from his grad students etc.

People who have been through this would probably be able to give you a better answer D:

[zep]

Sounds good--thanks! This is very helpful.

I'v never done an interview before but I think you should go through his recent papers and see where your fit lies. Express the skills you have and how you think you will be a good match for his lab. Read his papers and ask him any questions that arise or any ideas you come up with for further work. Ask him what other work he will be working on in the coming few years, what he expects from his grad students etc.

People who have been through this would probably be able to give you a better answer D:

[Amogh]

and congratulations on the UIUC admit btw! Good job