Interview Etiquette and Tips

[kaister]

Well how much is a reasonable amount to spend?  Like my ticket would be about 1k...
They did say not attending wouldn't affect decisions.  I guess I'll decide when I hear back officially if I'm invited or not.

[GingerbreadLatte]

only if the costs were reimbursed.  Is that an okay response?  Or is it typically assumed they will cover it?

 

I would ask. It's not like your POI is personally footing the bill.

 

Among my three invitations so far, two have covered air/hotel and one hasn't indicated explicitly but I hope not to pay out of pocket.

[eecandz]

I have a question regarding phone interviews. At the end of a phone interview, is the norm to be invited for an in-person interview if the phone call went well?

 

I just got done with a 15 minute phone interview and wasn't extended any invitation, though they seemed happy with the way the interview went (said something along the lines of hearing "all positive things").

[mewtoo]

I have a question regarding phone interviews. At the end of a phone interview, is the norm to be invited for an in-person interview if the phone call went well?

 

I just got done with a 15 minute phone interview and wasn't extended any invitation, though they seemed happy with the way the interview went (said something along the lines of hearing "all positive things").

I think most usually extend the invite via email or a second call.

[eecandz]

I think most usually extend the invite via email or a second call.

 

Thanks, @mewtoo! I appreciate the info!

[PsychGirl1]

I have a question on the etiquette of accepting interview invites :-). I received one for late February, and I'm still waiting to hear from 7 schools, most of whom have their interview days in February. I applied to 12 schools, and I'd say this school is maybe #10 on my list.

 

So what is the "proper" response?

1) Accept it, and if a school I prefer invites me to an interview on the same day, then inform this school immediately about the conflict and ask if I can have a Skype interview instead.

2) Tell them I am interested but waiting to hear from a few other schools so don't want to definitely RSVP this early in case my travel plans need to be flexible.

3) Other?

[PsychGirl1]

bump bump.

[Linelei]

That's a tough one! I think if you let them know you are waiting on other schools before you decide you are pretty much killing your chances of admittance. That being said, it would be rude to agree to attend and then back out if they have spent any money on preparing for your visit. So I suppose it depends on how much preparation the school goes though for their interviewees. If you do get a better offer for the same weekend and decide to take it, you are also probably going to lose out on the first school, because asking for a Skype interview instead is sending a clear message of their ranking on your list, and schools don't generally want to offer one of their limited admittance spots to someone who has made it clear the school is a backup choice.

 

I suppose if it were me, I would tell them I plan on attending but may have a scheduling conflict. Then if I got a better offer for the same weekend, I would decline to be interviewed by the first school.

[PsychGirl1]

Thanks... definitely some good advice. Excellent point that losing the interview probably means losing the chance to enroll.

 

I went through my best guesses for interview weekends for my other schools based on which ones were posted on their website or what they had done in the past. I came up with 2 possible conflicts with that specific weekend. Both of the schools don't usually notify candidates until the very end of January, and both schools I'd significantly prefer over this one.

 

I'm thinking I'll take your advice- tell them I'm excited about interviewing and I hope to interview in February but I'm working out a potential conflict with the weekend. I'd let them know for sure either way when I heard from the other schools, which will still be over 3 weeks before the actual interview, so hopefully they won't mind too much and I won't be causing them too much trouble.

 

Has anyone else been in this position before?

[veggiez]

Has anyone else been in this position before?

 

 

I had a skype interview with one school that mentioned that they would be contacting people about an interview weekend starting January 31, but never explicitly invited me. Then the next day, I received a formal invitation for an interview on February 1, but with a note that not attending because of financial issues or problems with missing school would not affect my chances of being accepted.

In my situation, both schools were about equal ranking, but I had already skyped with the professor at the first, and had never been able to speak with the professor at the second. I waited a few days, and my dad gave me the same advice: to tell the second school that I was very interested in attending, but needed to make sure I could work it out in my schedule, and to tell them that I would let them know in the next 2 or 3 days. 

I think this is a very appropriate way to handle it, but I decided to just accept the second school's offer without even sending them an email to buy me some time, and still haven't heard back from the first school. Although it worries me that I was never invited to the interview weekend mentioned during my skype interview, at least I didn't have to choose between two schools. From what I have seen online, it seems like everyone has interviews these first few weekends, so the schools must expect that other offers might come up, in fact at another school, my POI told me they really try to get their invites out before other schools so that students don't have other interviews already scheduled. That being said, schools may suspect that if you make it seem as though you are waiting for some outside factor before agreeing to attend, that you might not put them at the top of your list.

[PsychGirl1]

psych_kv- thanks! i went the "i'll let you know in a few days" route and luckily, everything ended up working out perfectly, so I'll be attending.

 

thanks to all for your help!

[SportPsych30]

What would my friends here on The Grad Cafe advise me to wear for my Skype interview tomorrow? I was thinking a button up, but maybe no tie.  They can only see above the waste so I am far less concerned with my choice of pants.

Thanks!!

[Lisa44201]

A collared shirt and sport-coat. Or Polo and sport-coat. Yes, I'm pushing the sport-coat.

[MN111]

SportPsych- Definitely wear a tie! Better to be overdressed then underdressed!

[STEAM116]

What would my friends here on The Grad Cafe advise me to wear for my Skype interview tomorrow? I was thinking a button up, but maybe no tie.  They can only see above the waste so I am far less concerned with my choice of pants.

Thanks!!

 

I'd go business casual: nice sweater, collared shirt, polo, sweater/shirt combo, tie if you feel like it, jacket if you feel like it. If you're anything like me, I would advise wearing nice pants and shoes as well. I say this because when I'm dressed nicely I feel like a freaking boss. It just puts me in the state of mind to really go out and crush it.

[Angua]

What would my friends here on The Grad Cafe advise me to wear for my Skype interview tomorrow? I was thinking a button up, but maybe no tie.  They can only see above the waste so I am far less concerned with my choice of pants.

Thanks!!

 

Hopefully you'll see this in time -- don't blow off your bottom half! I have *plenty* of stories of people who thought "They'll only see me from the waist up" and then wound up having to get up during the interview! It's unusual, but if you're wearing pink pajama pants (true story), it will make an impression!   Jeans are probably fine, as long as you aren't suit-and-tie from the waist up, but it's a good idea to make sure that if your pants are seen, they won't stand out.

 

Good luck!

[SportPsych30]

Thank you for the advice, everyone.

Here goes nothing!

[Lisa44201]

Hopefully you'll see this in time -- don't blow off your bottom half! I have *plenty* of stories of people who thought "They'll only see me from the waist up" and then wound up having to get up during the interview! It's unusual, but if you're wearing pink pajama pants (true story), it will make an impression!   Jeans are probably fine, as long as you aren't suit-and-tie from the waist up, but it's a good idea to make sure that if your pants are seen, they won't stand out.

 

Good luck!

I'm going to be singing the line from your signature. That's brilliant!