Skype Interview, any tips?

[iammaffyou]

Hey everyone,

 

I know there have been some past threads discussing what to expect during a Skype interview, but none of them seemed to have any responses (from what I saw). Anyways, I have two interviews scheduled for a behavioral neuroscience program. Each one will consist of the PI and graduate students in their laboratory. 

 

What questions should I prepare for? What should I wear? 

[skyentist]

I had one a few weeks ago. I would just say make sure you are in a place that you won't get interrupted, and that you have a good connection. You don't need to wear a suit and tie. How many grad students wear super nice clothes everyday? I thinks it mainly to get a feel for you and your personality. They wanna make sure you are not buffalo bill or something. 

 

 

Make sure you know the PI's research and maybe some of the personal things they have promoted/shared via website or other media. 

 

Keypoints: Be genuine and friendly and somewhat knowledgeable of the PI's work.

[thegirldetective]

Dress like you would for an in-person interview. Definitely wear pants, just in case you have to get up during the interview. If possible, test out your interview location by Skyping with a friend to make sure you have reasonably flattering lighting and camera angle, your microphone works, etc.

 

As far as interview questions go, it will probably be like a regular in-person interview. Check out these resources: 

https://sites.google.com/site/gradappadvice/notifications-and-decisions (Cog Neurosci specific)

https://ncatmarc.wikispaces.com/file/view/UNC+2012+Grad+School+Interview+Guide.pdf (Bio specific, but probably applicable)

[ImpulsiveNixie]

Definitely wear pants, just in case you have to get up during the interview.

 

 

That pants thing gets me every time! 

[katiegud]

I had one recently. I wore regular interview clothes (nice shirt, jacket). Mine was for a totally different program, but they were really focused on my research ideas and how I would deal with potential problems. It was actually much more technical than I would have expected (like asking about how I would find interpreters for my proposed fieldwork). 

[laurissimo]

Aie aie aie. I also had a Skype interview recently. Have NO idea what kind of impression I left- it was, to put it bluntly, a weird experience. I'm not a video chatter by nature, so staying natural was my biggest concern. As far as clothes: I wore a blouse and jeans. Professional, but on my grad-school-budget level. My interviewers really wanted to know why I wanted to go to that particular school, what kinds of research I was interested in, and WHY I was interested in that research. The last question really got me, because... well, I just like it. So: make sure you have answers to the "why" questions.

 

Also, if you can set up your computer in a place that gets full natural light, do it. The natural light looked so much better on screen than harsh university lights