Informational interview with PhD alum

[ladysunkissed]

I am having an informational interview with an alum of the PhD program I will be applying to in the fall. She still has close ties with the school, working there as a full-time researcher and part-time lecturer. Suggestions on questions to ask in order to keep the meeting somewhat informal, yet professional?

[juilletmercredi]

-What was your experience like as a graduate student in X department?

 

-How have you found X program to be viewed on the job market?

 

-Did you find that X program had good career-building/job search support?  What kinds of career-building/job search support were offered by X department?

 

-Would you say that X department is competitive or collegial, or somewhere in-between?  What makes you say that?

 

-When at X department, did you feel like you had to work all the time to keep up or did you have a good work/life balance?  Do you think it's possible to have a good work/life balance at X department?

 

-What were the classes like?  Exams?  Do you feel you can finish the work in a reasonable amount of time so you can begin your dissertation and finish in a reasonable amount of years?

 

-What are the professors generally like in X department?

[ladysunkissed]

Fantastic...thank you!