Happy Ent Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I have conducted many such interviews. They are all very different. Some interviewers are stupid and ask stupid questions. (Some candidates as well.) There are no hard and fast rules. The anecdotes you have heard vary widely because interviews vary widely. My suggestion is to be honest, because you can’t guess the hidden agenda anyway. Deal-breakers for me: Extreme narrowness/introversion. This is on a scale, of course. In interviews for a position in theoretical computer science, 3 extremely introvert persons (by normal people standards) will interview another introvert. But trust me that there are candidates so far out on the autism spectrum that even I can’t see how that candidate should function. (“Function” in all the other, secondary but important, issues you need as an academic. Sit in meetings, tutor students, hold TA sessions, give talks, hobnob at conferences, present my research at a poster session, etc. There are nontrivial people skills that even a Ph.D. student needs. And there really are extremely socially inept candidates. In fact, academic studies are one of the tiny niches that accept this demographic. We do use the interview to ascertain this, because your stellar grades and perfect research plan does not tell us.) We also need to make sure that you are not an asshole. Assholes exist. Another red flag: “I don’t really know what to do with my life, so I thought I’d try this.” You need to signal determination, or at least willingness to lie about it. Final dealbreaker: If you disbelieve that Varys planted Shae in Tywin’s bedroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IheartIheartTesla Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 You mean going into an interview and stating "Of course it is trivially true that P=NP" is NOT a dealbreaker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 Got my subject GRE score today and I did surprisingly well, all things considered. (I crushed the general GRE, not that it really matters at all as far as I can tell.) So I guess I'm moving forward with my applications! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted October 15, 2016 Author Share Posted October 15, 2016 Nice! Good luck! (Though I also just saw an article that the Astronomy Association had put out a recommendation that GRE's be phased out in admissions, which I guess is a positive long term trend but doesn't matter for the immediate future.) I did better than I expected on the GRE as well, so, yeah, onwards it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrim Fox Cauthon Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 On 10/14/2016 at 9:19 PM, Happy Ent said: Another red flag: “I don’t really know what to do with my life, so I thought I’d try this.” You need to signal determination, or at least willingness to lie about it. I would also add that any and all candidates should avoid using the word 'passion.' You can have determination (or a willingness to lie about it) without having to use the word "passion" to talk about your academic aspirations. 1) It's overused to the point of triteness. 2) No one cares about whether you have a passion for the field, but whether or not you can make positive, intelligent contributions to the field. 3) As such, the word signals that you view the field or getting the PhD as some sort of casual hobby. 4) The PhD process will beat the 'passion' out of you, so you better have something other than passion to get you through the rigors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Ent Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 2 hours ago, Matrim Fox Cauthon said: I would also add that any and all candidates should avoid using the word 'passion.' +1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyelesbarrow Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Thanks to all for the helpful advice! Hah, good thing the word passion makes me cringe. Like moist. A part of my methodological approach is fairly new to me, something that I encountered only in the latter stages of my thesis writing. The 2 supervisors are quite experts on it and I have started reading bits and pieces of it recently. What's the best way of navigating my lack of solid knowledge on this part if it comes up during the interview? I know that they do not expect me to be an expert on everything but at least I do not want to sound like a fool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Ent Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 If you started reading bits already, you’re fine. Remember: Do not lie. If you have progressed far enough to intelligently identify some missing prerequisite, that would be great: “You, it’s clear that this project would involve artificial fertilisation of young beeches a lot. I think I have the process for angiosperms pretty much internalised because of my internship at the Arboreal Indulgence facility last summer. But for gymnosperms I seem to be missing necessary linear algebra; I assume that would be an obvious candidate for course-work in my first term.” Be precise, realistic, determined, etc. Know what you don’t know, and signal willingness to remedy that. Use “By the way, how does the credit transfer system with the math department work,” smiling winningly at the head of studies who has been so far irrelevant in the interview. This puts the ball on the other side of the court. After all, this interview is about both sides pretending to be interested in the other side. (Of course, you should try to avoid smirking when talking about arboreal reproduction.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 On 10/15/2016 at 0:34 AM, Datepalm said: Nice! Good luck! (Though I also just saw an article that the Astronomy Association had put out a recommendation that GRE's be phased out in admissions, which I guess is a positive long term trend but doesn't matter for the immediate future.) I did better than I expected on the GRE as well, so, yeah, onwards it is. Yep, at least one of the schools on my list has already removed the subject GRE as a requirement. However, since I'm so far out from my undergrad I actually am reporting it anyway to show that I'm not completely clueless re: physics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 I've been wondering about taking specifically linear algebra for the whole apps process (at undergrad level at Open U, then could serve as the necessary pre-req for MA spatial econometrics, which I actually want to take in and of itself). My maths history is weak and I'm sure it stands out, though whether that surety is in my head or not, I don't know. But I wonder if there's any point to it (re the whole application thing, not in the general sense of learning things.) I won't have grades for those classes before applications are due, but its something I could mention as a potential corrective of sorts to my messy BA (particularly in the mathy stuff) in statement-of-purposes, but I then wonder if that just looks hokey - like why don't I list my Duolingo and Khan Academy badges while I'm at it. Grrr overthinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted November 10, 2016 Author Share Posted November 10, 2016 This thing never ends, does it? It's like a constant rolling crisis of uncertainty and self-doubt. Got through the GRE. Did the speaking to the people. Now I need to wrangle recommendation letters, which are less of a thing here. What do I do with 'oh just write it yourself, I'll sign whatever you like.' ? There's no way that's not going to be a weak, transparent, generic letter. Sigh, off to find someone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Ent Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 14 hours ago, Datepalm said: What do I do with 'oh just write it yourself, I'll sign whatever you like.' ? You say “thank you” and do it. The reasons lazy professors say it like this is because they really can’t be bothered to find the data themselves. LoR-letter writing is hard work. Consider the passage “Datepalm took my Comparative Fertiliser class in 2006 and received an A+ for her project work on the side effects of robotic over-pollination, finishing best of her class. She is serious, well-prepared, and communicates very clearly. In 2007, she accompanied me on an excursion to the Brasilian rain forest, where…“ And so on. The final paragraph contains superlatives, which are easily written (and which the professor will change if you overstep, so you might as well turn it up to 11). But the first part (with the facts) is difficult. From the prof’s POV you are one of countless students, and he may not even remember you, nor which class or project. It takes annoying time to find that information again. Which grade did student X get in course Y in year Z? That kind of information is almost impossible for the prof to find, but trivial for X. That’s why I ask you to write the LoR. Then I’ll edit it, and sign it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Luckily, my recommenders didn't ask me to do it. I would have found it very uncomfortable--and on at least one application I had to sign an affidavit that I hadn't written any portion of the letter myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted November 12, 2016 Author Share Posted November 12, 2016 ^^^That. I'm also not sure what is really supposed to even go on a recommendation letter, what tone its supposed to take, etc. I don't think I've had to have one before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Ent Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 Now you’re artificially inventing obstacles. I have sympathies for that mindset (I suffer from the same), but it’s a mind-killer. Remove it from your emotional arsenal, one opportunity at a time. (You will never defeat it. That’s not the goal. The goals are concrete and external.) Somebody just extended trust to you. Take it. Google “Letter of recommendation” maybe with “for graduate school”. You will find maybe a dozen different formats and tones. Pick one that you like. (If you want my opinion: I am a sucker for concrete, verifiable, data. So I’ll take one in the style I sketched 3 posts above. Just list the contexts in which the prof has met you, from the prof’s perspective. If there are grades to brag about, do that, and explain it. (”The grade גדול, which is the best grade in that class.”) Be precise, include as much data as you can (dates, grades, title of course, title of project, place of excursion, etc.) If you can tone these things to the applied-for position, you’re golden. (“In particular, Datepalm’s very high marks in X would be perfect for the position in Y, because of Z.”) Somebody who reads the application wants it to be (i) concrete and (ii) tailor-made. If you prof has too much time, he’ll run that extra mile (actually finding out which courses you took, and which bloody position you apply for.) But most profs have better things to do. LoR-writing is exhausting and time-consuming (if done well). For exactly the reasons that make it trivial for the student to do herself. The final paragraph is “I strongly suggest considering Datepalms application in X. She is blah, blah, and blah. Please do not hesitate to contact me for further details.” Finish the letter, with dates, addresses, etc. All the boring stuff. You then show up at the prof’s office, and hand over the text, electronically. (Email that you send from your phone right there.) “I was unsure about what to do with the final paragraph, and I assume you want to change it completely.” (geeky, disarming smile.) “Look, I really appreciate you doing this for me. Is there anything else I can do to help?” He or she will then change the adjectives and (if they are like me) turn up the superlatives to 11 (if they mean it and can actually remember who you bloody are) or damn you with faint praise (“always showed willingness to improve her grades and was aware of the possibilities for change in her work ethics or view on R Scott Bakker.”) If this takes more than 2 minutes for you prof, it will not get done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 7 hours ago, Happy Ent said: Now you’re artificially inventing obstacles. I have sympathies for that mindset (I suffer from the same), but it’s a mind-killer. Remove it from your emotional arsenal, one opportunity at a time. (You will never defeat it. That’s not the goal. The goals are concrete and external.) I am reminded of my grandfather, who my parents helpfully cited today when I tried to explain what I was doing. "Who are we," he said, when they decided to go on the list to go on the list, etc, to buy a Zaparozhets in 1985, "to be having a car?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 For anyone not inclined to therapy, I can recommend PhD applications. Less time, less money, far more careful examination of ones psyche, motivations, goals, weaknesses, etc. One person told me my research proposal seems like I'm scared of commitment. And, at this point, that even made sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Well I appear to have accidentally gotten in to one of my schools, which means now I actually have to make some very hard and very big decisions about the course of my life here soon. Guess the application process isn't completely unnavigable! Six more to go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Congratulations, Starkess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Congrats! Is it far away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.