Interview Flashcards
Tell us about yourself
- Talk about your academic background, motivation, and interests. You don’t have to get into the details at this point, just give an overview.
*Say a little about your background, where you’re from and what your interests are. Don’t be afraid to relate these to your academic specialism and your choice of university.
If something specifically inspired you to consider a PhD, mention it. If there’s something that’s attracted you to this city as well as the university, say so. (There’ll be plenty of time to talk up the institution and its research later).
Example: I’ve always been interested in discovering how things work, but my time as an undergraduate opened my eyes to the excitement and wider benefit of science. I had the chance to do some original research on my Masters and that’s inspired me to take up the challenge of a PhD. I’m also a keen hiker and amateur naturalist, so I’d love to combine my studies here with the chance to visit the local area.
Saeed: reasons for bad scores in bachelor: i had to work + i didn’t like accounting. / talk about the reasons that you have been interested in … when you were a student
i have always been curious about things related to improving employees conditions. which styles of leadership are suitable for followers? how we can motivate the employees? how we can reduce the employee turnover? how much family issues impact on people at work? how we can provide a situation in which employees can help each other without expectation? these questions made me interested in HR, OB, OP.
Why do you want to do a PhD?
I am really interested in researching
I can say that I can be really useful in this job because i do my best whenever i want to do a research. I’m not like this in other fields.
I am really passionate about teaching. i Think that this way is good to get what i want. i really establish a strong connection with my students. I am still in connection with my students that i have in two years ago!
becoming a professor in HR-OB-OP in a great university is such a great thing that is worth whatever i do
having interaction with international students, improving my knowledge, sharpen my intellect and broaden my mindset.
Why are you interested in this program?
What drew you to this program and this school? Does it have a unique feature or take a different approach than other programs? Are there certain professors you are interested in working with? Your answer to this questions shows you have done some research and are ready to engage in the department. It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate that you don’t just want a PhD, you want one from this school
What experience makes you a good candidate?
Talk about courses you have taken that have taught you the necessary skills for graduate work or give examples of past research experience from your Bachelor’s or Master’s.
Whatever your situation, this is a good place to talk a bit about your previous work at undergraduate or Masters level. The panel already knows the grades you received, but now you have the chance to talk about what you actually did on those degrees. Show passion and give examples
ex: I’ve been interested in this topic since the final year of my undergraduate degree. This lead to my choice of Masters and helped me pick my dissertation topic, which I really enjoyed. I’m really excited to now go on and do some sustained research in this area as a PhD student.
Saeed:
In my master degree i got the first rank among the students of master program. I have 2 articles. and a paper waiting for the result of revision.
How did you develop this proposal?
There are no trick questions here. The interviewer wants to see that you are engaged with the field and spent some time preparing your proposal. Take them through your thought process and discuss the background reading and research you did. What other approaches did you consider before deciding on this one? What will your project contribute to the field?
What difficulties would you expect to encounter during this project?
No matter how carefully you plan, no project goes off without a hitch. Be honest about where you see potential difficulties, but more importantly discuss how you plan to work through them.
how that you’ve put some thought into the approach necessary for your research and the methodology you might use.
Don’t be afraid to identify problems you aren’t yet certain how to solve (the best way to organise some data, the authors to include in your initial survey of texts, etc) but suggest how you might go about investigating them.
This is also a good time to mention any training needs (if you haven’t already) and speak about how you plan to take advantage of development opportunities within your programme.
ex: I can see that some of the archival material I’ll need to examine for this project may be difficult to access. My first task will be to request permissions, arrange visits and develop a system for recording my findings. I’m hoping to undertake training in archival practices and seek advice from my supervisor as I develop these key skills early in my project.
Saeed:
i know that i may have problems with taking notes because professors may speak fast i need to record their voice and listen again.
being far from home and family would be really difficult at least for me.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Pick a strength that is relevant to this position and then give a few examples of how you have used it well. When it comes to choosing a weakness, be truthful and then (using examples again) talk about how you have been working to overcome it.
ecaple: I feel that I’m a good written communicator. My existing academic and professional work demonstrates an ability to put forward ideas clearly and concisely. I think this will help me manage the weight of information my PhD research needs to cover and the challenge of producing an effective thesis. But, I’m not always as organised as I’d like to be. I want to address this as part of my postgraduate training and hope to take advantage of classes and development opportunities early in my doctorate.
Saeed:
(+) I really have a strong sense of (feeling) responsibility towards tasks assigned. I don’t like to leave tasks which must be done completely,
(+) Although I’m somewhat a perfectionist, I don’t procrastinate, and “doing” is the most important thing for me.
(+) I really enjoy learning new things about OB,… and everything related to improving employees conditions.
(+) one of my concerns has always been problems that women have at work. working in this field for me, isn’t an ordinary issue, but also is a big concern that can led to my inner satisfaction.
(-) I think that one of weaknesses is that i don’t like to leave the tasks assigned incompletely and it causes that I’m always in a hurry to get things done. but Im working on my patience to overcome this weakness
Tell us about a time you experienced a setback
The interviewer wants to know you are resourceful and can handle these setback. Try to think of an academic challenge you have had to overcome rather than a personal one.
Saeed:
I just had two weeks to prepare my proposal in my master course and I didn’t have any vision about writing a proposal and if we didn’t write it, we had to wait for the next term. A strange thing was that none of our teachers had a plan to teach how to write it. But fortunately I managed it and i told my family that please think that you don’t have a son named saeed for two weeks. and I made a great deal of effort and i did it.
What are your future career plans?
How will a PhD help you achieve your future goals? Someone with a clear goal in mind is likely to be more committed to doing a PhD. For many, the goal will be to pursue an academic career, in which case this is an opportunity to show you understand the academic career path
example: I feel my PhD project can open up new lines of inquiry for this field and want to use it as the foundation for a fruitful research career. But, I’m also interested in the wider development opportunities included in this doctoral programme. I want to be an academic, but I’m happy to keep other options open.
Do you have any questions for us?
Remember that this interview goes both ways. It is important that you have some questions to ask the interviewer to show your engagement and the serious consideration you are giving their program. You are preparing to spend several years of your life at this school. Think about what is important to you and what would make or break your decision to attend this university. Prepare a list of questions ahead of the interview
you’re a good student, with lots of potential. You’re considering at least three years of hard work with this university. You need to know that you’ll get on with your supervisor, that your work will be appreciated and that there are good prospects for your project.
ex
What kind of training and skills sessions are offered as part of the PhD programme?
Will I have opportunities to teach / present / publish?
Are there likely to be any changes to the funding arrangements for the project?
What would you like the impact of this project to be?
‘Impact’ is an increasingly important factor in academic work and this applies to PhD research too – especially if you’re funded.
Even if your panel doesn’t explicitly ask about impact, it’s a good idea to mention what you hope the wider outcome of your project might be. If you are asked this question – and are prepared for it – this is a great chance to get a leg up on the competition.
Impact essentially refers to the measurable effects of research outside academia. It’s a given that your PhD will have an effect on future work in your field. But universities are increasingly focussed on the benefits of their work beyond the ‘ivory tower’ of higher education and research.
This is particularly important if your project is funded. The money supporting your studies will probably have come from public revenues (via a Research Council studentship) or from a large charity or trust. Those organisations will want to make sure their investment is worthwhile.
Examples of impact differ a bit between fields.
If you’re in the Social Sciences you may already have some idea of the ‘outputs’ from your project. These could be educational workshops, policy guidance, etc.
If you’re in Science, Medicine or Engineering you’ll hope to provide economic benefits to industry or to healthcare.
Arts and Humanities PhDs can have impact too. Think about the ways in which you could take part in public engagement (teaching people about local history or archival resources they might not be aware of) and ways you could partner with local schools, or even media companies producing documentary work.
ex
I’m keen to share my passion for this subject with a wider audience. I’m hoping to maintain a public-facing blog documenting my research and would also be keen to approach local schools and museums to discuss educational events.
راجه به این سوال با توجه به موضوع پوزیشن باید جواب بدم. مثلا اگر دایورسیتی بود نتیجه پروپوزالی که مثلا تو ذهنم هست رو بگم
How will you fund this project?
t’s fine to say that you’ll be looking for extra funding and part-time work as you start the project. But make it clear that you’ll still have enough time to apply yourself to the actual research.
ex
I’ve shortlisted external funders and would be keen to investigate any small bursaries or other forms of support through the university. I’ve also made arrangements to work part-time, with the option to adjust this if my funding situation improves.
Why have you chosen to study a PhD at this university?
eel free to mention other aspects of the university that appeal to you – its reputation, its alumni, even its location – but keep the main focus on the fit between your work and their research environment.
Most obviously you can talk about the university and its research. Say why you’d like to study with these supervisors in particular, when you’ve used their work during your Bachelors or Masters (if relevant) and how you can contribute to their future projects.
This is also an opportunity to reiterate your awareness of the wider research context for your project. If other departments or laboratories are undertaking related work, mention that. Say what attracted you to this university in particular and what you hope to achieve as one of its students.
f your PhD is part of a structured Doctoral Programme (as is increasingly likely) you can touch on any training and development opportunities it includes. You may mention these elsewhere in your interview, but make sure to include them when speaking about the university’s appeal to you.
Finally, show an awareness of any relevant research facilities, resources or collections.
ex
I’ve looked at lots of opportunities in this area. I feel that this project is the best of its kind, combining a unique research angle with a training programme that will meet my professional needs. I was already familiar with the work of my prospective supervisor and their research has greatly informed my own development as a scholar. I’m eager to combine my work with theirs and make use of the facilities the university has put together for this project.
ex2
I’m eager to take advantage of the facilities and expertise this university has to offer. But I also want to contribute with my own expertise and enthusiasm. My previous work has given me the skills to make the most of the material involved in this project and I’m motivated to take up new training opportunities as relevant. I’ll be proud to be a part of this department and would actively seek to represent it through my own publications and other research outputs.
Talk about your first article
Talk about your second article
