Hi everyone, I have a biology PhD interview in a couple of weeks, just wondering what kind of thing they ask (apart from the obvious like why do you want to do this project and what experience do you have), and generally what your interview experiences were like, what is the most random thing you've heard of happening/being asked in an interview?

I have personally only had good experiences - although they can be a little daunting - and sometimes take a while to get back to you - so I would ask when you should expect to hear - this gives you a definate date you can phone in if you have not heard

My best advice would be to have a clear idea of why you want to do the PhD in their field. It will help if you have some knowledge of their work - In my experience, they will do most of the talking telling you about the project and their work - It will help greatly if you understand their work first and it'll make the interview less awkward for you.

Read the project description - keeping in mind their research interests - and if you know some of the techniques it allows you to ask questions about how the project will be carried out and the specific aims of the project - deadlines - do they expect papers to be published - do they collaborate with any other unis (this may give you good travelling experiences and bulks up your c.v.), conferences you expect to attend and posters you'll be expected to produce

Without being arrogant, you might want to try and act like they have to account to you as well - Its the next 3-4 years of your life and if you are really interested, you'll want to know that the goals they have set out are realisitic and achievable, and mainly what their plan is for publications?

I think a lot of supervisors will prob tell you you'll spend the first 6 months reading up which you could make in to a review. but in my expereince this rarely transpires (the review not the reading) - so it'll be a good idea to get their opinion on when you'll be publishing research based publications and always aim your research towards publication - it is so important that you publish - if you get a t least 1 first author publication it makes grant and job applications much easier

Good luck for the interview

S

Cheers for that, lots of good advice have been reading up on the project, apparently it is the same interview board for a number of projects and my potential supervisor might not even be on it so am now thinking questions are probably going to be more general...

There have been quite a few posts along this theme in the past, it might be worth using the search function to have a look Good luck with your interview

Just remembered I did have one bad experience,

I had an interview arranged (during the final year of my undergrad) with a supervisor in Edinburgh- we had had various contacts over the 2 month period before the interview, but on the Friday before the interview she emailed me and told me to make a presentation of my final year project (I hadn't even done this for the course yet)- I presumed it would be just to show her and made a 10 min presentation - but had no real time to prep it.

When I got to the interview - she showed me a presentation of hers which was fine - then I asked if she'd like to see my presentation - at which point she said not yet, and that said I'd be presenting it to the department - and she had invited along the whole department.

It went okay - but I didn't get the job - Doh!

Hi, I have ehard all interviews are different but in case it helps, I have just had one interview for a biology-related project. I asked lots of questions about the projects, about their techniques etc. I think this looked good, cos it showed I was interested. They asked me a few technical questions about the subject, about my hobbies, about what my goals are in life, why I want to do a PhD, asked about my current disseration... basically they were looking for enthusiasm and interest and a willingness to learn (I was honest about the fact I wasn't enourmously familiar with the field they were researching but said I would like to learn!) Just be yourself and be enthusiastic about your current studies, and about their project, and do a bit of background reading about their work would be a good idea...