I have been encouraged to write down what I remember from my fellowship interview experience... the best, most helpful resources are first-hand accounts of interview questions and environments, and it would be good karma for me to help the next person in my shoes. So, I will sum up a bit of what happened last week before I forget (apologies for the long post).
Before the interview, I prepared. A lot. I knew that this would be my first proper, formal interview with a panel and a presentation and a grilling. For grad school I met with individual PIs in their lab offices. For my post doc, we chatted over a pint during a conference in Stockholm. But now I would need a suit. And a haircut. And concise answers.
My Cardiff lab was the obvious first support mechanism to lean on. I sent an email around to the heads of my lab and some other academics in the department that I knew, asking if they would be willing to hold a mock interview. Three were free, and we scheduled it for about 1.5 weeks before the real deal. This was probably a wise timeline, because I was forced to make my three powerpoint slides and get the rhythm of a 5-minute presentation settled well in advance, leaving time for subtle improvements. The three of them discussed matters while I waited in the hallway, I was invited into the CUBRIC seminar room, and the charade began. We all kept a straight face and serious attitude until Derek asked a rather ridiculous question along the lines of 'but isn't brain imaging like painting with fog?' (which he really was asked in a recent high level interview!) In retrospect, I can say that this mock interview was quite similar to the real thing (although with intentionally pointed and aggressive questions), and I would thoroughly recommend that everyone go through the process.
I also had extensive practice sessions with Dave: sitting in an Oxford cafe or walking along the canal, I would go through my talk or answer 'stock' interview questions about 5-year plans or teaching abilities. Dave's ear is acute and we could spend minutes working on the wording of a single sentence in my response. The particulars of the language were key in setting the tone of my answers. It was exhausting, but I started to state things in the positive, rather than beginning with a weak or negative point. I started to have more assertive, confident wording. I know that I can walk in a room confidently, and have always been able to cope well with public speaking and being on a stage, but I realize now that I lose this confidence when discussing my science. It might be how we are trained: all science has limitations and could be proven all wrong with the next experiment, so it is natural to downplay our ideas. But for an interview, I needed to get over my unease at salesmanship and convince my audience that I am competent and capable of doing what I propose to do (which, by the way, is scientifically brilliant).
I printed out practice interview questions from the internet. I wrote down phrases that I wanted to remember. I practiced my talk until it was 4 minutes and 20 seconds, reliably. And then I got a train up to Nottingham a day before the interview for some final contact with the scientists I was collaborating with there. These contacts could provide me with the missing link: what specific words and concepts would best fit with the politics of the University of Nottingham? And finally, I had a nice chat with a woman who successfully got this fellowship two years ago, and who could tell me the details about what to expect in the interview.
Of course, it was nothing like she predicted for me! I got a taxi from my hotel to the special HR campus, and waited about an hour in the Costa Coffee for my slot to begin. My passport and visa were photocopied, I checked my hair and used the bathroom, and walked through the door to find only five interviewers plus one administrator taking notes. The pro-VC for research headed the session, sitting centrally. I was introduced to everyone else, but promptly forgot all their names (whoops! nerves!). I believe that one woman was a theoretical chemist, while two men and the last woman were medically trained. I presented (4 minutes and 55 seconds, the pro-VC said in a pleased manner, to which I responded with a little self-congratulatory fist bump). Then I sat down facing the panel for the grilling.
First up, the medics. How does inflammation enter into my study of fatigue and exercise? Well, this was a science question I had not prepared for, and I am not an expert in MS, but I think I handled it well. Could I explain more about what aspects of the imaging protocol would be new? What would these results actually do to impact treatment? I was able to answer these questions, bringing in some of the talking points I knew I wanted to get across. I generally received nods. I felt calm. I think science questions are much, much more calming than the alternatives!
Then, the remaining two asked questions. The pro-VC wanted to know what drew me to this fellowship. This was a slight variant of the expected question of 'What will you do with this award' or 'Why should we give it to you.' This was followed up by the classic 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years' question that I had practiced. Shockingly, the chemist asked 'How many people would be in your ideal research group?' when I had teased Dave for asking me that exact question in our practice sessions. [ Thank you Dave. I didn't blink. And I had an answer. Hug. ]
Towards the end, things got slightly more odd. The chemist asked me if, given that I mentioned a lot of physics in my proposal, I would feel comfortable supervising a supervisor in PHYSICS... when I replied that my undergrad degree was in physics, and although some refreshing would be necessary I would enjoy the opportunity to teach in this area, the panel exchanged very confused looks. I had the suspicion that none of them had read even the basic CV information on the first page of my application. Perhaps that worked to my advantage, and I had convinced them entirely of being a biomedical researcher with the pleasant surprise at the end that I could 'speak physics' as a bonus. Then, when I was given time at the end of the interview to ask my own questions, I asked about what existed at the university to support early career researchers, and what would be available to me as part of this fellowship program. Bizarrely, the pro-VC started talking about Penny Gowland at the MRI center who would probably be an excellent resource for discussing research. The same Penny Gowland that I have worked with in developing this proposal and who is named as a collaborator in the application. I tried to keep the confusion out of my eyes and was relieved when the two women, seated at the two ends of the table, jumped in with descriptions of mentoring schemes.
In the end, it was over very quickly. I waited in the Costa coffee for another half hour before getting a bus back to the main campus. I must have been the third of three candidates in the morning, and the woman medic on the panel ended up on the same bus as me. She assured me her role in the decision was over, so we had a really nice chat about research possibilities surrounding my area of imaging expertise. On that positive note, I went back to the
MR center, debriefed the relevant people there, sat in on a seminar, chatted with the visiting scientist, and then headed back into town. My new shoes were thoughtful enough to not give me a blister until the very last ten minutes of the day.
Special thanks to all the people who helped me prepare, especially Dave, who voluntarily walked the fine line between making me work hard and being lovely and supportive. Thanks also to Lara, who happened to be in Nottingham that week, and who spirited me away to a calming dinner near my hotel the night before the interview. She and Sian also took me out for post-interview food and drinks before my train back to Cardiff, and listened to me ramble as my pent-up energy was released.
Phew, so that was the interview. It was a very educational experience, and it would appear that I did well! More to come on future plans soon.
