7 Tips To Ace Your Data Science PhD Interview

Office Hours

It’s that time of year when prospective PhD students are interviewing for PhD positions to start next academic year. Over the past week I’ve interviewed around 40 prospective students. Every year the calibre of applicants just seems to get better and better. I’m continually amazed by all of the cool things students have been doing, not only as part of their degrees but beyond as well. That said, don’t let the high standards put you off. If you’re invited to interview then you’re one of these students too!

Here are a few tips to ace your PhD application interview. My focus is on PhD interviews in Data Science, although many of these tips apply generally.

1. What’s your motivation? If you haven’t asked yourself this already, the PhD selection panel certainly will! A PhD is a long haul, so you need to go into it for the right reasons. I’m sure you will have given this considerable thought already but make sure you consider not only why you want to do a PhD in general but why the particular PhD programme you are applying to is the right one for you. Last week I saw some students’ eyes really light up when they explained why the particular PhD programme we were interviewing for was the perfect match for them, naturally listing off all the aspects of the programme and how it related to their interests (which was further validated by related past experiences shown in their CV).

2. Prepare Read up on the PhD programme you’re applying for. If you can talk to current PhD students then great but all you really need to do is read the website or related prospectus. You’d be amazed at how many students don’t do this. While this background information will be very useful in helping you select an appropriate PhD programme, it will also ensure you’re able to demonstrate that you understand what you’re getting yourself into and that you’ve considered why such a programme is a good match for you. While knowing about the programme won’t win you a position, not knowing about what you’re applying for can certainly lose you a position. And if you’re applying for a specific research project… research it. No need to become an expert in the field – after all, that is what a PhD is for – but do some background reading on the project so that you can demonstrate your interest.

3. Have a good (relevant) story to tell If you’re interviewing for a Data Science PhD, then chances are you’ll be asked about a project you’ve done in the past. This can often be any project: a masters, undergrad, summer, internship, hobby project or anything really. So come with a project in mind that best demonstrates your expertise and suitability for the PhD programme to which you’re applying. Think beforehand about what parts of the project really demonstrate the skills that you think might be useful for the PhD. At least some members of the panel won’t be familiar with the background of your project, so set the context and provide a gentle but brief background. It can help to discuss your project beforehand with a friend for practice.

4. Stay on topic and be succinct The interview panel have a lot of interviews to get through. They want to get as much information from you as possible in a very short space of time. Do try to answer their questions as thoroughly as possible but don’t waffle. Get your main points across and then move on to the next questions.

5. Be authenticTell us your hopes, dreams, aspirations, and fears. Don’t tell us what you think we want to hear. If you did something like a job or project that didn’t turn out so well, say so. Tell us why. Tell us what you learned. Tell us what you would do differently next time. Don’t come up with excuses for why it was actually the best thing ever if that clearly isn’t the case. Last week we asked a student about an unusual career choice they had made that, on the face of it, didn’t make much sense. The student explained that they thought their unusual career move might help them achieve a long term dream… of becoming an astronaut! Needless to say the interview panel were impressed.

6. We want you to do well The interview panel want you to do well. If you say something that doesn’t appear to be justified they may call you up on it but generally they are not trying to trip you up. They want to make sure they get a complete understanding of your background and expertise. Often they will ask you leading questions to give you the opportunity to elaborate on points made in your CV or other supporting documents. Take the opportunity and run with it.

7. You’re not an imposterInterviews can be a nerve racking experience but they really needn’t be. The interview panel just want to get to know you a little, understand your background, skills, and interests, and see if you’re a good fit for the programme. Imposter syndrome is very common and some students do get quite nervous before an interview. But remember you wouldn’t be invited for an interview in the first place if you didn’t deserve it. So relax and try to enjoy a simple chat with a few people who want to get to know you a little better.

Good luck!