Imperial College PhD Student Interview

Interview Details – After application, a general panel interview was conducted. This consisted of a presentation on research experience, a small panel of interviewers who asked questions on my experience, my impressions of biological research and why I wanted to continue my academic career in Microbiology. The interview questions were fairly general and were mainly discussion starters. After having passed that initial interview I then picked a supervisor and went for a 1:1 interview with him. That was a much more relaxed affair having already been selected for a position in the faculty. The interview revolved around my experience and plans for the future and questions about the research topics I was most interested in.

My advice for people going to interview would be to read all the papers published by the interview panel if you can get their names and also the supervisors of the various research topics you're interested in. Be candid about the research process as for the most part it's a dull affair, and also show that you've got the graft to stick it out for four years and can achieve something in the face of adversity.

Negotiation Details – I waited about two weeks before accepting the offer as I was waiting to see what other offers I might get in from other interviews. I would say that two weeks was about the maximum they were prepared to wait and they were in frequent contact to see if I had decided. I didn't impact my position in the slightest, however.