Answering interview questions for your postdoc applications can be scary and overwhelming. Being focused on YOUR goals and ambitions will help you stay grounded. Be open to learning and to new things, however, keep in mind that you are there to interview THEM as well. This is about pursuing your dreams and wishes.

Nobody knows your research better than you. What are they going to do? Trip you up? On YOUR research? Nah… even if they do, they are not out to get you. You will learn something from the experience. Even if they are out to get you, what do you care? You will go somewhere else. They are not worth it, then.

In an earlier post, I shared the research statement I wrote to become a finalist in a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship competition called the Owen Chamberlain Postdoctoral Fellowship at Berkeley Lab. Many readers have found this post useful so I wanted to point it out here.

Quick takeaways for answering interview questions

• Even before applying for postdocs, establish what you care about and why. This needs to be crystal clear in your head. Sometimes, a research statement or cover letter is written more broadly, but there should be no doubt in your mind about what makes you tick. This is important as should you get an interview call, you will be asked to elaborate on your interest, and no matter how much you try to beat around the bush, YOUR interest needs to a) exist and b) be communicated.
• Write about what you would like to do in the postdoc position. Write in as much detail as possible. This is just for you, not for the research statement. Get good at explaining what you would like to do during your time in the position as a postdoc. Great ideas are quickly chucked when they are not understood. If people cannot understand you or your idea, it won’t work. They won’t be sold on it. So, get good at explaining your idea or proposal for research and be prepared to answer specific questions about it.
• Learn what you can about the culture and values of the organization or group that you are interviewing with. The more you can relate everything you have so far to how you will add value to not only the specific group but the whole department or organization the better off you will be as far as securing funding, aka, the position. Sometimes, if a professor likes you and wants you to have the position but can’t pay for you, they might be able to convince the department to chip in and help pay for you. In that case, it would help if you make a good impression with that department as a whole. So, doing your homework on the organization or department as a whole would be worthwhile.

If you got a copy of my book How to Land Your Dream Postdoc: The Insider’s Guide: Postdoc Interview Questions, Successful Research Statement, Cover Letter, and Job Talk, please consider giving it a rating. If you need a free copy, let me know in the comments and stay tuned to this blog. I will let you know when it is free.