Questions to ask at interviews part 2: Getting the right information
Optica Blog
Questions to ask at interviews part 2: Getting the right information
Optica Ambassadors Alessandra Carmichael-Martins (Class of 2022), Linhui (Lynn) Yu (Class of 2021) and Richard Zeltner (Class of 2022)
In “Questions to ask at interviews part 1,” we presented a list of questions job candidates should ask themselves before an interview—both for PhD and industry positions. Once a candidate has determined what they need from a future job, it’s time to ask the questions to find out if a job is right for you. You can—and should—ask questions of your own in an interview!
Choosing the next steps in your career can be challenging and even overwhelming. Asking the right questions helps you to make sure the job you are interviewing for matches your needs and values. We have compiled a list of possible questions to help job seekers navigate a PhD or Industry interview.
Click the toggles below to view questions you might want to ask when interviewing for a PhD position:
Reasons to consider the position
- What can I do with a Ph.D. that I cannot do with an MSc? What are the job opportunities after a Ph.D. in this field?
- Where are the former lab students now and what do they do? Are they in industry or academia? Would it be possible to contact them to ask their opinions?
- If there have been no former students, what type of position do you feel most comfortable preparing students for?
Prerequisites and expectations to complete a PhD
- What is the project about? How did it start and what is the goal of the lab regarding this project?
- How many groups are active in this field worldwide? Is the field well-established or still in the process of emerging?
- What are the typical expectations or standards for a student to finish their Ph.D. at this institution and this lab? What is the average duration of a Ph.D. program here? How is it structured?
- What type of previous training or experience (such as programming, mathematics, biology, statistics, building optical systems, working with human subjects/animals, etc.) would be most valuable for working in this lab?
- Is teaching and/or demonstrating courses possible, a requirement or not recommended? What teaching time commitment is involved?
Work environment
- How big is the lab, and how is it run? Are there frequent lab meetings? How are each person’s responsibilities discussed and evaluated? Are there regular one-on-one meetings with the PI? How often is the PI in the lab and what is their main role when they are there?
- What would you think is the responsibility of a PI to the student?
- What is the relationship between the supervisors and the rest of the lab? What type of activities, if any, are usually carried out outside the work environment?
- What are the typical working hours per week? Do lab members usually work on weekends and/or late evenings?
- What is your idea of a work-life balance? How many days off are available per year? How are those requested and who approves them? What is the procedure to deal with severe disruptions due to health or personal matters? What resources are there for mental health?
- How are projects assigned and distributed among the lab members? Do students collaborate with other students and/or postdocs?
- Who is responsible for starting to write a new manuscript for publication? What are the criteria for work attribution and author order for conference contributions and publications? How many papers do PhDs/Postdoc publish on average? What is the average impact factor of the journals of this field for a first publication?
- How flexible is the project? How much of the project will be self-directed? Is there a backup plan for this project? How feasible is it to change projects if something goes wrong or it is just not for me? Is it possible to work on experiments that don’t fall directly under the scope of the project? What are the conditions or boundaries for this?
- What is the vision for the lab in the next 5 years?
Funding and travel
- How is this project funded? How does the salary compare to other funded PhDs? How much funding is available for equipment and supplies? Is there funding available to purchase equipment for side projects or to carry out ideas not directly related to the project?
- How long is the funding guaranteed? If it ends before finishing the Ph.D. or postdoc, what are the possibilities? Is it required or encouraged to apply for individual funding?
- How much funding is available for travel to conferences, and what is covered in these cases? How many conferences do Ph.D. and postdocs usually attend per year? Which conferences does the lab usually participate in?
- Are research visits or secondments at other institutions possible and/or recommended? Which institutions (academic on industry) does this lab collaborate with and which ones are available for a research stay? How are these stays funded?
Thesis writing and defense
- Who are the supervisors? If more than one, what role does each one play? What is the procedure if there are disagreements between the supervisors?
- What are the most common challenges students face to finish their PhDs? Have there been dropouts recently? If so, what was their reason to leave and are they still doing research?
- When is it recommended to start writing the thesis and how long have others usually taken?
- Are there any requirements or recommendations on how many peer-reviewed publications one should have before finalizing the thesis?
- Does the PI read and comment on the entire thesis? Who else is/can be involved in this process?
- Is there a continuous evaluation of any kind (Stage transfer, qualifying exam, etc.)?
Career Development
- What is the general approach to mentorship? What soft skills do you try to teach your students?
- What role did the PI play in the advancement of their former students to their next positions? What role does the PI play in their student’s career beyond their PhD/Postdoc?
- How and when are presentations prepared?
- Is there guidance and encouragement to become a reviewer and writing/applying for grants?
- Do the supervisors support and encourage being involved in student chapters and outreach events?
For postdocs: Path to independence
- How many recent postdoc fellows in this group secured tenure track positions in the countries/regions you are interested in?
- Do the PI/Department support postdoc fellows to apply for grant opportunities as a PI?
- Would the PI support/allow a postdoc to continue their research in the same field when the postdoc becomes independent?
- e. How much collaboration does the mentor expect to happen?
- Df. Is there any opportunity to gain teaching and mentoring experience?
When interviewing for an Industry position, possible questions include:
About the position and getting started
- What are the day-to-day responsibilities?
- What are the expected working hours per week? Is it common for people in this role to do over hours?
- How self-directed am I in this role?
- With which internal (colleagues) and external (partners or customers) stakeholders will I have to interact on a regular basis?
- How close is the interaction with my colleagues, e.g., does the role include a lot of teamwork?
- On how many different projects/tasks will I be involved in at a given time, e.g., is it a position in which I can focus on a single task, or will I have to jump between different tasks/projects frequently?
- Does the position include frequent traveling?
- Is a home office possible? If so, to what extent?
- What does the onboarding process look like? Are there any seminars or workshops I will have to attend to qualify for the position?
- How does this employer deal with intellectual property? Is it possible to publish/present the work as research papers/white papers/patents?
- Are there any professional development opportunities? (E.g., taking courses, attending workshops, etc.)
About the team and the supervisor
- What is the size of the team I will be working with?
- What are the roles, responsibilities, backgrounds, and experience levels of all teammates?
- How does the team meet and exchange information?
- Who is going to be my supervisor/direct report? How long have they been in this position?
- Is there a lot of fluctuation in the group or reorganization of the teams? If so, what are typical reasons people leave or join?
About the company
- What are the biggest challenges the company currently faces?
- What are the company’s goals for the next 5 years?
- What is the work atmosphere like? How do people interact with each other?
- What kind of digital tools does the company use in day-to-day life like electronic lab books, shared calendars, Slack, etc?
Financial and administrative aspects
- What are the components of employee compensation/Are there any additional benefits the company provides in addition to the salary, e.g., annual subscriptions for public transport, support with potential relocation, health insurance, retirement saving plans, on-site childcare, etc.?
- Are there any bonus programs, e.g., performance bonuses, Restricted Stock Units refresher?
- How does the company deal with over hours? Are they paid out or can they be transformed into additional vacation days?
- How many paid vacation days and sick days are available? Is it usually possible to take them according to my preferences? Are there any company holidays in which I am obliged to take some of my holidays?
- What are the policies on maternity and parental leave, as well as family care and medical leave?
- Do I need to sign a non-compete clause?
About the perspective and feedback culture
- What are the common career paths after moving on from this role? Where have successful employees who have previously been in this position progressed to?
- What does the feedback culture within the team look like? Would you say that it is a safe space for open, honest, and constructive feedback?
- What is the performance review like? If I perform well, what are my options for vertical or horizontal change within the company?
- Is there support available from the company to take part in training programs to help me qualify for future positions?
- How frequently will I receive detailed feedback from my supervisor?
Picking just a handful of the above questions can help ensure you land not just a job, but the right job to fulfil your personal and career goals! Remember that if any of these topics are unnegotiable for you, you may ask for it in writing. We will be back tomorrow with“Questions to ask at interviews part 3: advice from experienced job hunters.” Stay tuned!
