2019 Internship Interview Prep Thread

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areyoubusy

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Is this a thing? Not sure.
But here we go -- a place to discuss preparatory actions, concerns, excitement...
For instance:
What are you doing to prep?
What are the questions you're most nervous about getting?
What have previous cohorts suggested to you about prep or potential questions you might get?
What questions are you excited to answer?

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Is it cool to bring suitcases to interviews / do they have a place to store them? I am booking flights two hours after interviews end so likely not enough time to go to the hotel to get them...


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Is it cool to bring suitcases to interviews / do they have a place to store them? I am booking flights two hours after interviews end so likely not enough time to go to the hotel to get them...


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Generally speaking, yes. It's been somewhat common at all of the sites I've worked at. Still might be a good question to shoot an e-mail about if they do not cover it in the invite e-mail to make sure.
 
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Good luck everyone! I went through the match last year. Here are some things I remember. Sorry if it sounds obvious, but the stories I've heard...might be worth stating, ha:

-Be prepared at lots of sites to either talk about a case of your own, or to make quick case conceptualizations off of vignettes. IMO, the vignettes I got were pretty basic, usually something you'd expect to see in the population at that site.
-Role playing is a possibility.
-Be nice to everyone of course, might sound silly to even have to state that, but it does make a difference to training directors to see that you are not just a competitive jerk stepping over your possible future colleagues.
-Some sites asked me some interesting questions that weren't related to psychology at all. I want to say one asked me what hobbies I had, what am I working on outside of school, and a pet peeve of mine.
-OH. I wished I knew that some sites more than others will purposely interview you with a neutral, stone face. If you're like me and don't do well with this, remind yourself not to freak out and just keep going.
-Don't ask the current interns anything shady, such as how many people they interviewed, how well they think you did, what questions they will ask (if you already know someone there), etc. You never know if it will get back to the training directors and it does not look good.
-A Skype interview is a real interview. Wear clothes and sit in an environment that reflects your professionalism. Not a hoodie. Or on your bed. True stories.
 
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Is is okay to carry a purse?

It's funny, I would have obsessed over decisions just like this back when I was interviewing. Now, I carry a backpack to job interviews.

(For the record, I think a purse is perfectly acceptable. If they take issue, you probably don't want to go there).

Also, while attire does not seem to be the focus of this thread, I should mention one of the best tips I got from SDN was to buy a mini steamer. That bad boy was clutch while cavorting around the country.
 
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Re-post from the Interview Invite thread:

"The DCT of my program told us that one of the most common questions is the ethical dilemma with a supervisor, and that if we don't have one we will be pressed on giving one with a supervisor, professor, peer, etc. and that some sites will want a dilemma for all of these. I honestly have not have an ethical dilemma with anyone, thus, I was wondering if someone could help me come up with how to answer these?"
 
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Do the sites feed us? I have interviews that start at 7:30am. Should I eat before I get there? Will we know whether they are providing meals or not?
 
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Do the sites feed us? I have interviews that start at 7:30am. Should I eat before I get there? Will we know whether they are providing meals or not?
I went through the cycle last year and all of mine provided breakfast and/or lunch. Some of the sites will email you to let you know they’re providing food when they confirm your interview dates. I brought some granola bars in my bag anyways just in case though!
 
I went through the cycle last year and all of mine provided breakfast and/or lunch. Some of the sites will email you to let you know they’re providing food when they confirm your interview dates. I brought some granola bars in my bag anyways just in case though!
Awesome, thanks so much onwardsandup!

Any idea when we find out which tracks we are interviewing for? I have a site that sent a mass email and I applied to 3 of their tracks. Will they specify before the interview?
 
Do you think it looks bad to not eat the provided lunch? I follow a vegan diet but am all a sudden feeling like if I decline the lunch it looks bad.....
 
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Awesome, thanks so much onwardsandup!

Any idea when we find out which tracks we are interviewing for? I have a site that sent a mass email and I applied to 3 of their tracks. Will they specify before the interview?
For the one site that was unclear to me last year, I found out on the day of. Maybe email the administrator for clarification???

Do you think it looks bad to not eat the provided lunch? I follow a vegan diet but am all a sudden feeling like if I decline the lunch it looks bad.....
Absolutely not. If a site emails you to let you know about food, they often ask about dietary restrictions, so you can always mention to them you follow a vegan diet. Also, I doubt they're judging us based on whether we eat their food.

Edit: Just wanted to add to the above re: food. All of my sites had served food buffet style. So you're free to pick up what you want and don't want.
 
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Do you think it looks bad to not eat the provided lunch? I follow a vegan diet but am all a sudden feeling like if I decline the lunch it looks bad.....

Definitely shouldn’t! We psychologists are trained and expected to be respectful and sensitive to others values, beliefs, practices, etc.


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Definitely shouldn’t! We psychologists are trained and expected to be respectful and sensitive to others values, beliefs, practices, etc.


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Clearly I have totally become out of sorts about this whole process! These are things I know and believe strongly. Haha.
 
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Edit: Just wanted to add to the above re: food. All of my sites had served food buffet style. So you're free to pick up what you want and don't want.

But still tell them your restrictions if prompted. All too often the meat-lovers become spontaneously enchanted by the eggplant, and if they get to the table first, you're SOL. This happened to me during graduate school interviews and a student had to walk with me to the cafeteria, where I had to purchase my own lunch. I came back and stared at the carnivores ogling their gustatory choice for the day. Just typing this has been activating.
 
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How is everyone prepping for interview? I really *need* to focus on that, since my first interview is in less than two weeks!
 
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If a site is asking about a "bad" case/a case that did not go well, what are they usually looking for in an answer?
 
Do the sites feed us? I have interviews that start at 7:30am. Should I eat before I get there? Will we know whether they are providing meals or not?
Current intern here :)

All of my sites offered breakfast and lunch. All but one had coffee in the morning, which if you ask me, was one too many, so if you're like me and need caffeine to be functional, I'd def plan ahead and make sure you have some before you get there. It's also not a bad idea like @onwardsandup mentioned to have snacks in your bag!

If a site is asking about a "bad" case/a case that did not go well, what are they usually looking for in an answer?
Often they want to know what went wrong, what you learned, and what you might do differently if you got a do-over. I think it's an opportunity to see if you can reflect on the parts that you played in things not going well in a non-defensive way, and how you have grown from the experience/how it has shaped your clinical mind.
 
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Do you think it looks bad to not eat the provided lunch? I follow a vegan diet but am all a sudden feeling like if I decline the lunch it looks bad.....
If they are providing lunch, let them know of your dietary needs in advance. They will accomodate you. If they won't (I cant imagine this honestly and have never heard of it), but that would be data.

Remember, they want to convince you to come there too so part of it is them being salespeople.
 
Do you think it looks bad to not eat the provided lunch? I follow a vegan diet but am all a sudden feeling like if I decline the lunch it looks bad.....

Some sites will ask about dietary restrictions. In any case, I would send an email to the administrator or DCT who sent the invitation with a friendly request about options to accommodate your dietary restrictions. Many people have food allergies with lactose, eggs, and fish proteins among the most common after nuts. I am almost certain, they will be accommodating. If not, they’re a bunch of jerks and they don’t deserve you lol ;)



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Some sites will ask about dietary restrictions. In any case, I would send an email to the administrator or DCT who sent the invitation with a friendly request about options to accommodate your dietary restrictions. Many people have food allergies with lactose, eggs, and fish proteins among the most common after nuts. I am almost certain, they will be accommodating. If not, they’re a bunch of jerks and they don’t deserve you lol ;)



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Thanks! Both of my interviews so far have offered me a veg lunch, very accommodating :)
 
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For people applying with protected research time / more research focused programs

Have you been given a schedule regarding who you are interviewing with? I want to be familiar with potential mentor research's but at some of these sites it is vague who the potential mentor would be (e.g., there are multiple people doing research in my area)

Also, do you know the extent to which you need to know your pubs? I have a good amount of pubs and I know my more recent ones and first author ones pretty well, but I am afraid I am going to ask a detailed question about some random 5th author pub written in my second year of grad school.
 
For people applying with protected research time / more research focused programs

Have you been given a schedule regarding who you are interviewing with? I want to be familiar with potential mentor research's but at some of these sites it is vague who the potential mentor would be (e.g., there are multiple people doing research in my area)

Also, do you know the extent to which you need to know your pubs? I have a good amount of pubs and I know my more recent ones and first author ones pretty well, but I am afraid I am going to ask a detailed question about some random 5th author pub written in my second year of grad school.

You may get the schedule in advance, you may not. This really depends, even for the "researchy" sites (because let's face it, it's a clinical internship and you won't be spending a great many hours in a lab). For mutual benefit, sites do try to place you with who you identified, but scheduling constraints will dictate feasibility. For one researchy site I applied to, I was given a schedule in advance and met with all three mentors who I expressed interest in working with in my cover letter, and in fact those were my only interviews. Some others interviewing at the site maybe met with 1 or 2 of those they identified. I would choose 2-3 folks in whom you are interested, do a bit of homework on them, and proceed. If you can't meet with people you wanted to, often you'll be given an option to e-mail or call them (or you can ask).

I think you should know the pubs directly relevant to your major research interests, and definitely know your master's thesis and dissertation like the back of your hand (I assume you do). They are more likely to ask about your 1st author and recent pubs, anyways. Most of the time, usually just your dissertation, because it affects them as well if it's not yet defended.
 
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Do primarily therapy sites ask to interpret assessments? And for sites that are assessment-heavy, how bad does it look if you don’t know how to answer? I’m applying to work with adults only so I’m hoping it’s just MMPI but they could bring out others of course..


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Do primarily therapy sites ask to interpret assessments? And for sites that are assessment-heavy, how bad does it look if you don’t know how to answer? I’m applying to work with adults only so I’m hoping it’s just MMPI but they could bring out others of course..


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I have the same questions (for both clinical and research sites), as well as how often we get the assessment case question, and what people look for in that. Assessment is sadly a weak point of mine.
 
Also, do you know the extent to which you need to know your pubs? I have a good amount of pubs and I know my more recent ones and first author ones pretty well, but I am afraid I am going to ask a detailed question about some random 5th author pub written in my second year of grad school.

Very likely not. I would be prepared to speak in detail about your dissertation and about the publications most relevant to the research at the site where you'll be interviewing. I would not expect to talk in depth about methods or the minutiae of your data.

Remember that if you get to the interview stage you are being evaluated for fit, so what you highlight about your own work should fit with the big picture of why you want to train at that site.
 
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2 questions - both are silly

1. Most of my interviews seem to be all-day affairs starting at 8am. Would it be appropriate to show up with a coffee with me in the morning? :)

2. I've had a nose ring piercing in for going on 7 years. My DCT and my supervisors have never had an issue with it. I've removed it for hospital work, but otherwise have kept it in for any other clinical work. It seems like I should remove it for the interviews, but I feel as though it's disingenuous of who I am. I also have examples of how it's helped me relate to clients in cases as well. Are visible tattoos/piercings a dealbreaker?
 
I'm interviewing this week as well! Good luck!
 
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2 questions - both are silly

1. Most of my interviews seem to be all-day affairs starting at 8am. Would it be appropriate to show up with a coffee with me in the morning? :)

2. I've had a nose ring piercing in for going on 7 years. My DCT and my supervisors have never had an issue with it. I've removed it for hospital work, but otherwise have kept it in for any other clinical work. It seems like I should remove it for the interviews, but I feel as though it's disingenuous of who I am. I also have examples of how it's helped me relate to clients in cases as well. Are visible tattoos/piercings a dealbreaker?

Interviewing this week! Here are some thoughts
1. Coffee = life and I’m sure most psychologists can get that so I personally don’t see that as an issue - just don’t spill!

2. I think there are varying opinions regarding this. I don’t think covering a tattoo or taking out a piercing for an interview is being disingenuous. However, I will say I wouldn’t want my interviewers to remember me as the girl with the nose ring - I’ve removed much of my own jewelry for the interviews just to be on the safe side. If I match with that place then that means they like what I have to offer and I’ll show up day 1 with my jewelry back in.



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Do you guys have any thoughts on whether it is ever ok to send group thank you emails after interviewing? Is it ok to group some of the faculty and maybe group the current interns you met into a separate email? Or should you send each person who interviewed you a separate thank you email? I was thinking of sending a separate email to the TD, a group email to the rest of the faculty who interviewed me, and another group email to the current interns.
 
Do you guys have any thoughts on whether it is ever ok to send group thank you emails after interviewing? Is it ok to group some of the faculty and maybe group the current interns you met into a separate email? Or should you send each person who interviewed you a separate thank you email? I was thinking of sending a separate email to the TD, a group email to the rest of the faculty who interviewed me, and another group email to the current interns.

Any thing is fine. Thank you e-mails, or the lack of them, do not move the needle in rankings at all. I can't honestly remember who did or did not send thank you e-mails afterward, they generally just get auto-deleted if they are not asking a direct follow-up question.
 
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Any thing is fine. Thank you e-mails, or the lack of them, do not move the needle in rankings at all. I can't honestly remember who did or did not send thank you e-mails afterward, they generally just get auto-deleted if they are not asking a direct follow-up question.

Haha that's really good to know, thanks for that feedback! Takes some of the pressure off ;)
 
So what's the consensus on wearing a dress to interviews? My go to interview outfit is a peach colored dress and beige blazer (I half-jokingly call it my lucky outfit). I realize this might not be the best choice for the present interviews, but are dresses frowned upon in general?
 
So what's the consensus on wearing a dress to interviews? My go to interview outfit is a peach colored dress and beige blazer (I half-jokingly call it my lucky outfit). I realize this might not be the best choice for the present interviews, but are dresses frowned upon in general?

I rarely see dresses on interviews. Depending on the dress, it may not be unprofessional, but you would definitely stand out from most applicants clothing-wise.
 
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Any thing is fine. Thank you e-mails, or the lack of them, do not move the needle in rankings at all. I can't honestly remember who did or did not send thank you e-mails afterward, they generally just get auto-deleted if they are not asking a direct follow-up question.

Completely agree. No need to send thank yous at this stage. It really has had no impact on any ranking committee I've been on. If you have a genuine question, then absolutely ask it, but otherwise, no need to say anything. To be honest, I prefer to not get thank yous. If I get them, I feel the need to respond because if I don't respond, I'm afraid the applicant will think "Did they not like me?" "Are they not ranking me??" Or if I send a routine reply, I'm afraid he/she will think "This was a generic response. Do they not like me??" We do a lot of interviews and as a training director, I could potentially get a lot of follow up emails. I'm more than happy to answer questions, but would prefer to not get thank yous so I don't feel the pressure to respond.
 
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As I am prepping for my upcoming interview, I realize something I constantly struggle with in all interviews: what questions do I ask THEM? I have a few site-specific questions along with ones I have for interns, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas of good "stock" questions to have in my back pocket in case I am asked this by multiple people. Not sure why this is so difficult for me to generate, but any and all ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 
As I am prepping for my upcoming interview, I realize something I constantly struggle with in all interviews: what questions do I ask THEM? I have a few site-specific questions along with ones I have for interns, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas of good "stock" questions to have in my back pocket in case I am asked this by multiple people. Not sure why this is so difficult for me to generate, but any and all ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Some of the ones I used when I was on internship interviews were:
-what do you like about working here?
-what makes this site unique or what do you think stands out about this site?
-what qualities make an intern successful at this site?


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As I am prepping for my upcoming interview, I realize something I constantly struggle with in all interviews: what questions do I ask THEM? I have a few site-specific questions along with ones I have for interns, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas of good "stock" questions to have in my back pocket in case I am asked this by multiple people. Not sure why this is so difficult for me to generate, but any and all ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Here's something I found helpful!
Questions to ask.png
Questions to ask interns.png
 
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So what's the consensus on wearing a dress to interviews? My go to interview outfit is a peach colored dress and beige blazer (I half-jokingly call it my lucky outfit). I realize this might not be the best choice for the present interviews, but are dresses frowned upon in general?

A navy blue or black knee-length, 3/4 or long sleeve dress be inappropriate.

The role of the interview is to have a conversation information about qualifications, meet you face to face, and make a decision about your fit for the site.

If you are confident, comfortable, and professional in presentation that’s what matters more.

I’m wearing a dress and if a site didn’t want me because of that more matter how much I liked the site I wouldn’t want to be there! Imagine what other odd and outdated perspective(s) you’d have to deal with during internship!


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Do the sites feed us? I have interviews that start at 7:30am. Should I eat before I get there? Will we know whether they are providing meals or not?

I went through the cycle last year and all of mine provided breakfast and/or lunch. Some of the sites will email you to let you know they’re providing food when they confirm your interview dates. I brought some granola bars in my bag anyways just in case though!

I went through the Match process four years ago, and NONE of the sites I had day-long interviews with provided any food. I think two provided coffee. It seems like now its more customary for sites to provide food (thank goodness), and from the invitations I've received so far, some sites have let me know which meal will be provided and asked about dietary restrictions. If a site doesn't mention it, I would assume that means they are not providing, and pack a lunch and snacks.


How is everyone prepping for interview? I really *need* to focus on that, since my first interview is in less than two weeks!

I am following the same prep I have used throughout my training years and have found effective: I go back and read through the site's website in its entirety, and take notes on what makes them unique and an especially good fit for my experiences and interests. I jot down questions that come up for me while I'm reading, such as more info on a particular training experience they offer. I treat these unique aspects of the site as questions I may be asked, and I write out my answers as to how and why I am a good fit. Then, I go through a long list of typical interview questions I have put together over the years and from questions provided by the internship handbook and by my program. I go through and write down my answers to the ones that require more thought. After each interview, I immediately write down all the questions I was asked and my answers to them, and, a reflective summary of my impressions of the site, their demeanor, etc. It makes it easy to look back when it's time to rank, and remember key points and thoughts about that particular site, and then, you've got yourself a list of interview prep q's for next time (post doc, in this case)!


Do primarily therapy sites ask to interpret assessments? And for sites that are assessment-heavy, how bad does it look if you don’t know how to answer? I’m applying to work with adults only so I’m hoping it’s just MMPI but they could bring out others of course.. Sent from my iPhone

I have the same questions (for both clinical and research sites), as well as how often we get the assessment case question, and what people look for in that. Assessment is sadly a weak point of mine.

I can speak to clinical sites (I was on internship a couple years ago, left internship 9 months in d/t a medical emergency, and have now come back to school and am redoing internship). I interviewed at 9 hospitals and ucc's that last time, and was not asked to interpret assessments. I was asked to provide a preliminary dx twice. The vignettes I was given included one that was typical of a client/patient in that setting, with one added diversity feature; and, a crisis intervention vignette. If you don't know how to answer on the spot, ask for a moment to think it through, and imagine what types of questions you would start to ask to gain more data around the presenting issue (aka intake questions).


As I am prepping for my upcoming interview, I realize something I constantly struggle with in all interviews: what questions do I ask THEM? I have a few site-specific questions along with ones I have for interns, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas of good "stock" questions to have in my back pocket in case I am asked this by multiple people. Not sure why this is so difficult for me to generate, but any and all ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I typically have questions come up for me as I'm reading through their website, and jot them down. Maybe there's a specific training experience they offer that you find particularly interesting - this would be a great way to highlight that you are interested in that learning experience and ask something about it.
 
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So what's the consensus on wearing a dress to interviews? My go to interview outfit is a peach colored dress and beige blazer (I half-jokingly call it my lucky outfit). I realize this might not be the best choice for the present interviews, but are dresses frowned upon in general?

I think it depends on the type of sites you're applying to. I would not wear a skirt or dress to my interviews as I am applying to lock-up/forensic sites (e.g. prison, state hospitals). I, personally, try to stay away from "statement" pieces in terms of colors and jewelry. IMO the reward of pulling off such a look is low (you won't be more likely to be ranked higher because of your clothes) but the risk is high (if they don't like a dress, they may think you don't seem as professional as other candidates).

Myself, I plan on wearing black/blue slacks and coordinating blazers with plain, collared shirts and flats. I might wear earrings. But again, I'm applying to forensic sites.
 
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Just came back from an interview. Didn't go great but luckily I also didn't like the site! Good learning experience.
Does anyone have/know of resources for responding to the case vignettes (running the gamut from case conceptualization, diagnoses, and treatment plan)? That was the main thing that tripped me up. One of the interviewers kept being like "and what else? ok, what else? ok, what else?" with an intense face and spoke very quickly and interrupted me a bunch. I already didnt feel great about how I was answering, but his demeanor made it worse. I want to prepare more for these next time.
 
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