APPIC Internship Group Interview Tips

[plaegiste]

I have an interview at an internship site that only offers group interviews (no individual interviews at all). Have no idea what group interviews are like. If anyone could share their experience with group interviews for the psychology pre-doctoral internship sites, would greatly appreciate it! Thank you in advance!

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[ellabelle46]

I don't have any information or advice but I'm also interested, particularly since one of my interviews is Open House style and will involve some groups.

The only thing I've heard (which is good advice) is to make sure to take turns speaking, if you're the kind of person who can dominate conversation. I know that I can be! I don't do it in a malicious way and I'm not always conscious of it, I just get excited/feel like I have good information to share. So I've started in class, and will do so in interviews as well, to really make myself wait until others have a chance to speak.

 

[plaegiste]

Hey Ellabelle46, my one and only group interview turned out to be less intimidating than I thought. It was similar to a regular one-on-one interview except that it was held in a group. The TD and assistant TD would ask a question and each candidate answered the question when it was their turn. It was interesting to hear the other candidates share their cases but at the same time we all spoke afterwards about how awkward it was to share personal information (especially the what led you to this career question) with everyone else there. At least the group interview was less psychodynamic than the other ones that people have shared (partnering up with other applicants on a task, etc.). Good Luck!

 

[Pragma]

Just demonstrate some appropriate social skills - it is in part an interpersonal exercise. Don't always try to be first or last, just try to be assertive but also get along well with others.

 

[psych.meout]

Yeesh, this doesn't sound very fun. What kinds of sites have group interviews?

 

[plaegiste]

college counseling

 

[Justanothergrad]

I did one at a VA. In the one I did they alternated question order with us (I would go first to answer then I would go second). It wasn't bad at all - I actually enjoyed the way they did it. It felt like it took some of the pressure off.

Just be a reasonable human being.

 

[ay1314]

I had a group interview when I was interviewing for grad programs. It was a little bit awkward because the interviewers rotated who got to answer what question first so you were either trying to come up with a great answer on the spot if you were first or trying to come up with something new at the end if you were last. Looking back it was actually kind of interesting to see how other people handle a high pressure situation. I'm the kind of person who makes jokes and tries to draw other people in in these kinds of situations, and I did that there. I was waitlisted at this program for reasons that I don't think had anything to do with how I did in the group interview. I'm sorry this isn't a super helpful response, but I'd say knowing what you tend to be like in group settings and what role you tend to take on could be really helpful. Might be helpful to think about what you were like in any group supervision.

 

[psych.meout]

I understand there are time limitations involved, especially if a faculty member or DCT wants to speak with a large number of applicants, but I really disliked the group interview format. At least at my program, the group interviews were limited to faculty members other than your POI. I also got lucky that I was the only applicant interviewing for my current mentor on that particular day. I think some people might find it a bit intense to have all the focus be on you, but I preferred that over the weirdly competitive environment of the group interviews. I get that it's supposed to be more collaborative and show how you relate to other people in such an environment, but so many applicants don't take it that way and get hyper competitive. I interviewed at one program where the faculty members were subtly encouraging this kind of competition, as well as doing some other odd things, so I almost instantly wrote them off and just relaxed and enjoyed the day and free food.