Etiquette in responding to internship invitations

[FreudianSlippers]

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Hi all!

After receiving my first interview invite (yay) via email, I was wondering if there was a specific etiquette for responding to the DCT. For instance, is it appropriate to simply answer their questions (i.e. the dates you would prefer to interview) or is it appropriate to say something more personable/friendly a long the lines of "...thanks so much for the opportunity to interview...i'm greatly looking forward to meeting you ...etc".

Also, if the DCT responds and confirms your interview date/time, is it better to respond to them again or to just let it go?

I feel like i'm over thinking this🙁....but I'd love any ideas or input

 

[PsychPhDone]

Hi all!

After receiving my first interview invite (yay) via email, I was wondering if there was a specific etiquette for responding to the DCT. For instance, is it appropriate to simply answer their questions (i.e. the dates you would prefer to interview) or is it appropriate to say something more personable/friendly a long the lines of "...thanks so much for the opportunity to interview...i'm greatly looking forward to meeting you ...etc".

Also, if the DCT responds and confirms your interview date/time, is it better to respond to them again or to just let it go?

I feel like i'm over thinking this🙁....but I'd love any ideas or input

Whatever you do, do it fast: dates are gonna fill up!

Or:

Dear You,

Thanks for the invitation! Date is my preference. I look forward to learning more about your program.

Sincerely,
Me

Fin.

 

[singasongofjoy]

Whatever you do, do it fast: dates are gonna fill up!

Or:

Dear You,

Thanks for the invitation! Date is my preference. I look forward to learning more about your program.

Sincerely,
Me

Fin.

+1 for that!

 

[EmotRegulation]

Hi all!

After receiving my first interview invite (yay) via email, I was wondering if there was a specific etiquette for responding to the DCT. For instance, is it appropriate to simply answer their questions (i.e. the dates you would prefer to interview) or is it appropriate to say something more personable/friendly a long the lines of "...thanks so much for the opportunity to interview...i'm greatly looking forward to meeting you ...etc".

Also, if the DCT responds and confirms your interview date/time, is it better to respond to them again or to just let it go?

I feel like i'm over thinking this🙁....but I'd love any ideas or input

You're probably overthinking this. The TD isn't going to remember these emails, except for the annoying ones, so just respond professionally. That might include a "thanks for the opportunity" along with the dates, but you don't need to write a lot. These are busy people, so give them the information they need and don't take up too much of their time.

 

[Justanothergrad]

Yup.

Be quick so you get a spot that fits your schedule.
Be polite/professional.
Be brief.

 

[WisNeuro]

Yeah, they don't care about anything other than the dates. They are getting a ton of these e-mails in a short period of time, and they will have to go back and forth several times due to people needed rescheduling needs. Don't overthink it and just respond. And quickly, or you are likely to lose your preferred date.

 

[FreudianSlippers]

Thanks everybody, this was mucho helpful! It was something our program didn't talk to us about at all. It makes sense to be terse, if I were on the committee trying to deal with scheduling I wouldn't want to deal with excess/unnecessary information.

 

[FreudianSlippers]

And yes....quickness is important! I got back to them within 6 hours and my preferred spot was already taken! Luckily the other dates worked for me as well, so i'm still good to go!

 

[CheetahGirl]

Another tip: For your most desired programs, perhaps schedule them at later dates (if it ends up working out). I did this for my #1 rank spot, and had all my interviews prior to this one (by design). By the time my most desired site's interview came up, I was confident, relaxed, and much more focused on what I wanted in a site, what they were looking for in an intern, and whether (or not) this was the most beneficial match.

Good luck!

 

[Justanothergrad]

And yes....quickness is important! I got back to them within 6 hours and my preferred spot was already taken! Luckily the other dates worked for me as well, so i'm still good to go!

I would encourage faster than six hours as you try to lock in your preferred slots. Many people respond within 20-30 minutes and some of those folks still run into filled times.

 

[thewesternsky]

I had a ridiculous typo in my response to my first-choice site because I wanted my preferred date(s) and didn't proofread! I got my preferred date, no one ever commented on the typo, and I matched there. 🙂 So, don't overthink this.