"Doing your homework" on Interviewers?

Ok, maybe this is a new low, maybe not.

-How many of you felt the need to do a quick background check on who you've been told is interviewing you? :confused:

Just a quick Google on 'em... to see what their specialist areas are (very relevant), and maybe see a face or two.

What d'ya think? :tongue:

I, for one, found out a thing or two.
Firstly, that my 'informal' interviewer is a Dean (i.e. vicar) and secondly, that the additional fellow in the main interview is a feminist!
Should be interesting, since I mentioned on my PS about my mum being a Priest and me being an athiest etc... lol. :biggrin:

Kinda hits them both! But they shouldn't bring up feminism really, it's not an SPS interview or anything.
:rolleyes:

Reply 1

OldMan

crazydaveuk

Ok, maybe this is a new low, maybe not.

-How many of you felt the need to do a quick background check on who you've been told is interviewing you? :confused:

Yes it's almost irresistable - but probably not particularly useful. Do you really want to talk about their main field of interest, or something that interests you? They've been studying their pet subject for years, it is unlikely you will impress them but it might appear a bit false.

PS Applying to Catz?

Reply 2

Alaric

1

crazydaveuk

Firstly, that my 'informal' interviewer is a Dean (i.e. vicar)

Are you sure they're a religious dean? In Clare we have two Deans, the `nice' one who's the religious one as is supposed to feed you biscuits and talk about god to you and the dean of students who disciplines you if you break college rules.

Alaric.

Reply 3

OldMan

Alaric

Are you sure they're a religious dean? In Clare we have two Deans, the `nice' one who's the religious one as is supposed to feed you biscuits and talk about god to you and the dean of students who disciplines you if you break college rules.

Alaric.

Yes, that's the same at Catz.
This year -unusually to my memory - it is the 'religious' Dean who is doing the non-subject (I wouldn't myself call the informal) interviews.

Reply 4

MadNatSci

12

Our religious Dean was also a physicist, so don't be too complacent :wink:

Reply 5

OldMan

MadNatSci

Our religious Dean was also a physicist, so don't be too complacent :wink:

Oh indeed, Dr Richmond - Catz dean of chapel - has a reputation as a tough interviewer - (wish he'd be the same in chapel)

Reply 6

Immortal Wombat

I did. It didn't help really. I can't see any way in which it would help. You'd just come across as a neurotic applicant who went a-googling to try to get an advantage.

Reply 7

priya

14

its good to get an idea of what you're interviewers fields are...i got asked questions in my general interview which related both to language and arch and anth, cos the guy interviewing me was researching some evolution stuff in siberia. careful with subject specific interviews- my flatmate mentioned a french book he'd read in his psnl statement....the one book the interviewer had translated....

Reply 8

Golden_Touch

1

I looked one of mine up, and his specialist area was beyond my comprehension completely. So I backed away from the computer screen slowly, pretending I hadn't seen it at all. Safest thing to do, I thought.

Reply 9

crazydaveuk

OP

Alaric

Are you sure they're a religious dean? In Clare we have two Deans, the `nice' one who's the religious one as is supposed to feed you biscuits and talk about god to you and the dean of students who disciplines you if you break college rules..

Yeah, it is the religious one.
Saw his picture on the Chapel website, and he had a dog-collar on :tongue:

Go figure.

In general, I know research doesn't help that much.
...But anything to lessen the element of surprise is good. :wink:

I wouldn't pander to their specialist area, god no, just keep in mind that they might pitch questions from that particular perspective.
Pointless or not, seems sensible enough to me.

Reply 10

gringalet

12

I've had a little look...but mainly to see what they look like! Both have interests way over my head – German-Jewish authors and Cretan Rennaissance, or something – but I did find it nice to see what they look like. German prof is pretty and young, and Greek prof is old and just generally pleasant looking – which was nice.

Reply 11

Zarathustra

2

crazydaveuk

In general, I know research doesn't help that much.
...But anything to lessen the element of surprise is good. :wink:

I wouldn't pander to their specialist area, god no, just keep in mind that they might pitch questions from that particular perspective.
Pointless or not, seems sensible enough to me.

I did that about a week ago. Turned out one of my interviewers was principal of my college and publishes absolute sh*t loads on Kant.
Considering the fact that I don't have time to force myself to understand Kant in the amount of time I have left, that was not cheering.
Also, I now sincerely regret making a passing reference to 'duty ethics' on my statement.

ZarathustraX (Having a day of further realisations of total inaptitude & ergo in BAD MOOD)

Reply 12

-RJ-

Definitely wouldn't do any homework on the interviewers- I'd be too tempted to refer to their subject of specialism- and it would really stick out.

Especially if I'd read a load of bulls**t and that wasn't actually their specialism at all (to hell, unofficial sites!)... embarrasing? :eek:

RJ

Reply 13

Acaila

17

I at least wanted to know if they were male or female, and at least try to put a face to the name. I find it less scary that way. :biggrin:

I don't think I'll bother really about their specialisations. I know one is specifically interested in comparitive European politics, and well, I'm not really, so that doesn't bother me. I would actually probably be more worried if they were interested in the same things I was, because then I would be scared that they'd know everything about what I was mucking up so badly :biggrin:

Reply 14

goldenbarnes

11

I prefer just asking on here and other places and finding out about their personality more than anything - if they have a sense of humour or something, for example.......much more useful than knowing if they done a doctorate on constitutional law 20 years ago.

Reply 15

goldenbarnes

11

*cough* signature *cough*

I'm still waiting on Warwick - the others are LNAT unis so I'm not expecting to hear from them for a few weeks yet. Just the AAA from Leeds so far then....

"Doing your homework" on Interviewers?

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