Interviewing Guide for Graduate Students & Postdocs

This comprehensive interviewing guide is designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral researchers confidently prepare for and succeed in job interviews across all industries, including academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. The guide covers every stage of the interview process — from understanding how interviews fit into the broader hiring timeline to navigating the logistics of phone, video, one-way recorded, and in-person interviews — and provides targeted strategies for making a strong professional impression through demeanor, attire, communication, and body language.

Readers will find actionable frameworks for interview preparation, including how to research employers and job descriptions, how to anticipate behavioral interview questions using the job posting, and how to craft compelling, structured responses using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and STARER (adding Emotional Resonance and Relevance) methods. The guide offers detailed guidance on answering the most common interview questions — including “Tell me about yourself,” “Why do you want this position?,” “What is your greatest weakness?,” and “Where do you see yourself in five years?” — along with AI prompts to generate practice questions, brainstorm STAR stories, and tailor preparation for specific roles and organizations.

Additional sections address how to ask thoughtful questions of your interviewers, how to write effective thank-you notes after the interview, how to request accommodations, and how to handle salary expectation questions with research-backed confidence. Whether you are preparing for your first industry interview, navigating a multi-round hiring process, or practicing for a faculty position, this guide provides the tools, sample questions, printable checklists, and expert advice to help you present the best version of yourself at every stage.

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