Prepare your pitch
For some interviews, you are invited to first pitch your research idea to the committee. This helps you to start talking with (somewhat) less nerves, since you can come fully prepared for this part. At the same time, it allows you to get the key message of your proposal across to committee members that may have forgotten who’s who. Note that a pitch is more about conveying the broader picture of how you as a researcher will solve a relevant scientific and/or societal problem, rather than providing in-depth details on all aspects of your proposal. Take a moment to think about the key strengths of your proposal in relation to the evaluation criteria, and make sure these are integrated in your pitch.
Prepare your answers – also to ‘stupid’ questions
Committees often consist of generalists. While some will know something (or a lot) about your research topic, many will only have a general idea. Google search the committee members if you can, and try to assess their background knowledge. This will help you tailor your answers and make them understandable and convincing for all.
Especially if you don’t have the opportunity to deliver a pitch, make sure you have the key strengths of your proposal memorised. Try to weave those into your answers, not matter what the questions are.
Generally, researchers find the in-depth scientific questions easiest to deal with. So while of course preparing for those, don’t forget to also prepare for the higher-level questions that will likely be asked. Such higher-level questions could pertain to the potential impact of your research, budget, ethics, management, or even be as blunt as ‘Why should we give you the money?’. If, in the actual interview, a question is so unexpected that you don’t fully understand it, don’t be afraid to check – simply ask if your interpretation of the question is correct before you start your actual answer.
Practice, practice, practice
The best way to prepare for an interview, is to organise mock interviews. Yes, multiple. In our experience, your colleague scientists are usually happy to participate in such mock committees. Of course, it’s best if the mock committee resembles the actual committee in terms of their specialist versus generalist background. Make sure you practice ‘the real deal’ – including entering the (online) room, greeting, delivering the pitch, and sticking to the set timing of the actual interview.
After each practice round, ask the mock committee members whether their questions have been answered in a satisfactory manner. It’s also a good idea to ask someone in the audience specifically to pay attention to your voice and body language, and how you came across in general.
Need help?
Our full support trajectories include help with interview preparations. We help you come up with questions that might be asked (and what to answer), and are happy to participate in mock interviews to help you practice. While we’re no experts in developing your pitch per se, we can refer you to excellent support on preparing a compelling presentation. Contact us if you want to know more!
