tips

Congratulations to all those that have been invited to interview at a genetic counseling program! Here are some tips for the big day.

Below are old blog posts written by previous and current students where they shared their advice, tips, and wisdom about the interviews.

From Sarah Macklin, Class of 2016:

What do I wear?

When I interviewed, nearly every person I met was wearing a suit. This doesn’t mean you have to, but your outfit should still look very professional if you decide to go another route. What is most important is that you feel comfortable and confident. You don’t want to be worrying about how painful your shoes are all day. Interview day should not be your first time wearing a new pair of shoes either. Also, many programs (Emory included) will take you for a short tour so pack a pair of flats if you’d rather not cross the campus in heels.

What are they going to ask me?

Everyone that interviewed me at Emory was extremely nice and supportive. No one was trying to catch me off guard, but rather, they were trying to get to know me. Be prepared for general interview questions (ie. describe yourself in X number of words, when was a time when you failed, etc.) Lists of these kinds of questions can be found by searching “common interview questions” into Google. The easiest thing you can do to prepare though is review your resume. You’ve done some pretty cool things, and the interviewers are going to be excited to talk with you about them.

Will Emory only accept one applicant per interview day?

Not necessarily, don’t worry about comparing yourself to other people. This is a great opportunity to meet some individuals with similar interests as you. Also, the genetic counseling profession is small still so you very likely will see many of these people again. When we attended the NSGC conference this year, it was a mini reunion with all the people we had met through interviews.

How can I prepare to assure that everything will go perfectly?

You can’t, and that’s totally fine. My class often jokes about how imperfect some of our interviews were. I fainted during an opening presentation, and another one of my classmates was pushing through a bout of food poisoning. Both of us, however, were able to move past these unfortunate events and express our excitement about joining Emory’s program.

All in all, interviews seem very overwhelming at first. I had a lot of fun though visiting the schools and learning about their programs. Just relax, and try to focus on whether each school is a good fit for you!

From Sarah Pass, Class of 2016:

INTERVIEW DAY

In previous posts we've given you tips on how to prepare for your interview, but you're probably wondering what the day is actually going to be like. While I can't tell you exactly how your day is going to go (because there are too many variables) but I can try to give you an idea of things I've learned through the many interviews I've been through at Emory and other places.

I know interview days can be scary. The days are long and most people are nervous. It's difficult to try to make sure you say everything you want to in a short period of time while simultaneously asking as many questions as possible. These interviews are a time for the program to get to know you better and for you to make sure that the program is the right feel for you.

The day usually starts with an information session of some nature. This is a great time to learn specifics about the program and a great place to take notes on things you like, want to know more about and anything that makes the program unique. Notes like these will help you down the line as you're trying to figure out which programs you like the best and are the best fit for what you want out of grad school. I was personally playing the 'I'm just going to wait and hope I get into 1 program' game. However, when I got into multiple schools I was very glad to have these notes.

Throughout the day you'll have one-on-one interviews with people who are integral in the program. I was honestly terrified of these. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to answer the questions they wanted and be thrown out for consideration into the program because I said one wrong word. But really, these one-on-one interactions are more like conversations and if you approach them that way they will go much more smoothly. I was always terrified of asking "stupid questions" to these very important and well known names in the genetic counseling world. But, as everyone says, there are no stupid questions, just unasked ones. I remember asking what I thought was a really silly question in one of my interviews and being devastated that I wouldn't be accepted into my top school because of it. However, here I sit today, as part of a great GC program. Again, they really just want to get to know more about you and make sure that you really are passionate about becoming a genetic counselor. I also suggest having a lot of questions prepared for the interview. At the end of each meeting, they're going to ask if you have any questions and I always felt awful when I said I didn't have anymore questions. You'll go through more questions that you think you will, so it always helps to have way more questions than you'll think you'll be able to get through. Also, don't be afraid to ask for clarification of something that was previously discussed. They know you're getting a lot of information in a short time, and you're not going to be able to remember everything.

At Emory and at some other schools, there will be a group interview. The whole point is to see how you interact with other people. Part of how well the program runs is how well the students interact with each other. There is usually a small number of people in each class and how the personalities fit together is really important. While I sometimes felt pitted against my fellow interviewees, at Emory, I felt like this session was much calmer. I felt like it was more of a a chance to meet more of the faculty that I would be working with if I came to Emory. It was also an opportunity to show I could discuss my opinion about genetics news and trivia (at the time Myriad losing it's BRCA 1/2 patent was still fresh).

Throughout the day you'll also have a change to meet with many of the students. Don't be shy to ask them questions. We love to talk about the program and answer any questions we can. We love Emory and we like to share what we do. From the other GC students that I've talked to, they love to talk about their schools as well. Basically, we're here to give you the student perspective of the program.

I would also recommend going to the dinners the night before the interview. I know not all schools have them and depending on travel you may not be able to participate, but these are a great way to ask questions and get to know the students with no pressure. I wasn't always able to go to them because of my flights, but all the dinners I went to were great experiences. They were a lot of fun and took my mind off of the impending interview. This is also a great time to see where the students live if the dinner is at one of their apartments.

Hopefully something in this helps make your interviews go more smoothly or takes some of the pressure off. I know these day are long and often grueling. But remember, this is your chance to interview the program as well so take advantage of as much as you can while you're in the area and at the school.

Waiting Part 2 - Interview Tips

Hi everyone! I’ll be building off Amanda’s previous post and writing more about how to prepare for interviews. Hearing that you got interviews at the programs of your choice is an exciting step towards your goal of getting in to grad school. Here are a few more suggestions for prospective students:

1. Dress appropriately and comfortably

First impressions are important, and you can start to make a great one by dressing professionally for your interviews. Suits, conservative blouses and skirts, and blazers are good choices for interview attire. Try not to wear any jewelry that could distract you or your interviewer. You don’t want the focus to be on your statement necklace instead of on yourself! Also, wear comfortable shoes if possible. During most of your interviews, current students will likely take you on a tour of campus (we do at Emory!) and this could involve walking long distances. Comfortable shoes may also come in handy if you need to catch a cab or run through airports to avoid missing your flight if you travel to some interviews like I did. Remember that you will be in your interview outfit for most of the day, so look good and feel comfortable!

2. Practice

As I have learned in talking with patients, thinking about what you are going to say and actually saying those words are very different. You know why you want to be a genetic counselor, so be ready to articulate that clearly and passionately. While you can never anticipate all the questions you will be asked, you can think about some obvious things that interviewers will want to know about you and practice talking about those with people. Potential things interviewers want to know could be what experiences led you to pursue a career in genetic counseling, how you could contribute to their program, and why you are interested in their particular program. Recording yourself answering questions and explaining these answers to family and friends are good ways to practice. I found the career center at my college to be extremely helpful because they were able to record me during a mock interview and review my performance to give me valuable feedback. Practicing and watching yourself answer questions can also be a good way to realize all the “like, um, uh” sounds you make so you can try to cut down on those habits. Also remember to keep answers concise. Even though you could talk about your love for genetic counseling all day, unfortunately (or fortunately) the interview doesn’t last that long! Having ideas about how to answer questions and practicing could also help you to be a little less nervous on interview day.

3. Know your interviewers

As Amanda said in her last post, reading up on the people who will be interviewing you is another good thing to do while preparing. The bios of genetic counseling programs’ faculty can usually be found online. These are some of the leaders in the field, so being aware of their accomplishments and research interests can be helpful if you want to discuss these more with people during your interview. Having the chance to show the faculty that you took the time to learn more about them before the interview is another way to make a great impression and make you stand out from other applicants.

4. Ask questions

As one program director told me when I interviewed, “you should always have questions”. You have already impressed the program with your application and they want this opportunity to learn even more about you. But, remember that the interview is also an opportunity to figure out for yourself whether you would be a good fit for a program just as much as the interviewers are trying to look for certain qualities in students. Asking questions and gaining perspectives from faculty and current students can help you to have the information you need to determine whether a certain program is suited for you. You will likely have many opportunities at interviews to ask questions, so take advantage of them. Some things to consider asking interviewers about are what areas their program focuses on (i.e. psychosocial counseling, research, etc.), whether they require a capstone project or thesis, and what the faculty are most proud of in their program (this was a tip from my college’s career center!). If time allows you could also ask the interviewers, or may even be encouraged to ask, about how they got to their position today. I was always interested to hear the different career paths genetic counselors took that led them to their current position. If you are interested in how far students live from campus, transportation, or what it is like to live in a certain area, these would be great things to ask current students. Don’t feel like your questions are one more thing to memorize. Bringing a list of them written down should be fine.

5. Network

Genetic counselors make up a small community, so there’s a good chance that you’ll not only meet your future classmates, but also future colleagues at interviews. I actually met two of my current classmates during my interviews and it was great to reunite with other people I met during that time at the NSGC conference earlier this year. If you meet someone you get along with, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for their contact information in case you end up in the same area one day. Interviews are also a great time to introduce yourself to people who may end up hiring you or could help you get a job in a couple of years. I know that seems far off now, but trust me, the time goes by quickly! If you make a good impression at your initial interview, there’s a good chance someone will remember that if they end up interviewing you again in the future. Meeting future and current members of the genetic counseling community was one of the things I enjoyed most about my interviews. Most genetic counselors are friendly people, so don’t be shy!

There’s a good chance you will go on several interviews and they will all start to blur together by the time you are done. I found that writing a few notes on things that I liked and didn’t like about a program at the end of the day was helpful when I needed to make a decision. Try to take a few minutes to do this after each interview no matter how tired you are! After your interviews are finished, there are a few more weeks of waiting until offers are made. Although this will be nerve wracking, try to be optimistic and seriously think about what you would do if multiple programs make you offers since there will be only a short window of time to make a decision. The process of making and accepting offers is a whole other thing that will be explained to you during interviews.

Finally, it is always nice to follow up an interview with a simple thank you note to the program director. This could be something else that helps programs remember you and shows that you are appreciative of the time they took to meet with you.

I hope you find these tips helpful as your prepare for interviews. One more thing to remember: when the time comes and you have your offers, the programs will be the ones competing for you! We hope to see you at Emory in the near future. Best of luck!

From Christine Tallo, Class of 2015: