More interview tips - from a prof! How to make the best use of your interview time

Today I was lucky enough to hear a professor speak about his experience interviewing students and potential hires.

I guess I'd never really thought about it, but I'd always imagined or assumed that professors were 1)omniscient 2) endowed with endless enthusiasm and stamina 3) knew all the right questions to ask.

Turns out, prof says, this is a common misconception. They are just as tired at the end of the interview circuit as the interviewees. And no one tells them how to conduct interviews, or what questions to ask.

The danger in that is that some faculty will either zone out, or end up spending your precious half hour of interview time talking about the weather and your pet dog.

First point: This is time you could be spending convincing your potential mentors why you are better than everyone else they talked to today. The conversation should definitely focus on why you are the best possible candidate. If you sense the conversation drifting, make sure to steer the conversation back on track.

What about those awkward silences? Here are some stock questions for you to ask profs:
- "I read this paper of yours, X et al. 2008. Could you tell me more about ______? "
You could ask them about their motivation for the study, difficulties they faced, suggest follow up studies etc. This shows them that you actually bothered to read up on their backgrounds, have given careful thought to what you would do if you were accepted, and also shows that you are actively thinking about work in your field.
- "What are you looking for in a student?" / "So if I ended up working in your lab, what do you think if I work on ______?"
These questions forces them to imagine you as their student. Days later, when they are deliberating which interviewee to accept, who do you think they will consider more seriously: the one they imagined hard at work in lab, bringing them publications, or the guy who talked about surfing for half an hour (this actually happened)?

Plus, here's a sample thank you email I sent after graduate school interviews.