Pretty self-explanatory title. I got contacted, but I live in a fairly low-applicant area (Salt Lake City, Utah – woooo!), so there are very few alumni nearby. The guy is currently in LA and asked if I wanna do the interview over Skype or by phone… so which is better? Has anyone had a Skype interview? Was it awkward? What about over the phone? Also, what questions should I ask him? He’s not a very recent graduate, so I feel like he won’t be able to be super specific about a lot of stuff…
My interview was on Skype. Personally I would definitely recommend you do it on Skype rather than by phone. I just think the point of the interview is to get a feel of who you are and what you are like. The interviewer would have a better idea if he physically sees you. Also you can make eye contact if you do it on Skype, which usually shows confidence and proper manner. As far as questions, I think you could ask him about his personal experience at Penn, classes he took, what he liked best and etc. Just my personal opinion, hope it helps!
Skype if you are more comfortable with face to face. Phone if you’re comfortable with talking only based off of tone.
I would go for the Skype interview. You can see each other which makes it easier to converse since you can read each others cues. Hopefully seeing each other will make the conversation flow better. Good Luck.
Skype, much easier to see his reactions via body language to prevent you saying gaffes etc
Update: I just had the interview and it went SUPER well! The guy was so nice and honest and we had a lot of things in common that we could bond over. If you guys are nervous about your interviews, DON’T BE, they’re honestly not that bad and the alumni is really someone who loves and cares deeply for the school. Just make sure you have specifics in mind about what sort of things you’d like to get involved in, what classes you’d like to take, etc. Specificity always makes you look like a dedicated applicant.
Thank you for this post. I have a Skype interview as well and very soon.