So I got a call from a Yale alumn the other day but since it was an unexpected call… I didn’t catch her name. I tried almost everything to find her name (without being a stalker…). I even called undergrad admissions but they were no help.
Now, I do not know what to do because I do not know my interviewer’s name!
I am really scared of giving the wrong impression.
Should I just avoid saying the interviewer’s name?
Or should I just ask my interviewer (“Oops I don’t know your name haha…?”)
OR should I ask for a business card at the beginning or the interview? Or ask for one at the end of the interview?
I am confident otherwise with other aspects of the interview since three other prominent schools have already interviewed me. It’s just that I do not know my Yale interviewer’s name!
Don’t sweat it. When is the interview? Didn’t they send you an email confirmation of date/time?
The way you respond to this tells volumes about your personality. Perhaps the interviewer was testing you and rattled off his/her name awfully fast to see how you will respond.
More likely, though, they will do everything they can to put you at ease, they want to leave you with a favorable impression regardless as to whether you ultimately get in or not.
If you get supah stressed (love that username) about things this small, how will you do when you get thrown into an environment of really really really smart and lucky people who do get in.
If you confidently handle this, you’ll be that much more ready for anything.
As an interviewer, I would say just be honest and admit you didn’t catch their name. I am sure they will tell you what they want you to call them at the beginning of the interview.
Your phone account may at least provide the number the person called from, and from that you could potentially track down the name. If that’s not an option, though, asking for a business card might be a good solution—but if you wait till the end of the interview and the interviewer doesn’t have a card, you’ll be stuck. You could just tell the interviewer at the beginning that you were so excited to get her call that you didn’t quite catch her name.
It’s tomorrow actually! And no, they just called me. Someone told me I should’ve asked for an email confirmation… But you live and learn, right? Anyway, thank you for all the advice, I feel a little better now! Wish me luck!
To be honest I’ve had three alumni interviews and I feel like I could’ve gotten through them all without the interviewer’s name, so I don’t think it’s a big deal. However, I would be honest and just tell the interviewer you didn’t catch their name. It’s perfectly understandable.
I always schedule my interviews by phone. Very seldom take the time to do e-mails. We exchange phone numbers so we can contact each other if something comes up. By the time you read this it will be over. Hope it went well. Good luck!!
