University of Sydney Interview Questions
& Process

I got through a panel interview and an assessment, which I thought went pretty well and felt professional. But then there was this 'coffee chat' that was kinda weird. It was supposed to be casual, but it felt more like a weird interrogation. Nobody really responded to what I was saying, and it was totally different from the panel interview. It felt like I was talking to myself because the interviewer was just staring to the side, not even interested. They also avoided eye contact and seemed standoffish, making it awkward and strange. While panel interviews are structured to be fair, follow-up chats should also be consistent and objective. The big difference between the formal panel and this casual meeting made me unsure about the whole process. I followed up afterwards for feedback because the chat felt so off, but I never heard back. In the end, I decided to withdraw my application and take another offer because the vibe felt off. Talking to some colleagues, I found out others had similar weird experiences, even in different jobs.

The interview process involved a Zoom call with the supervisor, followed by a group interview. It's typical for professors to conduct these interviews. We talked about my previous projects and their ongoing research. They mostly focused on their main project and how I could contribute to it.

The interview process was very brief, only lasting about 4 minutes. Although I didn't think I was successful initially, I was contacted about a week before the semester started. I believe having a referral from the TA at the time was crucial for getting the interview. Normally, just filling out the form and indicating interest in specific units doesn't yield responses for most people I know. My advice is to reach out to the unit coordinators directly, but still complete the form as it's a requirement.

I am sharing my experience because I'm frustrated. I applied for a job, HR called and asked me to do a case study, then I had an interview. A week later, HR said I was the preferred candidate. But, two weeks after that, I got an email saying the team I applied to had been closed down at the University due to unexpected reasons. I don't think it's the team's fault, probably upper management. I would have been okay not getting an offer, but this whole thing felt really messy and not professional. They shouldn't have even offered the position.