DO interview your potential advisor if you apply for a PhD or postdoc. This can save you years of pain, lost dreams and wasted time. ❗ Most students are focused on receiving the offer. But this is the biggest mistake one can make when looking for a position. ▫️ NOT every lab is friendly and has a good mentor in charge. In fact, most professors don’t know how to mentor (as mentorship is not prioritized in academia). AFTER you get an offer, you can avoid possible problems during your PhD/postdoc through this: 1️⃣ Interview your advisor about the approaches and opinion on: 1. Research advising (how your advisor understands it and how it’s done in the group). 2. Mentoring and personal development during PhD/postdoc. 3. Collaboration - how they do it and what role students/postdocs play in it. 4. Development of your independence and confidence in research. 5. Your participation in conferences and workshops (how often and which types of conferences). 6. How they prepare research publications – authorship, quality, time per manuscript, contributions, etc. . 2️⃣ Make sure you can talk to the current students one on one (online or in person): 1. Ask about the group culture and support from the advisor 2. Hear their opinion on publication practices and conferences Ultimately, don’t leave until you understand how you can fit in this group. . 3️⃣ Talk to alumni (at least 3-4 people): 1. Check out the advisor’s website and find a list of alumni. 2. Google the names of those who went into academia and industry (to hear both sides). 3. Reach out via email or LinkedIn, explain your intentions and politely ask for a quick call. . 🔴 Why is it important? Because your advisor is the ONE who can shape your professional skills, motivation and perception of science. Because the right mentor FORGES your critical thinking and vision. And a careful search of such an advisor is the starting point. #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #phdvoice