Interview rescheduled after it had started?

[Fridu1]

Hi All.

I had a PhD interview scheduled and was asked to log in 10 minutes early on Microsoft Teams, which I did. I waited in the lobby, but when the meeting started, none of the interviewers joined. I started to really panic, thinking there was an issue with my account. After waiting a few more minutes, I emailed my potential supervisor to inform them that I was in the lobby and to let me know if there were any issues. Almost 10 minutes into waiting, I received an email from the programme leader (also interviewer) stating that the interview needed to be rescheduled and that the programme team would be in touch.

I was so worried that there might have been a problem on my end that could affect my chances. However, during the meeting, I did a quick test by joining with my work email, and afterwards as well, and everything worked perfectly fine.

I don't know how to feel about being informed well after the meeting had started, especially after getting up so early to prepare and feeling so nervous. I have to go through all of the nerves and anxiety again😥.

I’m not entirely sure what the issue was, but the interview was scheduled before normal working hours and the invitation was sent on Friday.

Am I overreacting, or is this kind of situation common in academic recruitment or could it be my fault somehow? I really don't know.

Perhaps an emergency their end? Illness, traffic problems, family emergency?

It's not your fault

Any number of things could have happened which required it to be rescheduled

Thank you, that’s a good point. I immediately thought it was something on my end and that I had ruined my chances. I appreciate your perspective!

You are over-reacting and suffering from a severe case of Main Character Syndrome.

At the university there are 15 other things hapening today and the interview panel is made up of individuals any one of whom could have been dealing with a flat tyre or a 4yo child with chicken pox or a student having a crisis and needing pastoral support.

Your interview was not their #1 priority at the scheduled time so they have rescheduled it.

Relax.

I doubt it's anything to do with you but it's very unprofessional of them not to be in touch beforehand to say they couldn't do the interview. If you hadn't made contact would they just have left you hanging on forever?

It doesn't give a great impression on their part does it? I agree, they should have let you know about the delay sooner. If you hadn't have contacted them, I wonder how long they would have kept you waiting. Do you have any interviews with other universities lined up?

Pffff.
OP behaved in an entirely professional manner.
The interviewers did not. They should have things in place for everything apart from the most dire emergency.
I'm pretty sure the panel members would have been able to inform someone more senior than them if there were unable to attend a scheduled meeting. They did not value OP or her interview.

I just looked up Main Character Syndrome. I think it's entirely appropriate for OP to consider herself important in this situation. It seems like the panel have a case of MCS ie they can't make the interview but didn't consider anyone else.

You're panicking completely unnecessarily - they've told you it was at their end.

I would assume that the person running the meeting hadn't actually set it up, so therefore the cancellation would have come from someone else, probably after they had already declined (for whatever the reason). If I decline a meeting on Teams it drops out of my diary completely.

I'm sorry you had this experience. I've been an interviewer for prospective PhD students. The interviews tend to be arranged a while in advance (as they have director of studies, a supervisor and a programme leader involved) so are in people's diaries and it'd be very strange to not attend. That makes me think there was something unforeseen or an emergency their end - a medical emergency, the fire alarm going off and them all having to evacuate, the internet going down etc. I think see what the programme leaders email says, if it was me I'd apologise and give a few word explanation (eg it was due to a fire alarm). I'd use this email and your interactions with the supervisors to judge whether this is a PhD you want to do or not - having good supervisors is really important. I hope your rescheduled interview goes well.

The most usual thing that happens in my experience is that the interviewers totally forgot about the interview or didn't bother checking their calendar and surely remember after it has started.

That's terrible

Could have been as simple as the fire alarm going off and everyone had to evacuate the building.

Take a breath, you will be fine.

Good luck for the re-scheduled interview

They've already said that it was THEIR fault.
Maybe someone slept in, forgot, double booked, the fire alarm went off and they had to evacuate. It could be any number of reasons.

I had vaguely similar, but it was a call with occupational health before starting the job and I'd been waiting a month for it! It was a mass hire during covid, not just 1 post. I waited in the lobby like you did and no one even came on. I had days of trying to find out what had happened. 2 weeks later- I got an email saying the that the posts had been withdrawn as no longer required! 😕

Thank you all for your messages. I've been informed of the reason for the no-show, and it was a genuine issue they experienced.