Erasmus+ Interview Tips | Guidelines for Erasmus Scholarship Interview

In this article, you will learn about Erasmus+ Interview tips. You will learn how to prepare for an Erasmus scholarship interview and how to answer the Erasmus interview questions.

Only 30-40% of the EMJMD programs under Erasmus plus have interviews as part of their selection process for scholarships.

Erasmus+ Interview Tips:

Here are the most important 10 guidelines for interviews under Erasmus:

No 2 programs are exactly the same, so do not expect high standardization. Always be flexible in your approach and improvise as per needs.
Time/Date for an interview could be given or could be mutually decided, be wise in choosing time, etc. and clearly note the time zone they are considering for the interview.
If you know beforehand the name of the interviewer, in the world on the internet you can find some information about them on LinkedIn, research sites, etc. to just get to know somewhat about them. No matter how objectively we may behave, everyone likes people who are like them. The point is not to just say what they do because it is your interview, but you can smartly use those words, concepts, and ideas/examples more that may align better with their education/current research/interests, etc. But be genuine and do not overdo it.

Always make sure you learn some basics of Skype interview and how to handle camera shyness if any, internet speed/lighting/silent place/clear audio/headphones or no headphones, etc. shouldn’t be the issues.
Dress etc. should be as formal as in any in-person interview. Sometimes you have to move to pick something up. Please do not wear casual shirts and jeans.
Throughout the interview, maintain a comfortable posture, use some gestures, and do not sit extremely close to the camera. Smile a little and be at ease. Speak with a normal tone and try to listen to their questions before attempting to answer.

Keep a pen and paper, a calculator could be handy too and they might give you some questions to solve/interpret a research study, etc.
Start with conversational words, Hi/Hello professor(s), etc. Some interviews rarely can be panel interviews too. Practice beforehand as we usually not used to such words and salutations for the start and end of the interview.
Introduce yourself with the golden rule; present then past and then future very briefly.

Do not fake, say sorry if you don’t know something

You might be interested in Erasmus+ Scholarship Guide 2021-23

Ask for clarification if you don’t understand clearly what they want you to answer.

Prepare well the contents of your LOM and LORs (if you wrote yourself) as they will ask several questions from your academics, experience, goals, and especially any unique details you mentioned in any part of your application especially LOR.
Always speak in a clear tone. Answer precisely but in a comprehensive manner.
You should have knowledge of basic concepts, definitions, formulas, and any other subtle differences in concepts regarding your potential Erasmus MS degree, its contents, and especially about what you have already learned in undergrad. The website of the program can give you an idea of what areas are important for the program. Basic concepts, formulas, reading a research paper, some research and applied questions, interpreting some information from your field are commonly asked questions. Some of them you have to solve at some time they might give you and you will have to copy-paste answers on Skype. So do not panic.

They will ask questions on any international exposure you have had in past, cross-cultural adjustment styles and how would you manage to be away from home. Have clear answers and give examples from any such past activities, or any local cross-cultural engagements. One example is that for instance, my university in undergrad had people from 40+ countries. You can give many other examples from forums, workplace, past international exposure, etc.
Show them your long term goals in line with your application and the objectives of the MS program. They don’t require you to return to Pakistan so focus more on additions to your field and keep answer a little generic (if you have solid reasons to return there is no harm in telling those as well, I did this).
They might ask if you have any questions. Try to ask at least a couple of them like approximate result announcement dates, some queries about contents of the program, mobility period in countries/universities involved, and any other queries that you might have. But do not exceed 2/3 questions.

Close on a high note, thank them for their time and availability. Also, it is a kind gesture to send them a thank you email after the interview if you know their email address.
Again, there is no substitute for improvisation as all interviews are conducted by different people, and every program is normally run by different departments/universities/countries, their accents might not be easily understandable at times so be sharp. Do not let the opportunity slip, this is the final point where you can prove to them that you are worth a seat. Even within one program, different students are interviewed by many different professors from various
universities of the consortium of that program.