I’m not normally an anxious person, but preparing for interviews definitely makes me nervous. There is something about another person completely judging all your experiences in 30 minutes and telling you whether you’re good enough that isn’t always fun. However, if you can turn it into a fun conversation, there is nothing to worry about!
The best thing you can do for an interview is prepare! In my experience, the best thing to do is split up your practice into two sections: behavioral and technical. Behavioral questions ask candidates to share examples of specific situations they’ve been in. Technical interviews ask candidates questions that assess skills that directly relate to the job you are applying for.
For behavioral questions, I recommend thinking of 5-6 experiences/stories from your life and writing them out using the STAR Method. The STAR method has been an extremely helpful framework for me in telling my own stories. Once you have these stories, you can slightly adjust each one based on the specific interview question. Also, always be prepared for a tell me about yourself question, in which you should be ready to give a short spiel about who you are, what you like to do, and why you wanted to apply for the specific job/internship/fellowship.
For technical questions, I would schedule a 1-1 meeting with a career advisor to figure out what you may need to study and practice. In a lot of cases, your interviews may not have these!
Practice! Practice Practice! Schedule mock interviews with the Loeb Center, practice with a friend, or even talk to yourself in an empty room. The more you practice telling your stories and technical questions, the more natural it will sound when you interview. Actually say your answers aloud, because they may sound different in your head.
During the actual interview, don’t be nervous. The interviewer is just another person who wants to have a conversation. Approach it like you are talking to someone else about your life, still be formal, but don’t change your flow just because it is an interview. Be yourself and I’m sure the interview will go well!
Definitely check out the Loeb Center’s How to Prepare for an Interview Guide and Types of Interview if you want a more comprehensive and technical overview of this topic.
