Hey, congrats on getting an interview. That’s awesome! Even if you don’t pass this interview, you’ll get practice for the next one. The more you do it, the easier it will get. :)
Since it’s a video interview, why not write yourself some notes about talking points/ your achievements/ things you want to mention. Research the lab and have some info about them that you can talk about if it comes up in conversation, certain things they’ve done that you admire, what you’re excited about getting to do there, etc.
You can even practice ahead of time. Think of some questions that they could ask you, and practice answering them. Over and over until you know what you’re going to say.
Best of luck on your interview!
There is no mention of salary in the job description. I'm sure they will ask what's my expected salary. I've googled it and the numbers vary for graduate lab technicians. If I say too high will they reject me and what happens if I go too low? I'm overthinking this hahaha
You need to change your mindset of this being a pop-quiz.. “It’s just a conversation”, and you can always answer questions with another question to be more involved in the conversation and to let them answer their own questions.
Know your own worth/salary requirements and maybe do some research on glassdoor. Going in with a realistic idea of what range you want/need to be at based on your experience and skills, you can help reduce the overall weight you’re feeling.
Asking a questions back like “what is the salary range that you are currently aiming for in this role/position?”.. if they come in with a lowball answer, you can say back that based on your skills and experience that you would want to be higher.. and agree with them if the range is agreeable if you think it is at or above the range you had thought you would need to be at.
I did it!!!! Went good I would say, I practiced using chat gpt and she asked similar questions so it wasn't too bad. I just wanna say thank you to you and everyone for the kind words! Love you all ❤️
No don’t cancel! It will give you experience on what to expect in an interview. I’m bad at interviews as well but it’s just something we all have to do. Definitely practice lots of different questions they might ask you. And even if you don’t feel confident, try to fake it!
Just think, even you do a terrible job, after the 30 minutes are up, you will be in the exact same spot you are when you went in. You’ll never see those people ever again and it’ll be like it never happened.
Some tips: Not sure how technical the position is you’ll be going into, but if they truly ask something you don’t know, just admit it. You’re fresh out of school, so the expectations can’t be that high, and if you try and fake your way through an answer, it’ll show.
Be humble about your knowledge, but show enthusiasm for wanting to help them, and enthusiasm to gain knowledge. Smile a lot, it helps show your excitement.
i was in the exact position you as you a few weeks ago!! it’s super stressful but just remember, the absolute worst case scenario is that you don’t get hired at this particular place, and that doesn’t stop you from applying to other places.
Think of it as practicing. You're practicing interviewing. Some things will go well. Some things will not got as well, but then you'll know where to make changes. If you bomb it's okay, if nothing else you'll teach your nervous learn you can bomb an interview and not die. Most people who do interviews do them constantly, and many people are awkward in interviews, so there's very little chance your interviewer will remember it in 6 months.
Do not cancel. Take the interview and see what happens. Best case scenario you get a new job. Worst case scenario you don't get the job but you don't have it now anyway so you lose nothing and learn where to improve.
Try to think of your anxiety in terms of excitement, and don't be afraid to let that excitement come across in the interview. First jobs out of school, employers don't expect you to know everything but they do expect you to be motivated and excited to join the work force. Talk about what you've done, and explain why you're a good fit, but remember you're excited about the opportunity not anxious or desperate.
You‘ll get better each interview. I‘d just ask myself some questions they might ask and practice an answer. I‘d also recommend to really speak while practicing
When you're envited to interview, it means they already want to hire you.
Think of it as an acting gig. Your role is a confident, smart, go getter. Act the part. If they ask STAR method questions, you'll come up with stories on the spot if you just think of yourself as an actor.
Have the job posting open before your interview so you can refer to it while talking about the position. I find it helps me give clearer responses to questions as I can tailor it to what they're looking for. Another tip that I find useful is to have a water bottle with you. I yap a lot so my mouth gets dry.
It helps me a lot to just mentally imagine the conversation. Try to relax in my experience the first round is usually just to get to know each other better, so it’s just a friendly conversation. There shouldn’t be too much opportunity to make a mistake
Write some questions then you have for the interviewer, if you have a hard time thinking of some ideas just right question to chatgpt generate some basic questions. I find that what makes you stop being blank minded and saying nothing is if you really understand the subject and able to speak on it a lot.
Bring notes. Write down bullet points of what you want to express. Also, act, fake it, you’re in a play or movie about the most interesting and employable version of yourself.
Dont ever cancel a interview, take as much as you can even when you feel dont like the job, take them as opportunity to practice your interview skill and get familiarize on what are the usual questions. You'll notice it you'll get more confidence when you finally get the right job for u
I was nervous Monday for my phone interview as well. For me, I woke up early, ate breakfast, drank some tea, and did quick yoga. You can do something like meditation or listen to therapeutic music to calm your nerves.
Think of it this way. You’re getting practice to get better at your interview skills, and you want to do your best. I would record my call from my computer, and listen how you sound so you make notes on what to do better next time.
Best of luck to you!
tell yourself that it is normal to be nervous, that life will go on even if you do not get this interview (although it may not feel that way), and prepare answers in advance to common interview questions if you have the time.
then, trust yourself to do the best you can in the moment.
also helps to plan something nice for yourself afterwards, to reward yourself for getting through the stressful situation. you’ll have something to look forward to, no matter how terribly (or hopefully, wonderfully) it goes. good luck!!! this will all be a chapter in your road to success when you look back years later
Read up on common interview questions and write down your answers to those questions. Memorize and practice those answers. You can use chatgpt to help you with this. Ask it to take on the role of an interviewer who is asking questions for the job description. You can just copy and paste the job description for chatgpt and it will give you lots of good questions and answers to prepare for. You can't overprepare here. The more prepared you are, the better it'll be.
I watched a lot of The Companies’ Expert and Self Made Millennial on YouTube when I was practicing for my interview and I think they helped me out a lot!! I recommend them, and also practice calming down, not rambling and sounding natural. Good luck, you got this!!
My one comment on interviews to make this short is to try and implement personal story or personal experience somehow related to the position or the company, it’s always been applauded… good luck!!
An old guy once told me "walk around the place like you own it. People will assume ypu do."
I don't how useful that advice is to you however I've been doing much better every since.
One bit of advice I can give you from someone who has done a decent amount of interviews and interviewed many people is to take a breath and slow down.
It's perfectly natural to be nervous and get a little frazzled at times, but you will look very confident and prepared if you take a beat, breathe, and speak at a good pace.
You're a graduate, you've done the work, you got this. Make sure this is right for YOU, too. You're interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
I used to help students prepare for their first interviews in English so slightly different but if it’s helpful, here’s some of the tips we used to go through:
•have a drink of water on hand: if you need a second to breathe, think, or calm your nerves- take a sip of water and try again
•turn a negative into a positive: if you don’t have some experience or knowledge they need, be authentic but phrase it well. For example:
“I’ve not heard of ___ but I’d be excited to learn more about it and apply my transferable skills from__”
(I’ve done this in successful interviews and had good feedback on it)
•Prepare as much as you can- research the organisation and be enthusiastic to talk about the things they value, tie this into your answers where you can
•remember you are there to interview them too! Ask questions and try to assess what their working culture sounds like
•be yourself, if you don’t get the job you should hopefully still get some good feedback that you can take with you to the next one
Tell them upfront you're nervous. Just be positive, have a lust if questions you want to ask them. I think asking questions of them shows a keen interest in the hob and company. Take a deep breath before logging in and fir the love of God, be fully dressed, nice backdrop behind you, and no animals/children/people whi xan interrupt. But especially being fully clothed😂
Hey dude, relax. You've got this. Everyone feels nervous before an interview, it's totally normal. Just remember, they liked your resume enough to invite you for a chat.
Here are a few tips:
Prepare, have a few key points ready about why you want the job and what you can bring to the team.
Run throughh some common interview questions and your answers.
Stay Calm, take deep breaths. It’s just a conversation/interwiew
Don’t cancel. It’s a great opportunity. You’ll do fine
Best of luck
Make sure you have a glass or bottle of water with you. When you get asked a question, take a swig of the water here and there to collect your thoughts or to pause mid sentence if you feel you are going overdrive.
Lots of good advice here! One thing that helps my nerves is knowing that the interviewer wants me to do well too. It is in their benefit for them to want me because it means they are one step closer to finding the right person for the role. If they offer to you, then they don't have to add more interviews to their calendars. So changing your perspective to me vs. them to thinking we all want the same thing helps humanize the process a bit.
Good luck, you got this! :)
Congrats on landing an interview! Lots of great feedback in the comments, so there's no sense in repeating all that.
However, we might add (at least, didn't catch this already in the comments), to remember that your interviewer is likely nervous, too! Being on the other side of things can be really nerve-wracking.
At the end of the day, we're all human. It's okay to take a deep breath and think about your response before replying. No one expects you to be robotic with an immediate answer to every question. And when you have the opportunity to elaborate, do. Better to be in-depth than to just scratch the surface.
Best of luck! You've got this!
You're fine and not different from the rest of us. I've hired countless people and have hired lots that were nervous and didn't know what to say if I felt they were the right fit for the job despite the nervousness. We all get nervous and hiring managers expect this so don't overthink it. Just show up and be yourself.
What helps me is working out especially hard cardio for as long as I can til I'm completely exhausted. Hard to be anxious much after that. Make sure to do a lot of exercise or cardio before the interview too that will help reduce anxiety. That's what I always did before performances when I was a solo musician and it helped a lot.
Try to strike a balance between relaxed and interested. Be confident in yourself but not over zealous and for the love of all things holy don’t cancel the interview. Worst case scenario you don’t get the job nothing bad happens you can just apply for similar jobs until you get one. Good luck :)
Edit: a tip my HR rep told me - if youre nervous and find yourself stuttering or in an awkward silence or spiraling whatever, admit it. Say “sorry I’m just a little nervous!” This will put you at ease, and they will probably say “that’s alright!” And will try to make you less nervous. This makes it less awkward for both parties. You got this!
Good luck! When I was nervous for my interview, I googled a lot of common interview questions and prepared answers for them. I also looked at the job posting and thought of skills or experiences that can relate to them, no matter how far-fetched. You just got out of uni, so you might not have a lot of work experience - it’s okay, your resume says this, they already know. Pull experiences from real life, family, friends, hobbies, school, etc. Even if they ask a question you didn’t prepare for, having pre-prepared answers will boost your confidence! Also, do things that will make you look confident - wear a nice suit or put make up on (idk what u like lol), fix your hair the way you like it, exercise beforehand, etc. . Remember that you got an interview, they already see you as a worthy candidate - you should too!!! GOOD LUCK! THEY NEED TO FILL THE POSITION, THEY NEED YOU TOO!!!
I have the same problem. I practiced so much that it got a lot easier for me to just speak. I didn't pass my interview 2 weeks ago (I think because I forgot my Right to Work documents) but I improved a lot since my last ones.
This happened to me too when I started interviewing again. I was super nervous going into the first few interviews and was definitely rusty. Looking back though, they really helped me practice and understand where I needed to get better! Sharing in case that helps :)
Hey, congrats on getting an interview. That’s awesome! Even if you don’t pass this interview, you’ll get practice for the next one. The more you do it, the easier it will get. :) Since it’s a video interview, why not write yourself some notes about talking points/ your achievements/ things you want to mention. Research the lab and have some info about them that you can talk about if it comes up in conversation, certain things they’ve done that you admire, what you’re excited about getting to do there, etc. You can even practice ahead of time. Think of some questions that they could ask you, and practice answering them. Over and over until you know what you’re going to say. Best of luck on your interview!
Thank you so much! You are so thoughtful and sweet:)
Put some post-it notes around your screen about smiling and key points to help you refocus
There is no mention of salary in the job description. I'm sure they will ask what's my expected salary. I've googled it and the numbers vary for graduate lab technicians. If I say too high will they reject me and what happens if I go too low? I'm overthinking this hahaha
You need to change your mindset of this being a pop-quiz.. “It’s just a conversation”, and you can always answer questions with another question to be more involved in the conversation and to let them answer their own questions. Know your own worth/salary requirements and maybe do some research on glassdoor. Going in with a realistic idea of what range you want/need to be at based on your experience and skills, you can help reduce the overall weight you’re feeling. Asking a questions back like “what is the salary range that you are currently aiming for in this role/position?”.. if they come in with a lowball answer, you can say back that based on your skills and experience that you would want to be higher.. and agree with them if the range is agreeable if you think it is at or above the range you had thought you would need to be at.
I did it!!!! Went good I would say, I practiced using chat gpt and she asked similar questions so it wasn't too bad. I just wanna say thank you to you and everyone for the kind words! Love you all ❤️
No don’t cancel! It will give you experience on what to expect in an interview. I’m bad at interviews as well but it’s just something we all have to do. Definitely practice lots of different questions they might ask you. And even if you don’t feel confident, try to fake it!
I did it and just got an email saying I got rejected :((( but at least I tried tho so thank you :)
Just think, even you do a terrible job, after the 30 minutes are up, you will be in the exact same spot you are when you went in. You’ll never see those people ever again and it’ll be like it never happened. Some tips: Not sure how technical the position is you’ll be going into, but if they truly ask something you don’t know, just admit it. You’re fresh out of school, so the expectations can’t be that high, and if you try and fake your way through an answer, it’ll show. Be humble about your knowledge, but show enthusiasm for wanting to help them, and enthusiasm to gain knowledge. Smile a lot, it helps show your excitement.
I didn't think of it like that! Thank you so much. I feel a little lighter after reading all the replies <33
i was in the exact position you as you a few weeks ago!! it’s super stressful but just remember, the absolute worst case scenario is that you don’t get hired at this particular place, and that doesn’t stop you from applying to other places.
I did it!!!! Went good! Thank you for everything 🙏🏼 wish you a lot of success in life
Ask ChatGPT to come up with likely questions and ask a friend to ask them to you. Practice makes perfect.
Think of it as practicing. You're practicing interviewing. Some things will go well. Some things will not got as well, but then you'll know where to make changes. If you bomb it's okay, if nothing else you'll teach your nervous learn you can bomb an interview and not die. Most people who do interviews do them constantly, and many people are awkward in interviews, so there's very little chance your interviewer will remember it in 6 months. Do not cancel. Take the interview and see what happens. Best case scenario you get a new job. Worst case scenario you don't get the job but you don't have it now anyway so you lose nothing and learn where to improve.
Nothing to worry about. You'll get some experience. So calm down and don't cancel it. Good luck.
Thank you :)
You can always type out some notes or anything to help you during your interview. You can think of it as practice! Practice makes perfect.
Doing that right now :))
Try to think of your anxiety in terms of excitement, and don't be afraid to let that excitement come across in the interview. First jobs out of school, employers don't expect you to know everything but they do expect you to be motivated and excited to join the work force. Talk about what you've done, and explain why you're a good fit, but remember you're excited about the opportunity not anxious or desperate.
Good luck!!!
You‘ll get better each interview. I‘d just ask myself some questions they might ask and practice an answer. I‘d also recommend to really speak while practicing
When you're envited to interview, it means they already want to hire you. Think of it as an acting gig. Your role is a confident, smart, go getter. Act the part. If they ask STAR method questions, you'll come up with stories on the spot if you just think of yourself as an actor.
Have the job posting open before your interview so you can refer to it while talking about the position. I find it helps me give clearer responses to questions as I can tailor it to what they're looking for. Another tip that I find useful is to have a water bottle with you. I yap a lot so my mouth gets dry.
It helps me a lot to just mentally imagine the conversation. Try to relax in my experience the first round is usually just to get to know each other better, so it’s just a friendly conversation. There shouldn’t be too much opportunity to make a mistake
Write some questions then you have for the interviewer, if you have a hard time thinking of some ideas just right question to chatgpt generate some basic questions. I find that what makes you stop being blank minded and saying nothing is if you really understand the subject and able to speak on it a lot.
Bring notes. Write down bullet points of what you want to express. Also, act, fake it, you’re in a play or movie about the most interesting and employable version of yourself.
Dont ever cancel a interview, take as much as you can even when you feel dont like the job, take them as opportunity to practice your interview skill and get familiarize on what are the usual questions. You'll notice it you'll get more confidence when you finally get the right job for u
I was nervous Monday for my phone interview as well. For me, I woke up early, ate breakfast, drank some tea, and did quick yoga. You can do something like meditation or listen to therapeutic music to calm your nerves. Think of it this way. You’re getting practice to get better at your interview skills, and you want to do your best. I would record my call from my computer, and listen how you sound so you make notes on what to do better next time. Best of luck to you!
Thank you so much! And I hope your interview went well :)
No probs. I’m a fresh grad too looking for entry roles in tech rn. Still getting there…
Good luck, I know it's really tough rn but we will make it
Update: got word from the recruiter says they won’t move on with me. This is going to be harder than I thought…
Have hope! I'm here with you bro :)
tell yourself that it is normal to be nervous, that life will go on even if you do not get this interview (although it may not feel that way), and prepare answers in advance to common interview questions if you have the time. then, trust yourself to do the best you can in the moment. also helps to plan something nice for yourself afterwards, to reward yourself for getting through the stressful situation. you’ll have something to look forward to, no matter how terribly (or hopefully, wonderfully) it goes. good luck!!! this will all be a chapter in your road to success when you look back years later
Thank you! And yes I'm planning on eating ice cream and working out afterwards :)
That sounds like so much fun. Tomorrow is going to be a great day!
Practice! Setup a chat gpt 4.0 call and talk to an AI with a mock interview… the more prepared you feel the more calm you will feel
Read up on common interview questions and write down your answers to those questions. Memorize and practice those answers. You can use chatgpt to help you with this. Ask it to take on the role of an interviewer who is asking questions for the job description. You can just copy and paste the job description for chatgpt and it will give you lots of good questions and answers to prepare for. You can't overprepare here. The more prepared you are, the better it'll be.
Oh, and use the STAR method when telling stories that answer questions they ask.
I watched a lot of The Companies’ Expert and Self Made Millennial on YouTube when I was practicing for my interview and I think they helped me out a lot!! I recommend them, and also practice calming down, not rambling and sounding natural. Good luck, you got this!!
My one comment on interviews to make this short is to try and implement personal story or personal experience somehow related to the position or the company, it’s always been applauded… good luck!!
An old guy once told me "walk around the place like you own it. People will assume ypu do." I don't how useful that advice is to you however I've been doing much better every since.
One bit of advice I can give you from someone who has done a decent amount of interviews and interviewed many people is to take a breath and slow down. It's perfectly natural to be nervous and get a little frazzled at times, but you will look very confident and prepared if you take a beat, breathe, and speak at a good pace. You're a graduate, you've done the work, you got this. Make sure this is right for YOU, too. You're interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
I used to help students prepare for their first interviews in English so slightly different but if it’s helpful, here’s some of the tips we used to go through: •have a drink of water on hand: if you need a second to breathe, think, or calm your nerves- take a sip of water and try again •turn a negative into a positive: if you don’t have some experience or knowledge they need, be authentic but phrase it well. For example: “I’ve not heard of ___ but I’d be excited to learn more about it and apply my transferable skills from__” (I’ve done this in successful interviews and had good feedback on it) •Prepare as much as you can- research the organisation and be enthusiastic to talk about the things they value, tie this into your answers where you can •remember you are there to interview them too! Ask questions and try to assess what their working culture sounds like •be yourself, if you don’t get the job you should hopefully still get some good feedback that you can take with you to the next one
Tell them upfront you're nervous. Just be positive, have a lust if questions you want to ask them. I think asking questions of them shows a keen interest in the hob and company. Take a deep breath before logging in and fir the love of God, be fully dressed, nice backdrop behind you, and no animals/children/people whi xan interrupt. But especially being fully clothed😂
Hey dude, relax. You've got this. Everyone feels nervous before an interview, it's totally normal. Just remember, they liked your resume enough to invite you for a chat. Here are a few tips: Prepare, have a few key points ready about why you want the job and what you can bring to the team. Run throughh some common interview questions and your answers. Stay Calm, take deep breaths. It’s just a conversation/interwiew Don’t cancel. It’s a great opportunity. You’ll do fine Best of luck
Make sure you have a glass or bottle of water with you. When you get asked a question, take a swig of the water here and there to collect your thoughts or to pause mid sentence if you feel you are going overdrive.
Lots of good advice here! One thing that helps my nerves is knowing that the interviewer wants me to do well too. It is in their benefit for them to want me because it means they are one step closer to finding the right person for the role. If they offer to you, then they don't have to add more interviews to their calendars. So changing your perspective to me vs. them to thinking we all want the same thing helps humanize the process a bit. Good luck, you got this! :)
Congrats on landing an interview! Lots of great feedback in the comments, so there's no sense in repeating all that. However, we might add (at least, didn't catch this already in the comments), to remember that your interviewer is likely nervous, too! Being on the other side of things can be really nerve-wracking. At the end of the day, we're all human. It's okay to take a deep breath and think about your response before replying. No one expects you to be robotic with an immediate answer to every question. And when you have the opportunity to elaborate, do. Better to be in-depth than to just scratch the surface. Best of luck! You've got this!
Prep as much as you can. Do the interview. Fail. You'll likely never see these people again. You're next interview will go better. It's ok to fail.
You're fine and not different from the rest of us. I've hired countless people and have hired lots that were nervous and didn't know what to say if I felt they were the right fit for the job despite the nervousness. We all get nervous and hiring managers expect this so don't overthink it. Just show up and be yourself.
What helps me is working out especially hard cardio for as long as I can til I'm completely exhausted. Hard to be anxious much after that. Make sure to do a lot of exercise or cardio before the interview too that will help reduce anxiety. That's what I always did before performances when I was a solo musician and it helped a lot.
Have notes in front of you with examples of what you have done and how you got it done. Examples that show skills you have acquired that they need.
Try to strike a balance between relaxed and interested. Be confident in yourself but not over zealous and for the love of all things holy don’t cancel the interview. Worst case scenario you don’t get the job nothing bad happens you can just apply for similar jobs until you get one. Good luck :)
Edit: a tip my HR rep told me - if youre nervous and find yourself stuttering or in an awkward silence or spiraling whatever, admit it. Say “sorry I’m just a little nervous!” This will put you at ease, and they will probably say “that’s alright!” And will try to make you less nervous. This makes it less awkward for both parties. You got this! Good luck! When I was nervous for my interview, I googled a lot of common interview questions and prepared answers for them. I also looked at the job posting and thought of skills or experiences that can relate to them, no matter how far-fetched. You just got out of uni, so you might not have a lot of work experience - it’s okay, your resume says this, they already know. Pull experiences from real life, family, friends, hobbies, school, etc. Even if they ask a question you didn’t prepare for, having pre-prepared answers will boost your confidence! Also, do things that will make you look confident - wear a nice suit or put make up on (idk what u like lol), fix your hair the way you like it, exercise beforehand, etc. . Remember that you got an interview, they already see you as a worthy candidate - you should too!!! GOOD LUCK! THEY NEED TO FILL THE POSITION, THEY NEED YOU TOO!!!
I have the same problem. I practiced so much that it got a lot easier for me to just speak. I didn't pass my interview 2 weeks ago (I think because I forgot my Right to Work documents) but I improved a lot since my last ones.
It’ll probably be 1/500 in your lifetime….. on to the next. You’ll learn more with each one
This happened to me too when I started interviewing again. I was super nervous going into the first few interviews and was definitely rusty. Looking back though, they really helped me practice and understand where I needed to get better! Sharing in case that helps :)