#interview practice

Now get in there and give me your best!

01/09/20 , click for better quality

Time has flown by soooo quickly, it’s kinda crazy. I start school in 2 days and I will be sitting the LNAT next month (which is pretty soon tbh) and I’m lowkey scared ngl. Anywaaaaay, pinch punch first day of the month 🤪✨

Although the header says ‘Oxford practice’ I’d say more than anything, that it’s interview practice. These are rewritten notes from said interview practice session where we (there’s like 5 of us) answer super difficult interview questions together. The questions we tried answering this time were:

Why is the pole vaulting world record 6.5 metres and why can’t it be broken?

I agree that air transport contributes to harmful climate change. But whether or not I make a given plane journey, the plane will fly anyway. So there is no moral reason for me to not travel by plane.’ Is this a convincing argument?

There are 4 patients all ill with a rare disease and there is only enough of the cure to treat one of them. One is a famous sports star, one a leading academic, one a single parent, one a convict, who gets the cure?

How would you describe an apple?

Why don’t we target 0% inflation?

Does it matter if some animals and plant species die out?

Think of a painting of a tree, is the tree real?

Summer Studying Challenge - day 47 - 51

🌞 Fri - Do your eating habits change during summer?

Yeh, I eat a lot less and I think it’s because I’m not using as much energy during the day in comparison to when I’m at school (constantly walking around, participating in sports etc.). I find this applies to all holidays or periods of time where I’m not at school if that makes sense

🌞 Sat - What is the thing that annoys you the most during summer?

The sudden influx of every type of possible bug, I’m not a bug person :/

🌞 Sun - What colour do you associate with summer?

Blue or green

🌞 Mon - When you hear the word ‘summer’, what is the first thing that you think of?

How much nicer the weather’s going to be 😂

🌞 Tue - Have you managed to complete your main task and goal for the summer?

You’ve spent years being educated, months skill training, weeks writing job applications, and days going through phone screenings. (At least!) Finally, you’re invited to an interview. How much effort do you put in to best prepare yourself, and is it enough? Be honest…

As scientists, we often struggle to highlight our transferable skills or tailor our academic experience for commercial roles. This can make it a challenge to get invited to interview and so we tend to postpone interview prep while we work on our skills gap and CV. Or worse, we presume that there is very little need for it because we fall for the clichés of “just be yourself” and “act natural”. But it’s naïve to think that interviewing is something you’re either good at or you’re not. Or that it’s just down to luck on the day. If the interviewers catch you off guard with their questions, there’s simply not much you could have done, right? Wrong. I’ve realised that knowing how to best prepare for an interview can make or break your chances on the day. “Practice makes perfect” is a much better cliché to arm yourself with. And while I have never heard of a perfect interview I would like to draw upon my experiences to date, on both sides of the hiring table, to help set you up for one.

You may have heard that people form lasting judgments within the first seven seconds of meeting. I’d like to dismiss that philosophical claim straightaway, at least in the context of an interview. The whole time you are being interviewed you are building a picture of who you are and how you fit the role. It’s a journey to establish your competence, skills and personality. If you get lucky and hit the ground running, then you’re on track to do well. If you have a weak start you still have the rest of the time to compensate. And even if you flat-out make a blunder; from human errors like a misinterpreted question to technical errors like a dead laptop battery, you can still salvage the interview by showing your resilience in the face of adversity. But it’s only by practising for such varied scenarios that you can give yourself the best chance of success.

In my experience, the strongest interviewees seize every opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. They have prepared and are ready to show this, but with a flexibility that keeps their responses relevant and engaging. They treat each line of questioning, not as an interrogation, but as a welcome prompt for showcasing their strengths. Their answers flow easily because they are confident in them, which results from good preparation. I always appreciate when a candidate is ready and willing to take me on a journey through their experience. And although some people are inherently good storytellers, I do think it’s possible for the rest of us to learn how to do this.

For example, take the time to prepare case studies as evidence of your skills, and script the main points you want to hit upon. I was taught in school to approach essay writing by preparing each topic with a “point, evidence and conclusion”. In an interview, the same logic can be applied using the STAR technique: establish the situation, outline the task, describe your actions, and explain your results. The interviewers need to be shown that you recognize the necessary skills, that you have experience applying them, and that you know how to realise value from them. Key to this is making sure you’re sincere and relatable so that the interviewers can picture you in the role. Try to frame every answer in the context of the team or workplace you were part of, to show that you understand your part in the bigger picture. If you have done your homework and practised speaking this way then it becomes easier for them to envision you in the role as they listen to you.

We may feel it’s a strength to come across natural rather than sounding rehearsed, but the point is that knowing what you want to say can really help when you have nerves to contend with. Consider that you’re probably entering an unfamiliar building to meet with strangers in a whole new environment. It can be understandably nerve-wracking. So do yourself the favour of having prepared the parts that are within your control ahead of time. If it makes you feel at ease, then memorise some key phrases and discussion points based on the variety of questions you might expect. Don’t worry if you think it won’t come across natural, because the whole situation is unnatural. For example, it’s always likely that you’ll be asked why you applied to this company and role. In knowing that, a rehearsed answer can help hide nerves and avoid rambling whilst showing that you’ve prepared and done your homework. It also helps maintain your confidence as you minimize the chances that a question may catch you unawares. And in so doing you will inspire your interviewers to have confidence in you too.

Try also to be somewhat empathic to your interviewers. You want to make it smooth and enjoyable for them too where possible. Employ active listening by practising ways to pause and think about questions. Reword them out loud and ask for clarification when you need it. Be careful about the length and relevance of your responses and watch for cues that you’ve said enough. If you feel you’re starting to ramble, stop and ask if you should go on. This helps keep the interviewers engaged and shows you welcome their guidance. Or when you simply don’t know how to answer something don’t be afraid to highlight it as a current limitation. Honesty is a highly valued trait. Plus, it shows self-awareness and humility. Neither the interviewers nor you will gain from attempted cover-ups, and it rarely works, but the alternative can reflect well on you.

Finally, recognise the opportunity for you to ask questions throughout the process. The interview is a two-way street after all. From the moment you arrive you should show enthusiasm by being interested and inquisitive in the people you meet and their team dynamic and workplace. It can be tiring but valuable. It again shows you are excited about the opportunity and that you have spent time preparing.

While these examples are somewhat general I hope they’ve helped you recognise the benefit of solid interview prep. As with any personal skill it can be hard to measure and takes time to get comfortable with. But there are many varied resources available to help you once you’re willing to dedicate some time and effort to the challenge. So, don’t just be yourself, be your best self. Your future self will thank you.

Lastly - remember this is practice for an assessment! Don't respond the way you would in a casual conversation, respond how you would if a near stranger was interviewing you for a job. There's also a few extra notes about this one I'm gonna put under a readmore to stop this post from getting too long.

How would you respond to the following interview question?

Also remember to read the *entire* question. If there is an "and" halfway through, odds are pretty high that the second half of the question is more important than the first half, so if you only respond to half you are going to be losing out on a lot of points.

Lastly, the stock answers will contain an example of a perfect response, an okay response, and either a 0 point response or an auto-fail response. I'm also going to start cutting down on the amount of options in these, to hopefully help you zero in on the best response.

Tell me about a time you made a mistake.

12/08/20

Hehe some original content! We’ve got different lighting and I actually tried something different with the header. I’m trying to stock up on notes and pictures so I can basically post more regularly so hopefully that will make things easier. These are some rewritten notes I made which are based on an interview practice I had with my friends! It’s kinda like a study group and we ask each other interview questions that we know Oxford have asked interviewees before. There’s more of a PPE focus since I’m the only one who wants to do law but it’s fine because it helps with my commercial awarenesss tbh.

Also BREAKING NEWS the IB has amended all exams, excluding SL and HL maths, in one way or another if this means anything to you check this post out.

Summer Studying Challenge - day 25 - 31

🌞 Thu - What book are you currently reading?

The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham

🌞 Fri - What is your favourite summer ‘beach read’ book? 

Any poetry anthology ever 😂

🌞 Sat - What TV show are you currently watching?

Black Clover, RE: Zero and Dororo

🌞 Sun - What was the last movie you watched?

Kung Fu Panda 2 with my younger brother and mum. I forgot how much I love the furious five 😂

🌞 Mon - What is your favourite summertime snack?

Any fruit (especially strawberries) excluding pineapple and tomatoes :/

🌞 Tue - What is your favourite meal to have on the beach?

I don’t eat on the beach... cause of the sand... If anything I’d say ice cream but that’s not really a meal

🌞 Wed - What is an unpopular opinion that you have about summer?