How to Conduct an Interview

This past week felt very productive for me! I got to work contacting the professionals from my contact list, and got several interviews scheduled very quickly. I haven’t even had to make a phone call yet - all my interviews so far have been scheduled through email.

The two interviews I had completed last week were from two civil engineers working in very different industries. The first professional I interviewed worked for the city government, while the second had his own private firm. The two interviewees mentioned the difference between private and public jobs in terms of day-to-day responsibilities, the pace of work, and the work environments. One thing I saw in common between the two interviews I held last week was that both of the professionals I interviewed placed an emphasis on landing internships and finding experience while you’re young. They mentioned engineers typically being more introverted, and explained that going out of your way to find contacts, take risks, and gain experience will make you stand out when applying for a job. As someone whose personality profile describes me as more extroverted, I’m hoping this quality will help me stand out and make progress in my future career.

Overall, my two interviews this past week were successful and pleasant. I learned a lot about my chosen topic, and worked on my interview and professionalism skills. I think the connections I made last week were pretty solid - both of the professionals encouraged me to email them with any other questions I might have.

In the coming week, I want to complete more interviews and expand my knowledge even more. I want to work on my transitions and specific questions that I ask during the interview, and I want to make them more casual and conversational. One specific thing I’d like to work on if ending the interview - I think I should come up with a few basic phrases to say at the end of the interview so it doesn’t end awkwardly. Overall, this was a successful week, and I’m looking forward to having more of those!