A Brookie Guide to Preparing for Interviews
Image: Amy Huynh
Hello there! You might be reading this guide because you are a Brooke Owens Finalist this year or you’re in the process of interviewing for internships and full-time jobs. Getting an interview with a company is an incredible feeling, but then what? We know just how intimidating interviews can be, especially when it can determine if you become a Brookie this year, so we are here to help you prepare for your host company interviews! Let’s get you started on how you can kill these interviews and #BecomeABrookie.
Download the .pdf version of this guide below, or continue reading on for the text version:
In this guide, you will find information about interview etiquette and advice for three different types of interviews: general, technical, and case study. You can also find additional resources at the end.
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
Create a resume dissection to ensure you know the projects and jobs on your resume inside and out. What is a resume dissection you may ask? It’s a resume that is not limited to one page and includes details like the scope of the project or role, your personal contribution, the results or outcome of your work, and takeaways from your experience.
An effective resume dissection brings project details to the forefront of your memory and synthesizes how your work fits into the bigger picture of your goals and dreams. Tie each thing on your resume to a good lesson learned, soft skill gained, challenge overcame, and/or how it adjusted your future career path and goals. Try not to draw from the same experience twice when answering questions.
Research commonly asked questions online. Check websites like Glassdoor to get a flavor for the type of questions you could be asked. Some positions may focus on your past experience or behavior, while other positions may focus on technical questions. We recommend taking reviews and questions with a grain of salt.
Know the role and company you’re applying to. Find out if the company has a motto or values they emphasize on their website. It’s common for interviewers to ask you about the role you’re applying to. Prepare questions tailored to the position as well.
Find the answer to: What are you proud of? If there is a project or story that you’re proud of, that’s a good moment to recall, so that you can share it with an interviewer.
One very important key step is to research the people you are scheduled to interview with! If you have the names of the interviewers, look them up on LinkedIn or Google. Familiarize yourself with their backgrounds so you have an idea of their position in the department and company, what they bring to their job role, what might be important for them in a candidate, if there is anything in common you can point out, and prepare questions related to their experience.
INTERVIEW ETIQUETTE
If it is a video interview, dress to impress! You should wear business professional or casual as if it were an in-person interview. However, make sure you feel comfortable so your outfit will not distract you. The company’s website or social media can give you an indication of their typical dress code.
Make sure your phone is on silent and/or do not disturb.
It can be helpful to have a setup where you can reference your resume and questions as needed, as well as a way to take notes either on paper or a computer.
Bring a water bottle! Sometimes you talk a lot and it can be taxing so it’s helpful in case your throat gets dry or you need a way to pause for a few seconds.
Set yourself up in a quiet room, free from distractions. Make sure there is consistent internet connection or phone service. A table is nice so you can have your resume and questions out. If your school allows you to reserve rooms in the library or other quiet buildings, this may be a good place to consider!
Take notes when the interviewer talks about the role, specifics about the start date, group structure, and answers your questions.
If the interview is a phone interview, you can sound more engaged and empathetic if you smile and exaggerate your facial expressions. If you get nervous during the interview, standing up, walking around, or standing on one leg can help. Remember to ask for the names and contact information of the people you interview with, but if you forget you can always email the recruiter or whoever set up the interview.
After the interview, preferably no more than 2 days after, follow up with an email to tell them how excited you are about the company and role and to thank them for their time and considering you for the position.
GENERAL INTERVIEW
Interviewing can be a stressful and rewarding experience. Oftentimes we get nervous because we don’t know what questions will be asked and it’s easy to get wrapped up in how we are perceived by the interviewer. If you find your nerves are overwhelming, try to reframe the situation as a learning experience. This is an opportunity to talk to someone who also has passions and experiences you could learn from, and interviewing can take practice. We’ve found that preparation is key to calming nerves and acing an interview. Disclaimer: Everyone has their own preferences, and sometimes you can prepare too much. No one knows you better than you!
When you are contacted for an interview, don’t be afraid to ask what to expect in the interview. Any information they provide will help you prepare in the best way possible. Prior to the interview, research the company that you are interviewing with. Look at their current work and projects, and any recent news that they’ve been part of. It’s good to be familiar with their mission and to be prepared to talk about why you’re excited about what they’re doing. Beyond that, see what you can learn about their company culture since that can set the tone for what to expect in an interview and what they value in their interns. For example, many NewSpace companies and startups look for candidates who are resourceful and can contribute in a fast-paced environment.
Consider what makes you interested in the company, and be prepared to answer that in the interview. If you’re interviewing with a specific team, tailor your answer so that it matches with the work that team performs. If there isn’t a specific team you are talking to, consider what areas of work you would be interested in performing at that company.
COMMON GENERAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Tell me about yourself. Walk me through your resume. This is essentially your elevator pitch. Who are you? What’s important about you and your resume? Make sure you’re able to talk about and defend everything that is listed on your resume. Practice forming sentences about different experiences on your resume and how you contributed.
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Don’t be afraid to be honest about your weaknesses, but also speak on how you can improve them! If they ask for both strengths and weaknesses, start with the weaknesses so you can end on a positive note.
Why are you the best candidate for this position? Don’t be afraid to brag. Make your case, emphasizing your soft skills (teamwork, communication, attention to detail, etc), technical skills, and prior experiences.
Why do you want this job / why do you want to work for this company? For this question, be sure to review the company beforehand and specifically know why you would be a good fit. Answer genuinely, and know specific information about the company.
QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK THE INTERVIEWER
At the end of the interview, you may be asked “Do you have any questions for us?” Be prepared with a list of questions to ask your interviewer. This is when doing research about the company can come in handy, as you can have more tailored questions. ALWAYS ask thoughtful questions! It shows you’ve been invested in the company and the interview experience. Remember that you are also trying to see if different host institutions would be a good fit for YOU. If there are any specific aspects of the culture, work environment, or team that are especially important to you, make sure to ask about it so you can give the BOF team feedback about your matches.
Here are some potential questions to consider:
What excites you most about the company’s work?
What was your path to and through the company like?
What skills or experiences have served you best?
How do you measure success?
What skills do you use the most in your day-to-day job?
What’s been the best piece of advice you’ve received for your career?
What is your favorite thing about working here and one thing you would like to see changed?
What else can I do to make myself the best candidate for this job?
What are some of the challenges your team is facing and what are some key contributions I could make during the summer?
STAR Interview Format
A common format for answering behavioral questions is the STAR format. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Following the STAR format helps guide your answer to provide enough context to your interviewers while informing them of your contributions.
Situation: Describe the scenario that you were in.
Task: Detail the problem and challenges that you faced.
Action: Explain what you did, and any methods or tools you used.
Result: State the outcome, including any accomplishments and savings. Quantify the impact if possible.
COMMON BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS
Tell me about a time that you had a conflict with a team member.
Tell me about a time that you made an improvement.
How would you break down a complex project?
Tell me about a time you had to solve a problem and didn’t feel like you had all the pieces.
For these behavioral questions, a good way to prepare is to have examples/stories in mind about how you contributed to different projects/labs, either in class or through other organizations or internships. For each of those projects, think about specific experiences or situations that you can use to answer different kinds of questions. Beyond projects, your experiences in different contexts could help you in the role you are interviewing for. For example, a past babysitting job can be applicable to aerospace through the work ethic, cooperation, leadership, time management, and other skills gained. In general, if there’s something you’re proud of or learned a lot from, it can likely lead to a good story when answering these questions.
TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
For technical interviews, be prepared to talk in detail about any projects that you’ve been a part of, including anything listed in your resume. Consider having a portfolio ready to demonstrate during the interview, or e-mail it to your interviewers ahead of time.
Prior to the interview, review common concepts in your field and for the team that you are interviewing for. For example, if you are interviewing for a manufacturing engineering position, you can review engineering drawing (GD&T) practices and common manufacturing techniques. It is also good to review material from some of the classes you’ve taken that cover fundamentals in your field and how they apply to different teams you’re interviewing with.
If a question is unclear, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. And if you don’t know an answer, that’s okay. But instead of just saying “I don’t know,” speak on how you would go about solving the problem, and some information you know that would help you solve it. Often, you’re not expected to be able to fully answer all of the questions - they mainly want to learn more about how you think through different situations.
No matter what the question is, be sure to carefully explain your reasoning. These companies are looking for people who can solve problems — if you make a small mistake or miss something, that’s okay! It’s about solving a problem, and explaining your thought process.
When given the opportunity to ask questions, feel free to ask some technical questions about what the company is working on. Many company websites list general information about their work, but if you have specific questions about any technical details, your interviewer might be excited to talk to you about it. This can also give you a sense of how well they answer questions about different topics, which can be important if the interviewer would be your manager during an internship.
CASE STUDY INTERVIEW
A case study interview is typical for industry analyst or consultant positions. In these interviews, the interviewer acts as a client to the company who brings a situation to you. You must analyze their problem and offer the best advice to solve it. The case study interview gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and show the interviewer your creative thought process.
Some key steps to preparing for a case study interview include the following: research the formats of case study interviews, study what a company is looking for in an applicant from their website, review questions an interviewer may ask from resources like Glassdoor, and practice mock interviews with friends, family, or your school’s career center. Additional tips are listed below.
Listen carefully to the interviewer and ask questions. Take the time to listen to the scenario your interviewer is describing and take notes. Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions, and say aloud your thought process and reasoning. Make sure you are clearly understanding the problem.
Structure the problem and form a framework. Take some time to think over the problem and brainstorm how you want to structure and address your answer. Putting time to prepare and format your answer can enable you to more easily create your analysis. Don’t be too intimidated about answering too quickly and take the time to organize your answer.
Make quick and accurate calculations. At some point, the interviewer may ask you to make some simple calculation to see if you can use numbers to quickly form opinions and guide decisions. Your calculations should be accurate and integrated into what you have discovered so far.
Synthesize your thoughts and emphasize the conclusions from your analysis. At the end of the interview, you should summarize the hypotheses and options you have developed to address the given scenario. Also be sure to conclude with your recommended solution to the problem.
Don’t worry about getting the “right” answer. There is no right or wrong answer in these interviews and you do not need to be an expert. These case study interviews, similar to technical interviews, are about your approach to solving problems, so remember to discuss your line of thought with them.
Be yourself and have fun! Try to focus on what you think is the best solution you would take, rather than focusing on trying to give an answer the interviewer wants. Interviews are always intimidating but they can be the best learning experiences that can help you prepare for future interviews!
Final Thoughts
Interviews are always intimidating, but try to stay as positive and excited for it as you can! You got this interview because these companies know you are qualified and want to learn more about you and to see if you will be a match with the team. Try to be as prepared as you are comfortable with and then let your personality and experience shine through in the interview! You made it this far for a reason. No matter the outcome, you are already Brookie material. Good luck on your host company interviews or any other job interviews you have!
Additional Resources
Still hungry for more information? Here are some other links you might want to check out.
Indeed.com’s How to Use the STAR Interview Response Technique
Indeed.com’s 40 Engineering Interview Questions to Help You Prepare
The Balance Career’s Common Engineering Job Interview Questions
Reddit Post on Internship Interview Advice/Guide