#not least because i think people saying that have GROSSLY underestimated the difficulty of getting a spousal visa

[mangled-by-disuse]

also i'm sorry but just as a heads-up: no matter how shit you're feeling or how shit your country feels

it is not a fair thing to be like "i'm either going to find a foreigner to sham-marry or kill myself" to a foreign, unmarried friend

i am not saying this to the person in question because i don't think they're kidding and also i don't think they were trying to put me on the spot, but. dude. maybe fucking don't.

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

general interview/comportment tips for a noob starting uni this year?

Sure! This is pretty generic except in a couple places where I indicate it’s based on my “woman in science/tech” experience and may not translate everywhere. Also: I’m American, so I can’t promise some of the details carry over to all cultures, though politeness is always a good idea. 

Short answer for all: be genuine but professional, be polite and considerate, and practice but don’t read from a script.

Be punctual (or call to apologize if you’re running late). It happens. I was a few minutes late yesterday, actually, because I grossly underestimated the traffic conditions in Atlanta.

Dress neatly and conservatively, usually, but don’t try to be totally unlike yourself (for example, I’m a woman who doesn’t wear skirts or heels much in life, but does wear makeup, so I wear slacks and button-down shirts and makeup to interviews. I have never worn a suit to an interview, and it’s been fine).

Be polite, and don’t swear, but be genuine. 

DO NOT LIE, EVEN IF IT SEEMS INNOCENT. I am currently in a weird position of interviewing for residencies in a pretty small field. If I tell one place one thing, and another place another thing, it will be found out.

Now granted, total 100% say-whatever-comes-to-mind honesty will not be a good idea unless you are a literal saint, which is why I say be genuine rather than honest. When they ask you “why do you want to work here,” saying “I’m desperate for a job and will take whatever I get” is not considered a good idea, which you probably already knew. You are going to have to think about answers that are true but maybe not your first instinct.

If things go wrong, be gracious and calm. Especially in science and tech, they usually have reviewed your C.V. and are more interested in whether you’re a good fit as a person and can handle the pressures of the job (this goes doubly for students applying to their first job). If you spill your coffee, trip, get stuck in traffic, whatever - be calm and polite and do what you can to help but don’t get caught up in the mishap. 

Prepare a situation, but not a word-for-word statement, about some common questions. For example: you will probably be asked about a time you dealt with a difficulty or personality class; your strengths and weaknesses; perhaps something in which you showed leadership. A word-for-word description will come off as rehearsed. A retelling of your experience will be genuine and open but appropriate.

When it comes to the dreaded 5-year plan question, especially if you’re young - don’t be afraid to say something like “right now, I’m interested in X and in 5 years I plan to be doing something with X, but whether it’s (opportunity that I could achieve with this company) or (different opportunity I could achieve with this company) is something I hope to figure out.” I’ve actually gotten great feedback on this kind of answer, because despite all those thinkpieces about how young people are feckless job-hoppers, at least in science and tech even the older establishment types understand that the fields change rapidly and it’s better to have someone with general ideas of what they’d be happy doing than to have someone rigidly set in their ways.

On that note: it’s tempting to overprepare especially if you’re really nervous. Instead of overpreparing by writing everything down, overprepare by going to many practice interviews. Find older friends, or family members, or your school’s career center (I’ve had really great experiences at my undergrad institution and mediocre ones at my grad school institution, so check out the career center but try and find other people to talk to as well just in case). They can do mock interviews. This will get you in the habit of talking to people about yourself in a way that doesn’t sound scripted.

Also: unless it seems really sketchy, take every interview. You will gain experience from it and learn something and perhaps even get feedback, even if you realize you don’t like the job.

Finally, this might just be me but: I am super bad at coming up with questions for the interviewer on the spot, so I’m honest about that - I just say something to the effect of “I think you’ve answered the questions I had! I was wondering about ______ and it was really helpful to learn that ______. So I don’t have any more questions right now and honestly I’ve never been great at coming up with questions, but I will email/call you if they come up.” Practice interviews (and real interviews) will help you realize where your interviewing weaknesses are, and most places recognize that, for example, it is possible to be interested in and qualified for a job and not be great about coming up with weird questions on the spot.

Good luck!