How to Survive Your First Interview Process (Without Losing Your Mind)

Okay, so you’ve scored your first real interview. Cue the sweat. Cue the overthinking. Cue the panic-Googling: “What is business casual and why does it sound like a threat?”

Welcome to the interview process — aka the Hunger Games of adulting.

Here’s your no-BS survival guide.

Step 1: It’s Not a Test — It’s a Vibe Check

Yes, they’re evaluating your skills. But they’re also trying to figure out:

“Can I deal with this person at 9am on a Monday?”

• Your goal: be prepared and be someone they’d want to share a Slack channel with.

Step 2: Know Your Résumé Like It’s Your Spotify Wrapped

They're gonna ask about it — don’t let your own résumé surprise you.

Prep these:

• A quick “about me” story that doesn’t sound like a LinkedIn post. 3-5 sentences.

• One moment you felt useful/successful/a leader in school, work, or even volunteering

• A time you solved a problem (even if that problem was your group project flaking)

• A time when things went to shit, and you cleaned it up or handled it-- turn lemons into lemonade here. We want to see you can handle tough stuff and survive.

Step 3: Practice Saying Stuff Out Loud (Alone, Like a Weirdo, then with a friend)

Your brain might know what you want to say, but your mouth might glitch mid-interview. Nerves are pesky like that; if your mouth practices, it will go into muscle memory if you get clammy.

The Fix: record yourself answering practice questions. Yes, it's cringey. Do it anyway.

Try these:

• “Tell me about yourself”

• “Why do you want this job?”

• “What’s a weakness of yours?” (Don’t say “I’m a perfectionist” unless you want them to snooze). Turn a weakness into awareness and a strength.

  • Example: “One of my weaknesses is overthinking — especially when I start a new role or project. I tend to double-check everything because I want to do it right. Lately, I’ve been setting time limits for decision-making and asking for feedback early instead of waiting until something feels ‘perfect.’ It’s helped me move faster and trust my instincts more.”

  • Why it works: You admit something relatable, show growth, and give proof you’re working on it.

    
    

Step 4: Stalk Them (But Make It Professional)

Scroll their website, socials, Glassdoor, and yes — even their recent TikToks (if they’re cool like that). Get a feel for their dress code policy.

📌 Pro tip: it is OKAY to ask the recruiter the preferred/recommended dress code. When in doubt, overdress. Don't show up to a suited environment in a crop top. Lets keep all crop tops in the closet for any interview you take.

Then prepare questions to ask them based on what you learned from the stalk sesh:

• “How does your team measure success?”

• “What’s something most people misunderstand about this role?”

• “What does growth look like here?”

• "As someone representing your future brand, what are you looking for in candidates?"

  
  

📌 Pro tip: If you ask nothing, you look uninterested, bored or clueless.

Step 5: Know the Red Flags (So You Don’t Regret It Later)

Interviews aren’t just for them to evaluate you — you’re evaluating them too. This interview is for you as much as it is for them.

Watch out for:

• “We’re like a family” = no boundaries. Would your family dismiss you without any heads up? The expectation is loyalty given to the company, but it's not reciprocated. They can fire you at anytime.

• Vague answers about work-life balance= overwork, underpay, expectations that you can be reached 24/7.

• Nobody can explain the role clearly = chaos job, hard to measure performance and what success looks like.

  
  

📌 Pro tip: You’re allowed to bounce if it doesn’t feel right. Finish the interview, thank them, and move on.

Step 6: After the Call, Send the Damn Thank-You Email

Keep it short, sweet, and not robotic. Send it after EVERY interview, regardless of how it went.

Template:

“Hi [Name], thanks again for your time today — I really enjoyed learning more about [cool thing they mentioned]. Excited about the possibility of joining the team!”– [You, future office legend]

TL;DR:

• You’re not being grilled — you’re being assessed for vibes

• Know your story, show your curiosity, keep it real

• Ask smart questions. Avoid red flags. Follow up.

• You’ve got this.