RELEVANT COURSEWORK

»

Biomedicat Statistics

Thermodynamics

»

Differential tiquations

e

Experimental Design in Binmed Research

Pharmacogenomics

e

Biomed Systems and Signals

Biology of Neuron Funktion

• Biofluid Mechanics

• Biocomp Modeling & Simulation

 

fiLIFT\\”.4kF: Rosie Minitah, TIRCO Spncfii e, fiJectrcinic Lahnratr›ry Nntehnok, ChemStation, Hamilton, Basic Pythnn, Rasic MATt.AB

LztIJt7ft't"1'tJk1”: Instrun tosLiny. Viscumeta. HPLC, High-Thruu hpul Experimentation ACTIVITIES

 

• College and High School Tutor, 2020-2023

• Missioaary Tom Board Member, 2017-2022

• Marketing Agency Pounder, 2022-2023

• f''itiiess ’l'rainer, 2020-2022

• Sucial Media Coach. 2023

• Mini-THON Coordiiiatur/Mcnfur, 2ß18-2021

 

56

Interview Tips

Congratulations on writing an exceptional resume that has caught the eyes of many employers. However, as you proceed, you'll quickly realize that there is an additional crucial step awaiting you: the interview process.

 

Sti ong Introduction

It's actually rather diffcult to fully capture the immense power of a strong introduction through mere explanation. Perhaps some examples will serve better to illustrate the point.

lmagine you are at a party, and you see a person well-groomed with tailored clothing who then confidently introduces themselves. It is likely you will be intrigued by the individual and proceed to keep an eye on them throughout the night. A first impression in an interview serves a similar purpose to immediately engage the interviewer.

 

There is more to a strong introduction though, and I believe that a basketball analogy can best illustrate this point.

 

During my childhood years of playing basketball, I excelled more as a defender than as an offensive player. Therefore, I was often tasked with guarding the opposing team's best player, and one of the key strategies would be to dictate their rhythm of play. lf a good player could speed up or slow down whenever they wanted to, there's pretty much nothing you can do defending them because all of their subsequent moves will catch you off guard.

However, if from the jump you can dictate their pace by pressing on or sagging off strategically, you can command the exchanges between you two. As you start to have success, your confidence builds and you have a much better chance at stopping the talented offensive player throughout the game.

Similarly, when you can get out ahead of an interview and have a strong introduction, you can command the pace of the conversation and instill confidence early. If you do not have a compelling introduction prepared, you likely will speed up, stutter, and forget important pieces of information that will leave you nervous for the following difficult questions.

 

A strong introduction that I used to get my most recent internship at GlaxoSmithKline was the following:

 

“My name is Jun Yuh. I'm a J“ourth-year hioni edlCol CDQIDC6f"fDQ SttldCn I, ctii'reritly enrolled in Drexel's BS/MS yro,‹j rum. 1 huve u c't1iic’entrnti‹ ii in neuroeii,qiiieerin,q due t‹ my yr un Jmother’.s Ah.lieimer‘s dingy nosi.v, uncl my yc›ul i.s fr› c›tie cluy he u |1urt ‹if the movel yharHl OCC tltiCal therapy that will sCFVe as the solu tion.

 

57

My}”if st intc’ri›ship was at West Pharmaceutical Sef vices where I played an impot tatit role i’N

yioii eeri’ii,q the clevelop Inc•ii 1 ciJill jluiâ that tniiniCked the belt ‹i vior oJ various t/rii,q cossets in our syriii,qe.v. 1 h‹eye to utilize the research und lu J›‹ i utory .vkill.v that I've clevelo eel t‹i .ver ve your antomation tenro with high throughs fit SCf'eey iRgs)or early druy diSCOVery.

f coulcl not he mt›re thrilletl uhout this ‹ ;›‹ i tunity n.s’ 1 hoye to he u urt ‹ [t1S"K’.v ylt›hul in itiative. Thank you Jor your time today.”

 

I've rehearsed that opening statement hundreds of times to the point it could naturally flow while simultaneously having a big smile on my face and keeping eye contact.

 

Even in the rare cases that they forget to ask for your introduction, you can say something along the lines of:

 

“BeJo re• I cinswer any oJ’the que•stions, 1 would love it iJ’you weuld,qrcm I me the op lorturiity to introcluce myself as 1 want to ensure you know exactly what type of canclirlate you arc pettJri,q in me. Would that he okay?”

This would be another great way to command the interview from the start. Either way, drafting up your introduction and rehearsing it many times before an interview will serve you exceptionally well.

 

 

Strong Closing

Just as a strong introduction is important to initially engage the interviewer, a strong closing is important to give a good final impression that the interviewer can remember you by. Here are some important things to do as you close:

 

• Express gratitude: Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration.

• Reiterate interest: Emphasize your continued interest in the position.

• Highlight fit: Quickly summarize your key qualifications and how they align with important aspects of the role that the interviewer mentioned.

• Ask about next steps: Inquire about the hiring process timeline and if there is anything you can do to aid them moving forward.

• Collect emails: It is imperative you send a “thank you” note along with any follow up questions within 24-hours in order to further your relationship.

• Final statement: End with a positive statement such as, “I look forward to hearing from you soon and hopefully exploring methods to serve the company together.”

 

 

Never Just Tell, Always SHOW

Behavioral interview questions where they assess how you have responded to situations in the past are extremely common. These questions aim to evaluate your past 58

Image 101

behavior as an indicator of your future fit for a role. Usually these questions begin with one of the following statements:

 

• “Describe a situation where...”

• “Can you give an example of when...”

• “Tell me about a time when...”

 

Even when the question isn't framed this way, it is always helpful to provide a story showing your skills and experience rather than simply just telling them. For example, if the interviewer asked me, “What is your biggest strength?”, instead of saying that I'm a “great problem solver”, the following answer (which I've used previously) would be more effective:

 

“tic commontilit y ut i est my expert •nces us an eoqifleer i's that something ulways ,qoes wr‹iny when y‹iu leust exyect it. Adinitteclly, these situation s were fru.s’trutiny uii cl .sometimes even overwli eloiiny at first, hut I've learned that as air engineer, it is my r’esponsibi/its to address these issues in stricle and identify a solution.

 

During my first internship, we iver'e doinp break loose and ext “usion forCe testing on syrJri,qes usiny an lnstroii, but we dichi’t have a fixture that could holcl the syriii,qe in our desired pos it ion.

 

 

cont‹ictecl various teams und yot u hold of un inclivicluul who wus foiniliur with CAT

m‹icIelin¡j untl .3D yrintiiiy. I .vcheduletl u meeti'ny vvhere 1 showell hirii a clrawiiiy of whut 1 wu.s looking to crecite with the appropr iate dimensions. Not only did lie ayree to crea te the ni odel and yrint it, hii t he also nllowecl me to sit with Ii iro while lie did it.

 

Therefore, we web e ali le to get a fU RCtiO R te l holder tO CO Rduct testiiiy witho ft t yUSllitig hack our schedule», and I was able to utilize» the skills I learned IO COR tFlhlltC tO aflof/ic'J’JlxtDPC

clesi,q n in the |’iitiii’e.”

 

In this way, I was able to show that I'm a problem-solver through practical experience. Moreover, I was able to highlight other strengths such as effective communication, strong sense of accountability, willingness to learn, and even basic modeling.

 

This is an excellent way of standing out from other candidates because it's likely many of them are simply telling the interviewers about their skills.

 

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Come Prepared with Questions

I know it may seem more effective to act as though you've understood everything about the position, but never say “no” when they ask if you have any questions. In doing so, you show a lack of interest in pursuing the position further.

My mentor would always say that if the interview ends earlier than the scheduled time, then it probably means they don't care enough about you to offer you a job.

Conversely, if the interview goes longer than the scheduled time, then it probably means they are very interested in you and will likely offer you a job.

In my experience of interviewing, this has been true a majority of the time. A perfect way to extend the interview is by asking thought-provoking questions. You should ask ones that you thought of during the interview, but always come prepared with a handful of questions so you are never without any. Consider asking some of the following:

 

• If we were to sit down together 6 months from now, what would you need to see happen in order for you to be happy with your decision to hire me?

• Do you have any reservations about considering me for this role?

• Is there anything on my resume that is of concern that I can clarify for you while we are here?

• What do the day-to-day responsibilities look like in this role?

• How does this role interact with other teams?

• Which competencies does a successful person in this role typically have?

Please remember that an interview should flow like a conversation so if any of their answers provide you an opportunity to further highlight your skills or to elaborate on your experiences, please feel free to interject and do so!

 

Moreover, just as it is important for you to impress the interviewer with your questions, take the time to genuinely assess their answers. This is the time to interview them because you want to be sure that the role is a good fit for you.

 

There is nothing worse than you getting so worked up about a new job, and then actually going through the day-to-day and hating it. Do your due diligence with these questions!