Chill Interviews

[DrSal]

Hey,

I'm pretty much done with my interviews, and in retrospect, they weren't as hard as i thought. None of my interviewers brought up difficult questions, or inquired about my grades, research...etc. It was all about why pharmacy, what i like to do, what would i do if... etc... and it just seemed like a conversation...

So now I'm wondering, is such an interview a blessing or a curse? Should i have been boasting about my achievements, "selling myself"...etc or is this the way interviews are in general?

If that's the way they are...then how do they decide who gets in and who doesn't? Unless someone is truly socially inept or awkward...I'm guessing most of us are going to be similar... so is it all about the numbers then?

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[Farmercyst]

Hey,

I'm pretty much done with my interviews, and in retrospect, they weren't as hard as i thought. None of my interviewers brought up difficult questions, or inquired about my grades, research...etc. It was all about why pharmacy, what i like to do, what would i do if... etc... and it just seemed like a conversation...

So now I'm wondering, is such an interview a blessing or a curse? Should i have been boasting about my achievements, "selling myself"...etc or is this the way interviews are in general?

If that's the way they are...then how do they decide who gets in and who doesn't? Unless someone is truly socially inept or awkward...I'm guessing most of us are going to be similar... so is it all about the numbers then?

If you got in it's a blessing because it doesn't matter anymore. If you didn't it's a curse because you sit back and wonder why it was so chill. Were you too relaxed, did they not put any effort into because you had: low stats, poor LOR, bad 1st impression? What could you have done differently? Did you show too much emotion, not enough? Eye contact, did I make eye contact? Definitely a curse if you don't get in. Especially because the next years interviews will be that much worse. At least that's my line of thinking.

 

[DrSal]

If you got in it's a blessing because it doesn't matter anymore. If you didn't it's a curse because you sit back and wonder why it was so chill. Were you too relaxed, did they not put any effort into because you had: low stats, poor LOR, bad 1st impression? What could you have done differently? Did you show too much emotion, not enough? Eye contact, did I make eye contact? Definitely a curse if you don't get in. Especially because the next years interviews will be that much worse. At least that's my line of thinking.

Well, I'm still waiting to hear back from 1, and on hold at the other.

I guess we'll find out for sure once i hear back. Definitely i was engaging, conversational, good eye contact, spoke with confidence... Everything on my end felt great at the end of both interviews.. so maybe that's why i'm confused... it felt too easy...i didn't get grilled or mess up (or if i did i can't remember)

what do you mean by the bold part of the quote?

I'm just wondering, as applicants, should our goal be to have a chill relaxed conversational interview... or hope for a difficult one where we can shine!

It'd be great to hear from some people who've already been accepted, and what their interviews were like...

 

[PolarBear21]

I had the same experience as well, all my interviews (I've had six) have been really laid back. I don't think I did awesome in any of them but I don't think I messed any of them up. Oddly enough the schools I thought I did less than stellar at were the schools I got accepted to while the schools I thought I interviewed well in were the ones I am currently on hold for.

I agree though, after having pretty good interviews and then not getting accepted, I think in the end my stats did me in, I think the only way I could have gotten past that boundary is if I hit a home run during my interviews which I didn't, in the end my interviews I think didn't hurt me or help me.. if that makes any sense.

 

[GreenMonster]

my 2 interviews so far have been very laid back. felt like i was talking to my advisor here at a small school

 

[senzabee]

I had two chill and conversational interviews and one that was a little more formal and grilling (just questions they had for me, but they were still nice). I was surprised that I was not given ANY situational, ethical, or pharmacy related questions (outside of what I do as a technician). Wait, I take that back, I think I was asked "If someone in a group of yours wasn't doing their part, how would you handle it?" But I find that question a little more typical and not like other situational questions I've heard has been asked.

I was very happy about the people I got, but at the same time I too wonder if I missed out on a chance to shine because I wasn't given the opportunity to answer questions like those. But I think it was the people I got, who were all very nice people who didn't have any intention of putting me on the spot. They just wanted to know me rather than what I would do.

In the end, I think it comes down to luck and who you have. I would hope the same interviewer is the same way with all of his/her candidates and doesn't grill one person more than another. I always wondered if you looked at those accepted, if you would find a trend in who they were interviewed by. Like if people who got "nicer" interviewers were accepted more than those who got mean ones, or vice versa. I doubt it, but you never know because it's hard to judge fairly aross the board when all of the interviewers are looking for something different and are asking different questions.

 

[Farmercyst]

what do you mean by the bold part of the quote?

Keeping in mind that I've had interviews at two schools, applied to four and haven't heard from the other two yet (interview or rejection) What I mean is, my interviews were pretty laid back as well. I did have to discuss some school related stuff, pharmacy related stuff, but I didn't feel like I was being grilled. If I don't get in, and I have to do this again next year, how do you think I'm going to feel going into interviews next year with pretty much the same stats? (I've only got 3 classes left and have 218+ units so GPA ain't changing much) A chill interview being basically what got me (theoretically) rejected this year would mean next year would really make me start to sweat if my interview seemed too laid back. Even if they're supposed to be that way I'd be a nervous wreck at the end if I come out thinking, man that was easy....wait...too easy, what I do wrong, OMG?

I'm hoping that won't be the case for me, and I'm sure that I'll have pharmacy experience next year if I don't get in this year so it wouldn't be a xerox copy application, but I think you might see my point.