Tobin Burke
Looking back, my early interview experiences were far from smooth. I used to get so nervous that it affected how I came across. Shaky answers, lack of eye contact, and overall discomfort. I didn’t yet have the confidence to explain my skills in a way that showed how I could bring value to the team. Over time, as I gained experience and self-assurance, I learned how to prepare and present myself better. Eventually, I got promoted twice into a Senior Operations Associate role after doing a few intense interviews that included long presentations. Those interviews went well because I was able to show real-life examples of my leadership and problem-solving abilities. I stayed organized, professional, and clear with my responses, which I now recognize hit all three key factors: reliability, validity, and utility.
Later, as part of my new role, I actually became the person conducting the interviews. That experience gave me a new appreciation for what makes interviews effective. I tried to create consistent interview questions for all candidates to boost reliability, and I focused on questions that reflected actual job tasks to improve validity. Utility came into play by making sure we got enough information to make solid hiring decisions without wasting anyone’s time.
Most recently, I put everything I learned to use in an informal interview with the company I’d interned for. I not only landed the full-time job but was also able to negotiate a better salary. That experience proved just how useful strong interview skills can be, not just for getting the job but for advocating for yourself too.
If I could give advice to employers, I’d tell them to focus on structure and fairness. Use clear, job-related questions and remember that the best candidates might still be nervous at first.