From Nerves to Know-How: Guest Speaker Equips Students with Winning Interview Strategies

By Aayusha Chapagain, Department of Sustainable Resource Management, May 2025

 

Meredith Chase

Meredith Chase, the Assistant Director at ESF Career Services, served as a guest lecturer FOR 797, delivering a dynamic and informative session on interview preparation and career readiness. The session provided students with valuable strategies and reflections to boost confidence and competence in navigating the job search process.

The guest speaker emphasized the importance of self-assessment, encouraging students to evaluate their interests, skills, personalities, and reflect on their past experiences, present strengths, and future goals. This self-awareness, she explained, is crucial in tackling difficult interview questions such as, "What is your greatest weakness?" or "Tell me about a time you resolved a workplace conflict." These often-uncomfortable questions require thoughtful, honest responses that present the candidate in a constructive light.

She also addressed practical elements of interview preparation, including how to craft a concise, focused cover letter, highlighting that not everything can (or should) be included in one document. Chase recommends printing each job announcement and marking it up with specific examples of the the required experiences or skills. 
The importance of networking was another key topic, where she emphasized the advantage of “knowing someone on the inside” to help open doors into competitive organizations.

The session further explored how to develop and polish interview skills, such as controlling hand movements, maintaining eye contact, and using confident body language. She provided guidance on evaluating job offers, stressing the importance of asking to complete the interview before discussing salary. Salary negotiation, she noted, is often challenging, but students were encouraged to aim for the higher end of the pay scale, for example, targeting $50,000 in a $45,000–$50,000 range, since employers often start with the lower figure.

Finally, the speaker highlighted the importance of asking questions at the end of the interview, reminding students that this part is equally critical and should be planned in advance rather than thought up on the spot.

The session was widely praised for being relatable, practical, and empowering. Students left feeling significantly more prepared and confident for their future interviews, equipped with both strategic knowledge and a clearer understanding of themselves as candidates.

As part of the requirements for FOR 797, Perspective on Career and Gender students share responsibility of reporting on a subset of class discussions.