u/ILoveNature100

The other day I had an interview and I was very caught off guard because my interviewer introduced himself for a minute and then immediately asked me if I had any questions…… I’m used to being asked if I have any additional questions at the end of the interview. I’m confused about why he didn’t ask me anything about my experience at the beginning of the interview. I found that very odd and it threw me off.

Hello everyone,

I just completed one of my first real interviews for my career. It’s for a field tech role. My laptop randomly stopped working right before the interview, so I had to scramble and set up the interview on my phone, which made me a few minutes late. I know that looks really bad, but it does not reflect on how I am professionally. I am always on time and don’t like to waste people's time. I apologize and explained why I was late. This didn’t help with my nerves so I ended up being very shaky during the interview and felt like I was just rambling and repeating myself. After I’d answer their question I would think of a better more educated answer( what’s too late to tell them). I feel like I just kept on repeating myself and it did not reflect well on my actual knowledge and personality. Do I send a follow-up email and tell them sorry I was super nervous? I stupidly said, "Sorry, I’m really shaky," during the interview, lol.

Hey everyone. I graduated with an environmental biology degree last year, but I had to undergo surgery, so I wasn’t able to start applying for jobs until winter. I’ve been applying nonstop and haven’t gotten a single interview. I’m really starting to lose hope, and I don’t know whether the issue is too many applicants or if I’m not a strong candidate. It’s reached a point where, if I don’t find a job in a few weeks, I plan to go abroad to volunteer somewhere where I can gain experience to add to my résumé (coral restoration, wildlife handling, community outreach, etc.). I’m really struggling.

If anyone has experience volunteering for a conservation initiative, rehabilitation, or restoration project abroad, please let me know how it was, and if you know of any organizations you would recommend. I have lab and fieldwork experience, and I’m also scuba certified.