Have you ever been terrified of the unexpected questions a potential employer may ask you in an interview? Me too! The unknown of the interviewing process scares many people, not just you. If you struggle with preparation for interviews, I am here to help! If you don't know me already, my name is Molly Walker, and I am a Career Peer at the Career Center. Like you, I am a UMBC student with access to a wide range of resources available at the Career Center.
If you haven't had much experience with interviewing yet,,anticipating the kind of questions that you may be asked may be a daunting prospect. That's why we give UMBC students free access to the Big Interview.
You may ask, what exactly is the Big Interview? It is a website that provides instructional modules on how to answer interview questions and offers simulated interviews for you to master. Some important features include:
Video learning modules: In the Learn tab on the site, a compilation of modules on multiple interview topics. Within the interview modules, you can choose to watch the video modules that fit you best.
Interview Question Library: This resource provides you with insider advice to prepare for questions across multiple categories, such as: Industry, Competency, College Admissions, Government Positions, and Veteran Experiences!
Practice Interviews: Normally, the best way to practice for an interview is to prepare in the mirror or with a friend. Yet, Big Interview took that approach and elevated it! My favorite feature of Big Interview is the mock interview simulation. Using the knowledge from the modules and your pick of questions, you are prompted by a pre-recorded interviewer to respond appropriately. There are also different difficulty levels for the pre-recorded interviewers spending on the moderator. In a real interview, it can be difficult to analyze the quality of your answers due to the anxiety and stress of the moment. It can feel as though your brain is cloudy as you concentrate on answering the questions. By answering the questions beforehand on Big Interview, you can assess your responses without the stress and anxiety of a real interview.
Interview Recording: You can record yourself answering the questions in the mock interview and immediately view for self-reflection. You can also send your recorded videos to receive feedback from Career Center staff, including me! The Career Center has strong interviewing expertise and can provide advice and feedback you may have never considered. Specifically, once you have completed a mock interview on Big Interview, complete these steps to send the videos to the Career Center:
Go to the tab on the top of the screen "My Videos"
Check the mark next to the video you want to share
The blue "Share" button on the top right-hand side of the page
Click "E-mail the following people" and enterinterviews@umbc.edu
Click add email after you have entered the above email address
Click "Share Now," and your video will be sent.
You will receive feedback through the Big Interview platform within 48 hours of your request during the weekdays.
Big Interview is incredibly unique, and in my opinion, an under-utilized resource that the Career Center provides. No matter your situation, Big Interview is ready to help you prepare! Though Big Interview is a tremendous resource, you may find you would like some extra assistance. Some additional resources available at the Career Center are:
Accessing the Big Interview Demo on our website if you want to learn more about how to get started.
Setting up an Interview Prep appointment with a Career Advisor using Handshake.
If you find yourself with some extra time on your hands during winter break, it is the perfect time to visit us! Check out our Career Center Winter Hours and get a jump on preparing for and landing those Spring and Summer jobs or internships.
Remember, no one is born perfect at interviews! Rest assured that, like anything else, you can easily conquer your interviews with some support and practice. We are happy to help you through that process. Happy Practicing!
Oindrila Ghosh, environmental engineering doctoral candidate, is the winner of the Student Paper Competition for the Eleventh International Conference on the Remediation and Management of Contaminated Sediments for her paper, “Design Optimization of Passive Sampling Prototypes with Periodic Vibration for Porewater Measurements of Polychlorinated Biphenyls.” The 2023 Sediments Conference will take place in Austin, Texas from January 9-12, 2023. Oindrila will present her work during the poster presentations.
Oindrila is in her fourth year of her doctoral program under the supervision of Dr. Upal Ghosh. Her research focuses on the fate and transport of persistent organic contaminants in the environment that tend to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms like fish.
Student paper title: Design Optimization of Passive Sampling Prototypes with Periodic Vibration, for Porewater Measurements of Polychlorinated Biphenyls.
Authors: Oindrila Ghosh, Louis Cheung, Upal Ghosh (University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD), Mehregan Jalalizadeh (Exponent, Los Angeles, California)
ABSTRACT: Polymeric passive sampling has emerged as a promising approach for accurate measurements of bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants. However, in-situ measurements of sediment porewater concentrations are challenged by slower mass transfer through the water boundary layer (WBL) outside the polymer compared to well-stirred laboratory measurements. Using performance reference compounds (PRC) to correct for non-equilibrium conditions is prone to error, especially for more hydrophobic compounds like higher homolog group Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins/furans. Previous research has shown that the mechanical disruption of the WBL outside the polymer surface by introducing periodic vibration on the sampling platform greatly enhances the approach to equilibrium for more hydrophobic contaminants. In this study we aim to optimize the design of these prototypes and vibration frequency for sediment porewater measurements through laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling. The key motivations were to make the sampling devices versatile for more hydrophobic organics and increase the size of the prototypes from the initial proof-of-concept design by increasing the size of the motor and making them more reliable for deployment in the field, all the while keeping them low-cost.
IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Upal Ghosh
Learn more about Oindrila’s research and art at https://www.oinghosh.com/ and on Linkedin
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