I need interview advice

I’ve read the previous interview threads I could find, but thought there might be some new opinions out there…

I’m needing, for various reasons, to get a job for a couple years before going to grad school, so I’m applying to several different kinds of companies. I have 30 minute interview on-campus tomorrow with a major software company that I would very much like to work for; I like their products, and I like what I know of their corporate culture.

Thing is, I’ve never had a job interview before (and, despite trying, couldn’t schedule a couple first with companies I’m not as interested in). I’ve read the advice in books, online, from my school’s career center, etc., but thought maybe some of y’all would have tips of your own.

One large issue is how to answer the obvious question of why they should hire a physics major for a software job. An acquaintance who works at this company thinks that I could, with the programming experience I have, get a position in testing or QA, writing test code and such. Since I made it past the first round of selection (in competition with CS and engineering majors in one of the best programs in the country), I know that they think they might have some use for me, but I’m trying to formulate a concise statement of why I think they have some use for me.

I think that the most important relevant benefit from the physics curriculum and from my work in research labs has been great experience in solving ill-defined or open-ended problems; devising multiple methods for arriving at answers; checking the validity or plausibility of results when there is no specific expected answer; and devising new means for checking and refining those results. From what I’ve seen from friends who are CS majors, their coursework, while difficult in the nitty-gritty of coding, tends (as a generalization) to be much more formulaic in its requirements.

Or is that sort of thing too vague?

Thoughts? General interview tips? Random encouragement? Thanks in advance.

Don’t worry about physics at all. It just makes you look smart. Don’t make any comment about it that you think it’s not related to the job. They also interview history majors and language majors. Physics is a plus, so don’t be defensive about it. At the same time, don’t expect them to want to talk about it if the job has no physics content. They will be nervous themselves that you might not consider them “serious” enough for your tastes, so they may avoid the topic entirely.

The first thing is - try to relax. You won’t be completely relaxed, but if you realise that they’re generally as poor at interviewing as you are at being interviewed, you’ll be less likely to be overwhelmed.

Try to be friendly, and listen to what they say, and then try to react to things they say, even if they aren’t questions. If the interview becomes more like a conversation, everyone is more comfortable, and that reflects well on your personality (which is a definite factor in choosing between two similarly qualified people, or two candidates with vastly different areas of expertise going for the same position).

The main thing is, they don’t care what you covered in the disciplines you’ve been involved in beforehand, if they’re not directly related (such as physics vs computer programming) - but they do want to know what you’ve learnt from it. Your examples of what you’ve learnt from scientific research are great starting points. Push your skills and interests, not just your resume.

And finally, good luck (because luck always plays a part, so all you can do is the best that you can do).

HenrySpencer