LMFAOOO OKAY... ignore all that until you make it then HAHAHAHAHA 😭 tbh if we were talking irl rn i wouldn't feel comfy giving specific interview advice unless i knew what field you're in, what role you're trying for, or who you're interviewing with. and, uh, it's less than a day before your interview which isn't the best time for me to rock your boat... so i won't. i'm sure you already prepped as much as you can. but from my experience hiring teammates (and my boss!) along with interviews i've gone for, here's a quick list of general tips:

• know your own story, especially when introducing yourself. give them a sense of how your interests evolved throughout your career.

• think of projects you've worked on that you feel represent your biggest struggles & triumphs. most interviewers ask about that. i highly recommend that you practice telling the story out loud haha and make sure you're being balanced by describing things that you did great and stuff you could do better. also don't overtly blame other people or managers if not justified pls that's a red flag HAHAHA

• be aware of the state of the company if possible, and go into the interview with an idea of something you'd like to change.

• lastly - be curious about your role, how they work, what projects they've got, bc don't lose the plot here... you are also interviewing them.

• if this is your dream job i think you should say it is, and tell them why. it helps if the panel starts rooting for you tbh. above all, be honest and candid. just self-awareness alone already sets you apart as someone trustworthy.

also, if it helps relax you: just know that 90% of the time, if you've made it to a non-HR interview, that means they already think you are qualified to do the job. they've already seen your portfolio or experience and thought you were a good fit. what they want to see now is whether you're a colleague they want to work with—a.k.a. vibe/energy, what differentiates you from their other shortlisted candidates, and your thought process when approaching your projects or when dealing with tricky situations. there's also something specific they're looking for that they won't tell you—but you can & should ask. :)

at the end of the day, know your value. if it doesn't work out, there's something else out there meant for you. it's really fine. i think you should show you really want it and do whatever it takes to get it, but also make peace with the possibility that you might not. their decision could be due to something entirely arbitrary LOL. it's not you, it's them. so, all the best! 💛

and TEA... 🍵 well about 3 years ago, some manager (not even MY manager, ok, which makes this so funny) i worked with had this habit of belittling me and basically did not gaf about my rationale for certain choices before shitting on stuff i did. he was also just a bad manager to my friend bc he presented more problems than solutions, didn't give her much guidance/insight on her work, and had this CRAZY habit of badmouthing & antagonising everyone else—even our VP (who didn't deserve it)!!! i literally despised the guy, he was so toxic. anyway it affected me a lot... i had a few breakdowns over his comments, felt pretty humiliated. obv my friend was really pissed too. eventually, we brought this up to his boss (who is basically our VP) and she staged an impromptu anonymous peer feedback exercise for the WHOLE team just so we could document our grievances for this ONE PERSON. no one else knew that was the real reason she did this lmfao. that asshole used to tell us to "always think about the consequences of speaking up" as a veiled threat; well, our VP later used our essays as grounds to fire him. best consequence ever, if you ask me. unfortunately he's off to ruin some other company. he's the type of guy who sits in the advisory council of a board and does nothing. ugh some people literally fail upwards 😒

hahahaha okay i hope sharing this comforts you somewhat. and sdkfsjk i don't have a ynbn shrine, it's all in my head actually... i don't collect merch. only memories. lol! anyway, sending hugs. you'll do good. make some notes for yourself, and just breathe :)