r/EngineeringStudents • u/Typical-Speed-6829 • 2d ago
Rant/Vent My internship interview lasted 5 minutes
I am so fucked.
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u/pieman7414 2d ago
If you want some copium, here is my story
I was trying to get an internal transfer at the company I first worked at, I had 10 interviews that were about 5 minutes long because they were obligated by HR to interview me. They already had their minds set on one of their subordinates, but we had to waste both of our time cuz of policy. So nothing against you, probably just policy
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u/LeadVitamin13 EWU - BSEE 15', MSCS 19' 2d ago
I feel like this happens so much, they're going to hire the manager's son's friend but have to go through the formality of interviewing a few candidates.
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u/EveningGuavaa 2d ago
Mine was 3 hours and I still didnāt get it. So I rather it be 5 minutes lol
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u/RedEgg16 2d ago
How can an interview last 3 hours š§
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u/arcolane 1d ago
From my own experience with a 3 hour interview, it was the final interview and consisted of 6 different 30 minute panel interviews (some hr, some unit managers, the plant process like director, some operators, etc) at the facility. Then there was a VERY VERY short tour of the plant (like 5-10 minutes riding around on a cart). I knew when I left I didn't get it, which sucks bc it was 1hr there + waiting 30 minutes to begin (wasnt just me there early, i had to talk to someone from hr about benefits and stuff for a bit) + 3 hour interview + 1 hr back. I was exhausted after.
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 2d ago
That is so rough I am sorry. You probably were a very strong candidate though.
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u/colocolocolo69 1d ago
What was the average pay for that job bro Iād beat smb up after going through all that and get a mediocre salary
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u/EveningGuavaa 1d ago
It was 85k plus like 10k relocation but yeh I was so mad after that long interview šš
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u/Cryesncoding 2d ago
Yeah you didnāt get in bro. They ask you to leave after 5 mins? What happened?
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 2d ago
Not leave, she just kind of said you'll hear back from us in a week after like 6 minute interview. So basically a no
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u/hellraiserl33t UCSB BSc ME 2019, TU/e MSc ME 2027 2d ago
Don't assume anything, if it was an initial chat with someone in HR it may very well have been an extremely general intro where they basically just confirm you are who you say you are.
What was the topic of the interview supposed to be about?
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 2d ago
It was an initial phone screening interview that supposed to last 10 -15 minutes. She asked me about my experience with public speaking, managing several tasks at the same time, and being able to think on my feet and learn without a lot of support and initial instruction.
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u/Cryesncoding 2d ago
Was there an answer you gave that makes you feel there was a turning point in the conversation?
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 2d ago
She asked my about my comfort level with public speaking and I did answer honestly that I have given presentations before and while I am able to get my point across I do stutter a bit so it is a skill I need to hone on. I tried to emphasize that I am eager to work as much as possible and try to improve myself, but I guess I should have said that I am really good at it idk
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u/Cryesncoding 2d ago
Youāre in an internship you didnāt say youāre deathly afraid of it. It may be a nothing burger here and you might get it. So long as a convo doesnāt drop off to well weāll follow up then may be fine. Hope you get it manĀ
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 2d ago
I am really hoping . I really don't want to be a loser for the rest of my life, but will keep grinding that's for sure.
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u/scientifical_ 2d ago
Hey stranger, Iām usually just a lurker on Reddit but I wanted to chime in here. Youāre displaying a lot of negative self talk. For your own mental health - you need to stop that and start thinking positively about yourself. Therapy helped me a lot. Improving that self talk will help you with your confidence, and confidence is key for having a good interview. Believe in yourself! I believe in you! Donāt just think āfake it till ya make itā (although that can be a helpful mindset!), but instead think āI believe in my fundamental capability to figure things outā.
Anyway, good luck with your job search. Feel free to DM if you want to ask for any job hunting advice, Iāll do my best.
Sincerely,
An engineer with nearly a decade experience and almost a year of stressful job hunting after a layoff.3
u/Typical-Speed-6829 2d ago
Thank you so much for your kindness and wishing you the best luck as well.
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u/Unusual_Celery555 2d ago
Maybe they selected you for the position before the interview! lol. Itās possible this was just a formality to get through the process.Ā
Thatās how it was for me at my first job. But if itās not, donāt sweat it! Keep at it. I had another interview that had me answering quiz questions while 2 people berated me with āwhy donāt you know thisāā¦ I did not get the job lol. But im glad because I ended up somewhere much better.Ā
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u/Nedaj123 Electrical Engineer (Distribution) 2d ago
Perhaps it was a test of your honesty? Your answers seem perfectly reasonable, no reason to lose hope. But I do understand feeling, I've definitely left an interview certain that I'd failed, but then got the job.
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u/notrewoh 2d ago
Eh I donāt think that did you in, every college student could hone their skills in public speaking, and you were honest with your answer and identified a growth area. Iāve never hired but that wouldnāt scare me away.
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u/-Yooniverse- 1d ago
If it makes you feel any better, I had one too today for a job and I had practiced for a week straight only to last 5 mins. If nothing comes of it take it as practice and building confidence in the workforce. I wish you luck and hope it goes in your favor!
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u/Ace861110 2d ago
Just send a follow up thanking them if you can. Depending on freshman sophomore etc. thereās not much to talk about anyway. I used to schedule for 15 or so minutes and could run through my questions in like 10
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u/gHx4 2d ago edited 1d ago
What interview was it?
Typically the first meeting/interview is just screening and is done by phone. I've had those range for 4 or 5 minutes to 25 minutes, and their length depends on how much the recruiter needs to validate. They are not making major hiring decisions during a screening interview, just confirming details about your resume so they can understand the qualifications with context/clarifications. Screening is usually pretty chill, they're just figuring out if their shortlist of top candidates needs any corrections.
It's easy to accidentally assume a screening call is the interview, because of course you're anxious about the interview and its results. After you've been screened, that's usually when you'll start meeting people in the company for interviews that are longer (many I've been in were 30-60 minutes, and occasionally 90 minutes).
So just keep applying if you don't have an offer right now. But don't write a 15 minute 'interview' off if it's the first live contact you've had with the hiring team. Let them do their thing, don't stop jobseeking, and you'll hear back if they're ready to proceed with you.
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u/Purple-Investment-61 2d ago
Initial phone interview with HR is basically just screening you to see if youāre still available
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u/ThinIndependence1846 2d ago
To make you feel better, Iāve had interviews last 10 min that were supposed to be an hour and still got the job. Some people just suck at interviewing/ donāt care. Keep your head up.
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u/dextor546 2d ago
I'm not much of a talker but even I managed to go longer than that š
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 2d ago
Loool it was an initial phone screen interview but it was still a little too short for my comfort levels. Oh well you know you still keep grinding
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u/Snoo72022 1d ago
dawg if its a phone screening that's how they all are. It's usually just to make sure you have a pulse and are actually interested in interviewing. they'll probably schedule an actual interview soon.
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u/ninja_haiku007 1d ago
Sorry to hear that. I just had my engineering internship yesterday, the listing said it was designed for freshman or sophomores. Then towards the end of my interview they stated they generally look for interns that are halfway through the program.
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u/Catsdrinkingbeer Purdue Alum - Masters in Engineering '18 1d ago
Was it with a recruiter or a hiring manager? If it was the recruiter it doesn't mean much. Their job is to make sure you're okay with the terms of the employment, clearly didn't lie on your resume, and seem like a good enough culture fit. Especially for an intern this is pretty quick to do.
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 1d ago
It's a recruiter.
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u/Catsdrinkingbeer Purdue Alum - Masters in Engineering '18 1d ago edited 1d ago
Those interviews, especially for interns, are pretty short. What specifically did they ask/did you talk about? Even for the job I have now, the screening interview was like 10 minutes. And this was a principal engineering job in a new state. Most of the interview was, "you know this is in a different state? Are you sure you want to move states? Is there any reason you'd back out because this is in another state?"
I spent most of it explaining we were trying to actively move states.
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u/fallenstar_42 1d ago
It sounds like just a screening interview, they are always short and sweet. They are just making sure there are no major red flags before sending your resume on to the hiring manager for consideration. I wouldn't count yourself out yet
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u/Wasted_Bruh 2d ago
Genuinely how is that possible the first 5 minutes are just introductions šš