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ā€¢2 min read

They Want to Interview Me??

careeranthropicinterviews

okay.

so.

i got an email today.

anthropic wants to interview me.

the moment

i was in the library, working on thesis edits. my phone buzzed. i saw "Anthropic" in the notification preview and my heart rate approximately tripled.

i made a noise. people looked. i didn't care.

what the email said

"we were impressed by your application and would like to schedule an initial interview to learn more about your background and interests."

impressed. they said impressed. about MY application.

(is this real? am i being pranked?)

immediate reactions

first 5 seconds: pure adrenaline. joy. disbelief.

next 30 seconds: "okay wait i actually have to do an interview now"

following 5 minutes: strategically texted approximately everyone i've ever met

the rest of the day: oscillating between excitement and terror

what happens next

they scheduled a phone screen with a recruiter for next week. then potentially technical interviews after that.

i need to:

  1. research common interview questions
  2. review my own projects (can i still explain them?)
  3. brush up on ML fundamentals
  4. prepare thoughtful questions to ask
  5. not completely spiral

imposter syndrome: activated

"they made a mistake." "they'll realize i'm not qualified in the interview." "i somehow tricked them with my application."

i know these thoughts aren't helpful. i'm having them anyway.

the counter-arguments

  • they reviewed my application and chose to move forward. that's their judgment, not a mistake.
  • i have done real work. my thesis. my research. my projects.
  • i'm early in my career, but that's known. they know my background.
  • interviews are a conversation, not a test. (mostly.)

the preparation plan

going to spend the next week really preparing. not cramming, but synthesizing:

  • why do i want to work at anthropic? (easy, i've been thinking about this for a year)
  • what have i done that's relevant? (thesis, research, projects)
  • what are my strengths? weaknesses? what do i want to learn?
  • technical fundamentals: ML, systems, coding

deep breath

this is an opportunity. whatever happens, it's already more than i expected.

i got a foot in the door. now i just need to not trip on the way through.

replying to schedule the interview right now. my hands are shaking slightly. this is happening.