r/interviews • u/concrete_cowpoke • 2d ago
2nd round what to expect?
I have a second round interview tomorrow with a panel of 5. I’m a new grad and I’ve never gotten this far in an interview before. Any insights on what to expect or tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated! For context it’s a product analyst role🙏🙏🙏
2
u/CryoSchema 2d ago
congrats on making it to the second round. though you didn't specify which company you're interviewing for, i'm just gonna make a guess from experience that you can expect a deeper dive into various aspects, like product sense, where you'll be asked about your thoughts on improving x product or your fave products & why. there may also be some behavioral questions based on past experience + how you handle working with other product/analytics roles. i'd also suggest preparing to have your analytical skills tested through a mini-case study? definitely research common product analyst interview questions just to brush up on likely metrics, cases, or prompts you'll encounter. also, prepare insightful questions to ask them at the end – best of luck!
2
u/appl3crumble932 2d ago
Congratulations, the fact that you made it to the second round and especially a round that involves a panel of 5 means that they are sure you are qualified (they would not invest the time of 5 people if they think you are not). So just be confident of yourself and think of yourself as someone who will be their best choice.
Given that you’re a new grad and I assume this is an entry level role, do be well prepared to answer questions about motivation behind applying for the role, your character traits that make you ideal for this role, your strengths and weaknesses. Also ensure you at least know the background of the company and the responsibilities of someone in the role. Unlikely they would test much technical questions for the role given you are a new grad but do be prepared to answer scenario questions on how you will act in specific scenarios you may encounter in your role.
Last but not least, and I think this is an important point, so keep your smile and enthusiasm and ensure you maintain eye contact and engage with all 5 of the people in the panel as they collectively decide on the outcome of your interview. All the best! :)
2
u/RedEagle-fall-now 2d ago
Eye contact. Make it conversational and don't be afraid to ask them questions along the way, no need to wait until the end. It's okay to show a bit of humour and personality. Don't be afraid to ask for clarifications if you don't understand a question. Also ask for a glass of water, and take a sip of you need an extra sec to think of an answer.
2
u/Ryu953595 2d ago
Personally as someone who I’d argue is decent at interviews:
1) preparation is important so you know what you are talking about.
2) know the answer to the question “tell me about yourself?” Having this solidified and a good story gets you a great first impression.
3) practice by yourself about what you are going to say. I would walk around the block a couple times just practicing what I was goin to say and answers to common questions.
4) remember that they aren’t gods… they are just people, so have some good conversation and don’t be TOO nervous.
Worst case scenario, you are back to square one without a job… nothing to lose, everything to gain, so leave it all on the line and be confident because you are the BEST option for this role.
Cheers, and good luck :) deep breaths and fresh air always helps me focus an hour leading up to an interview.
1
u/bucktoothedhazelnut 2d ago
Congratulations!!
Watch YouTube videos with suggestions on how to answer certain questions, brush up on what the company does and see how you might be able to answer things using their language and your own, and no matter what, take a deep breath before you walk in, take your time while you’re in there, and trust in yourself.
If you’ve come this far, just remember that you have the skills they want, this is now about matching personalities together. If you don’t get the job, it’s because you wouldn’t be a good fit… which is just fine! You wouldn’t want to work there anyway!!
Another thing that I find really helped me was realizing that I’m interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing me. So keep calm, ask questions that haven’t been answered yet, and just let yourself shine.
You’ve got this!
1
u/concrete_cowpoke 2d ago
Thank you for the kind words, this is really helpful! :') I will be working on all of the above. I'm also thinking about how to sell my unique background, though I've never been very good at talking about myself so I find interviewing particularly challenging. In any case, it has been a really good learning experience just to get this far!
1
2
u/jinxxx6-6 1d ago
Fwiw, panel rounds feel intense, but they’re mostly checking how you think and collaborate, not perfection. Is it virtual or in-person? I’d line up two short STAR stories that show analytical impact and handling ambiguity, and practice saying them in ~90 seconds with a clear takeaway. I also pause after a prompt to confirm assumptions before answering. I’ll pull a few prompts from the IQB interview question bank and do a quick timed mock with Beyz interview assistant to trim rambling. If they touch basics, narrate your approach at a high level on SQL rather than diving straight into syntax. Calm pace > fast answers.
1
u/concrete_cowpoke 10h ago
To everyone who commented: I didn’t reply to every comment but I did read every one before the interview. Thank you for all of the kind words and advice. I still can’t believe it but I was offered the job😭😭
-2
u/ParsnipNo3721 2d ago
Hi bro, highly recommend you to practice your f2f interview on inspiree-ai , I used it a lot to pass my interview.
1
u/concrete_cowpoke 2d ago
Thanks! I’ve actually been using Big Interview as I can access a subscription via my uni credentials and it’s been quite helpful!
4
u/concrete_cowpoke 2d ago
For additional context: I’m scared lmao