Some are good. Some are bad. Some are in-between.
I will be fine.
But like with most things, it comes down to want-to.
The best advice I heard came from a banking consultant: "Just finish. Don't worry about perfection. Just finish and sharpen your communication skills. No one really cares about your research. They care if you can explain your research. They care if you can talk."
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All interviews are bad. At this point I make hiring decisions based on a series of four simple, yet telling questions:
1. "Can you tell me why normalization (in database design) is a good thing?"
2. "Can you tell me four types of joins?"
3. "Why do you want to work here/What interested you in the position?"
4. "Can you send me a brief writing sample?"
5. "Do you follow any sports"
The first and second questions are very basic database questions. If you can't answer these you don't have the skills to be a database developer or data analyst. The third question is one that I almost always preface by saying - "it's ok to say you liked the job description." The fourth question is important to candidates that are going to be in a position of management but I usually leave off for database/analyst folks. The fifth question is a gimme.
As you'll notice there is not a single question about anything related to education, training, certifications, or research. If you know what to do you should be able to show it to me by answering those five questions. Keep it simple and you'll do fine.
The best interviewers, especially those from the private or results-first sector, asked these questions.
Some of the other guys wasted their own and my time.
When you get past the (subjective) bullshit, it is all about production. Some guys didn't like that I went to a small college. Some guys did. But I am confident that I can perform in any (most) situations that I am put in. I am finding out that demonstrating that confidence is very important.
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