Published: May 5, 2025 by Aryn Prestia

An interview can be intimidating, whether it’s in-person, over
the phone, or held as a video call. The only true way to improve
interviewing skills is through practice, but if you are not in
the active job search process it can be hard to find scenarios in
which to do that. This is where Big Interview comes in. 

Big Interview is a free service provided to all SJSU MLIS
students through the Career Center. This multidimensional tool
includes a combination of video lessons, quizzes, and interactive
assignments that revolve around answering real interview
questions through a video-recording. 

Within the program, you can opt to complete the “Fast Track”
course in less than two hours to touch on all the most common
interview topics, or you can guide yourself through individual
lessons and scenarios based on your interests. 

While SJSU offers many career resources like
Linkedin Learning, Career Workshops, or even
the Spartan Career
Closet, Big Interview is especially helpful to Special
Session students who need active interview practice on their own
time. 

Topics covered in the Big Interview modules include best
practices, common mistakes, how to handle different types of
interviews (phone vs. video vs. in-person), non-verbal cues, and
even what to wear. 

After completing the Fast Track for myself, I took note of a few
topics that resonated with me: 

• Don’t just practice your interview answers, but actually
  write down what you’d like to say. Use a bullet-point rather than
  scripted format to ensure that you sound thoughtful but natural.
• When answering the classic “Tell me about yourself” prompt,
  break down your answer into who you are, why you’re qualified,
  and why you’re here as opposed to trying to give a summary of
  your resume. 
• Even when not in the active job-search, keep a running list
  of your “greatest hits” or your proudest professional
  accomplishments. These can be used as examples and stories when
  constructing answers to future interview questions. 

To check out Big Interview for yourself, please visit the Career
Center page here and activate your SJSU-sponsored account:
https://ischool.sjsu.edu/practice-big-interview 

Two More Things!

Don’t forget to keep up to date with job openings on Handshake.

Also, remember that internships can be an especially valuable
part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also
helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about
the iSchool’s internship program here,
where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as
well as the Internship Sites
database.