When I didn’t get into The Data School after my first final interview, I got a message that I will never forget:
“We know you have potential, but we want to see more from you”
At the time, it hurt, but looking back now, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.
If you made it this far, it’s because you have what it takes to make it through. A second final interview isn’t a setback, it’s an opportunity to grow into the role.
FIRST FINAL INTERVIEW
The first time I joined my final interview call, I genuinely thought I knew what to expect. I had refined my dashboard, prepared answers to a list of consulting questions and convinced myself I was ready. But when it came time to show off my skills, I froze.
I was so worried about being wrong that I ended up being quiet instead of answering.
One of the worst things you can do in an interview is go silent.
Silence leaves the interviewer to fill in the gaps and they will always assume the worst. They can’t see your thought process unless you let them in. They can’t tell if you’re still thinking or starting to panic.
IN BETWEEN INTERVIEWS
Before my second attempt, I decided to do things differently.
I reached out and had a call with someone from the core team. Not about interview tips, but about his actual day‑to‑day experience. What the work felt like. What the pace was like. What challenges I’d face if I made it in. That conversation grounded me. It helped me understand what I was really aiming for.
I also took the feedback seriously. I practiced explaining my decisions out loud. I even put a sticky note on the wall above my desk that said:
“Talk through your thought process.”
It sounds simple, but it changed everything. TIL wants to see that you can receive feedback and that they are able to teach you. They’re not just assessing your current skills, they’re assessing your ability to learn.
SECOND FINAL INTERVIEW
The structure of the interview might have been the same, but I wasn’t.
I knew what to expect. I knew where I had stumbled. I knew what they were looking for and I used all of that to my advantage.
The live demo, which had terrified me the first time, became the moment where I could actually show off my skills. I didn’t try to hide what I didn’t know. I talked through my thought process and turned it into a back-and-forth teaching moment rather than a test. I treated questions as opportunities, not traps.
ADVICE FOR ANYONE HEADING INTO THEIR INTERVIEW
- You know what to expect, use it to your advantage.
- Don’t try to hide what you don’t know. Talk through your thought process.
- Understand the role, not just the interview
- Show that you can take feedback and grow from it
If you've made it to the final interview, you already have what it takes, now it’s your time to show them who you can become