Can I apply for 2 internships at the same company?

A master's student asks—

I saw two different internships posted at the same company, and I'm interested in both. Is it appropriate to apply for two internships at the same company at the same time? Or will that make it look like I'm not serious?

Q. Can I get an industry job if I join a lab that doesn't have industry connections?

A first-year PhD student asks—

I just finished rotating with a PI who seems like a really good mentor, and they have a bunch of cool research that I’d be interested in working on. But I know their lab doesn’t have any industry connections, and I’m not planning on a faculty career. Am I making a big mistake if I join their lab?

Q. Who should I put on my thesis committee?

A third-year PhD student asks—

I just finished quals, and I’m thinking about my thesis committee. Who should I be looking for? My PI has some suggestions, but I don’t know many faculty that well.

Q. Will I lose the job offer if I ask for too late a start date?

A fifth-year PhD student asks—

This feels like a stupid question—how honest do I have to be when an employer asks how soon I can start? I’d really like to take a vacation after finishing, but technically I could start right away. Would they rule me out for a job because I offered too late a start date?

Q. Can I ask for a higher title during negotiations?

A postdoc asks—

I received an unofficial offer from a company saying that they decided to extend me an offer but will need to finalize the details before sending the official offer letter. (I had emailed the HR for a follow up since it has been a while since my last interview). In anticipation, I was hoping I could get your input on some negotiation tactics. 

Q. Can I apply to jobs that require a PhD if I'm not quite finished?

A fifth-year PhD student asks—

I am applying to positions that require a PhD. I am defending my dissertation soon, but not in time to confer before the hiring date. Do you suggest I still apply or am I truly 'unqualified'?

Q. How do I talk about my toxic former boss in an interview?

A sixth-year PhD student asks—

I've seen a lot of advice about how you should avoid badmouthing your former employer when you’re applying for a job, to avoid sounding bitter or like you’re going to be super critical of your new organization, etc., but I’m finding it hard to figure out how to talk about my PhD experience. 

Q. What do I talk about in a 15-minute interview?

A third-year postdoc asks—

I just got an interview and they said it’s going to be 15 minutes long. That doesn’t seem like a lot of time, what are you supposed to focus on in an interview that short?

Nice job, it sounds like you got a screening interview! Interview processes for different types of jobs can vary a lot in how many rounds there are, how long the interviews are, and what may happen in them, but the first-round interview is typically shorter and simpler (and involves fewer people) than later-round interviews.

Q. In an interview, how do I talk about a mistake I made?

A 5th year graduate student asks—

I'm preparing for job interviews, and I heard you have to answer “behavioral questions.” I looked them up and they’re questions like “Tell me about a time when you made a mistake.” What makes a good answer to a question like that? How do you make yourself sound like a good candidate while talking about a time you messed up?

How do I prepare for all these interview questions?

A postdoc asks—

I'm trying to prepare for a few upcoming interviews, so I've been looking up common interview questions online. They are pretty easy to find, but there's like hundreds or thousands of questions to prepare for. What do I do if they ask me a question I didn't have time to practice yet?