Today, I had a telephone screening for a product development role that didn't go as well as I had hoped. The call was scheduled for 7am, but due to a mix-up with time zones, the recruiter ended up calling me four hours earlier than expected. I only realized this after missing the first call and seeing a voicemail at 7:45am. When I called back, the HR representative apologized and offered to reschedule, but I decided to go ahead with the screening anyway. Initially, the conversation started off well as I discussed my background in product development and management. I felt confident answering some technical questions, especially when I talked about a product I developed and brought to market. However, I stumbled on one of the five key components during my explanation, which really frustrated me. I also felt that I performed best when discussing the evaluation of ingredients, drawing on my experience with clinical research and standardization. As the interview progressed, I began to feel increasingly nervous. At one point, I excused myself to take a sip of water because I was feeling overwhelmed. While I managed to answer most of the questions, I didn't feel like I was at my best. At the end of the call, they informed me that I had made it to the next round, which would involve the product development lead and then senior leadership, including the CEO. They thanked me for my flexibility regarding the time mix-up and said to expect follow-up by next week. This was my first interview in about four years since my previous company was sold and I was laid off. I’ve been feeling really critical of myself, especially since I had practiced for this screening. I know I need to work on my interview skills and take a moment to pause before answering questions. I just hope I can learn from this experience and improve for the next opportunity.