Writing vs. Typing Notes
One of the important questions, or in this case, topic, in terms of taking notes during class is either using a pen/pencil with paper or your laptop…
Did you know that public speaking is feared more than death? It’s true- a survey conducted by Bruskin Associates and published in The Book of Lists showed that speaking in front of a group is feared more than heights, spiders and insects, deep waters, financial problems, death, and all the other nasty stuff. We are terrified by the thought of speaking in front of a crowd, and a lot of the times, an interviewer can seem an awful lot like a crowd.
I figure that we are scared of interviews because, as students, the interviewer has power. A (big, but optional) part of that application which we hold so dear rests on their impression of us. So how do I as the applicant make sure that impression is as good as I can get it? In this entry I’ll be going through a few things: I'll be showing you a quick and easy trick to boost your confidence before the interview, going over the basic question types and how I approached them, highlighting two small details of an interview that will make your performance so much better, and showing you how to literally turn into an elephant and fly away if the situation turns sour.
…Okay maybe not the last one.
However, I will take this chance to say that there are better ways to tackle a hard question than evade it. For example, you can make humor out of it (provided the question isn’t too serious), you can make an analogy, and you can even be completely transparent and say that its something you would like to find out more about. There is, however, one key thing to make these types of responses fluid, and that is confidence.
Confidence
I’ll admit, I scoffed the first time I heard about power posing. Why would standing like an 80’s Power Ranger trying to fend off a grizzly bear make you seem more confident? Power posing is essentially standing in a pose of confidence even when we are not confident. For example, standing up straight and propping your arms on your waist, or stretching out all four limbs (like the Vitruvian Man). According to social psychologist Amy Cuddy who popularized power posing in her TED talk, “standing in a posture of confidence…can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain”, which makes us feel more confident. But don't listen to me- you can listen to her here. Try it out before your next interview and let me know how it goes!
Question types
One key thing to remember is that the interview is not an interrogation- the interviewer is just trying to know what type of person you are! Interviews are easy if you just be yourself- not only will it turn into a lighthearted conversation, but the questions will also seem a LOT easier. No matter what interview, you will always get some variation of this question:
“So, tell me about yourself”
The best thing to do here is prepare two or three things you want to highlight about yourself beforehand, and weave them into the answer. For example, do you consider yourself, empathetic, curious, ~~quirky~~, creative, or all of the above? It is even better if you have stories or extracurriculars to back these up. It’s like meeting a new friend- instead of telling them about how many awards you got at the national enchilada eating contest, tell them about how you found your love for enchiladas, or what it was like shoveling them into your face at a state fair!
Another common question is “what is your favorite subject?” My first reaction to this is always feeling my history teacher’s breath on my neck (hi Mr. Brookes!). My second response is translating the question into “what subject strikes my curiosity the most?” Even if it’s not your top subject, talking about something you’re curious about will help the flow of the conversation.
“What are your hobbies?” or “What do you do in your spare time?” is another common one. I like to approach this like the previous one, but instead of an academic subject, I talk about something extracurricular. Extra points if the hobby (or hobbies) highlights one of the key points you selected before J
Now- a segue.
General Tips
Here’s just a list of odd tips I find helpful for the interview process. Hopefully you find them helpful too.
If you’re interviewing in person, make sure you have a firm handshake. No wet noodles.
If it's a Skype interview, wear a nice shirt AND pants. You never know when you’ll have to stand up
Show interest in the interviewer as well. If you hit common ground, start chatting and asking questions! There’s nothing wrong with asking the interviewer questions if the conversation calls for it.
If you have burning questions about the school that only an insider could know about, the interviewer is the perfect person to ask. Prepare around 2 or 3 for the end of the interview.
Well, that’s all the tips and advice on interview I can think of so far. To summarize: Power posing, prepare a few key talking points about yourself, and talk about what interests you or sparks your curiosity. The most important thing, however, is to enjoy yourself. Relax. Be confident. Now go out there and nail that interview.
Photo credits: Me
Model: A very inquisitive monkey in Bali
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