In past posts, I’ve talked about different aspects of the interview process (including some outfit suggestions over on Poonam’s blog). However, I realized I’ve only briefly touched upon my experience with interviews from the other side of the table, so to speak. I work in Scripps Admissions about nine hours a week interviewing prospective students for the class of 2017. While the standards I hold high school seniors to are (probably) not the standards we are all likely to be held to in the slew of interviews we’ll be having this year and post-graduation, there are still some general thoughts and tips I’ve collected that I think are applicable to any interview. As we all know, there is no one type of Scripps student, and the prospies who really leave a lasting impression on me are all very different, but tend to share a number of qualities. They are…
1. Knowledge of subject: Sometimes, I’ll talk with someone who is interviewing on a whim, meaning usually that they were at one of the other 4CS, saw Scripps and fell in love with the campus, and happened to snag a walk-in interview. But generally, people who are interviewing have visited before, have gone on a tour, or read all about Scripps in Fiske’s guide, so I expect them to have some knowledge of Scripps and be able to discuss why Scripps appeals to them. The same applies for any sort of interview—whether for an internship, job, or grad school, you should be able to tell your interviewer why you contacted his or her organization specifically. Identify some key aspects of the organization they’ve made clear they are proud of (easily found on their website) and bring those up in your interview. When students mention interest in the CORE program and in interdisciplinary learning, I know they’ve done their research.
Luckily for prospies, the beauty of our campus is something we’re really proud of, and it’s not too hard to research! (credit education-portal.com)
2. Preparedness: Knowledge of subject is part of this, but preparedness means more than just knowing about where you’re applying. Preparedness also means thinking about what questions you might be asked and preparing answers. This is not to say that pausing a few seconds after you’ve been asked a question to gather your thoughts is a bad idea, but that having an idea how you might answer some basic questions will help you stay articulate, clear, and not repeat yourself or talk in circles. Be prepared, stay calm. We are extremely lucky to have CP&R around to prep us with mock interviews for just this reason. Take advantage of the fabulous staff!
3. An ability to string everything together: This is something that I think we really learn to develop in college, but whenever I interview a high schooler who has already begun to weave a narrative for herself I am impressed. Being able to link your education, extracurricular interests, and hopes for the future looks good to an interviewer. A prospective student I interviewed recently did this well: she would begin discussing an high school activity that she’d been interested in since she was very little, and in the middle of her passionate explanation it would naturally come out that that she was captain of the team, or club. This happened throughout the interview, and it proved to me that not only that she filled many leadership roles but also that she had come into them organically because of her passion for what she was involved in. Be able to present a whole picture of yourself. Thread the things you talk about together so as to not come across as having become involved in things simply to pad your resume, but because you are really passionate about them.
4. Confidence: The previous three play into this, but generally exuding an aura of confidence in yourself can never be a bad thing. If a prospie obviously believes in herself, I will too. If you can communicate that you possess capabilities above and beyond what are required for the job, internship, or graduate program you are interviewing for, that confidence might just be what sticks in your interviewer’s mind.
(credit snellingnj.com)
Many of you have probably already had enough interviews that you also have some tips you’d like to share! What are some of those things you wished you’d said or done in an interview and now always make sure to remember? Have a great week all!