Attending interviews
Here's a quick guide to wowing them in the face-to-face. For more detailed advice on impressing at interview, click here
If asked to attend an interview, don’t fear it’s going to be a tête á tête with the Gestapo and a nutcracker. It either means you’ve got them hooked and you just need to reel them in, or that they can’t quite make their mind up and are giving you one more chance to show them you really are learning-on-legs. Be prepared, be enthusiastic, but above all, be yourself. Unless yourself is unprepared, lazy and apathetic, of course – that’s something to cultivate once you get there.
Work on the basis that you’re interviewing them too. Make them sell themselves to you. Ask questions about the course, the university, even the interviewer – everyone likes to be given the chance to talk about themselves, lecturers especially. If you each do about 50% of the talking, chances are they look upon you as someone who’s interested, confident and a good listener. Having said that, asking them about the stains on their chinos or how they lost their virginity is probably pushing it a bit too far.
Make use of careers advisors, friendly teachers or friends who’ve been through the process themselves. Spend time learning about the university and its staff – their websites are a good place to start. Learn to talk about yourself in glowing terms, while avoiding sounding like you keep your head in your colon. Clean your shoes. Wear a skimpy outfit – lecturers are perverts. Women should do the same.
Body language is important, but don’t become too self-conscious about it, as that’ll seem unnatural and you’ll lose track of what you’re trying to say. Simple things like smiling, not slouching, shaking hands firmly, looking interested, not fidgeting and maintaining eye contact are worth bearing in mind.
Preparation is key. Try thinking of at least five good things about yourself – reasons why they should want you in their department. Then make a point of squeezing at least one of them into the answers you give to their questions. (For example: “Why do you want to study Botany?” “Oh, it’s always been my passion. I remember the day I built that Ghanaian orphanage, I thought to myself, oh how I love plants.” And so on. Okay, maybe be a bit more subtlety.)
Preparing for and anticipating questions is good too. But don’t learn answers off by heart. That’ll come across as stilted and you don’t want to miss the point of their question. Don’t be afraid to say when you don’t know something, or to ask for the question to be clarified, or even to ask if you can answer the question later.
Read any books you are asked to read in advance. Talk about them with people who’ve read them. Discuss them with teachers and friends.
Some schools and colleges offer practice interviews. Do it. And if your school doesn’t, then get a serious-minded friend or family member to do one for you. If you can find someone who doesn’t like you very much, even better.
Don’t just turn up for the interview and leave, make a day of it. It’s possible that a few hours spent wandering the campus will clarify your feelings about it. Do you actually want to live here? Does everyone look miserable? Does it smell funny? Are those human bones? Some people like big concrete monstrosities, some people like idyllic little places out in the sticks; some people like big, some people like small; no one likes Jamie Oliver. Luckily, he’s not offering university places this year.
After the interview, hopefully, they’ll make some sort of offer. But some people have to be rejected. In which case, ask yourself, who wants to go to a dump like that anyway?
For further nitty-gritty advice on impressing at interview, click here
Last updated on: 18 April 2008