You’ve done the hard part; you’ve landed the big interview for med school, law school, business school, or even that dream job. Now it all comes down to the interview. Oh my, how does one not “freak out” when the stakes are so high?
Like most things in life, success in interviews hinges on preparation. Wouldn’t it be nice if your interviewers would give you a little help and give you the questions ahead of time? Well, unfortunately, that ain’t gonna happen, otherwise, it wouldn’t be an interview, right? So what does one do exactly to ready oneself for the big interview? It turns out that interview preparation takes place in a number of steps. You have to become an expert, and we’ll show you how to do it.
Here are the key points, to be explained in more detail below:
- Know the industry.
- Know the institution.
- Take advantage of discussion boards.
- Prepare your answers to the most common questions.
- Do 1 or more mock interviews.
- Be ready to talk about yourself.
- Don’t scrimp on attire; buy the best suit/blouse you can possibly afford.
- Practice relaxation techniques.
What we’ve done is written out a timeline for you to follow:
Months before the Interview
Know the Industry
Become an expert in your field. Read as much as possible about your field. Identify the top journals in your subject area, and read them, paying particular attention to the opinion/editorial sections. Take classes related to your chosen field, including non-credit, continuing education classes. Talk to people who are in the field. Work as much as possible in your desired industry; even non-paid intern positions will help you to develop your expertise. Be aware of current issues in your field. What are the areas of greatest discontent? What are the areas of hot research? What are the areas subject to the greatest controversy? Where is the field heading in the next 10-15 years? What are the moral, ethical and societal issues related to your field? What are the biggest financial issues? What proposals have been floated or tried to deal with the problems in that field, and how have they panned out? If you read an interesting article in the newspaper that piques your interest, don’t just read it and move on. Look up the original research paper, and you may find that it is a rabbit hole that goes way, way down. (Find out just how deep the rabbit hole is.) See where your research takes you; you will often be pleasantly surprised. And if you are really brave, take the next step, which is to write about it. Write letters to the editor. Try to get published; even an e-journal, an online blog or a school paper is a great step toward building your expertise. Any publication looks good on your CV/resume. Even if you don’t get published, don’t despair; in the process, you are becoming an expert in your field. Follow these steps, and you will become an expert in your industry. Experts are not intimidated in interviews; they educate and communicate. You will get oohs and ahhs when you get to talk about what you are an expert on.
Weeks before the Interview
Know the Institution
Scour their website, looking for clues about what that institution’s claim to fame is. Read the faculty bios to determine what research projects they are involved in. Set up a visit to the school, and see if you can get a tour. Talk to students there to try to get the scoop. See if any students have a weblog (blog). See what information you can get from the internet. In the interview, you want to talk about what attracts you in particular to that institution. That will score you big points if you are on track.
Know the Questions
Sounds impossible, right? Wrong. When students interview at schools, the first thing they want to tell everyone is what their questions were, the attitude of their interviewers, and everything about their experience. Websites such as interviewfeedback.com (for medical schools) have been created for students to tell their tales of interview joy or woe. Look for common questions that come up at certain schools, and the attitudes of interviewers. Once you know the most common questions, you can get to work preparing your answers.
Know Your CV and Application
Sounds dumb, doesn’t it? I mean, what candidate wouldn’t know his own curriculum vitae and application? But what about that honor society that were secretary for, and you said you put 5 hours a week in during your 4 years of college? What exactly did you do for 5 hours a week for that organization? If you are ready to spring into your answer, you are in good shape; but if you stammer, pause or mumble, now your credibility is questionable, and you look like a “puffer,” someone who makes their record look more impressive than it really is.
Be Ready for the Problem Areas
OK, you took a semester off, or you failed calculus twice, or you had a 1.9 GPA for your freshman year from too much hard partying. You can hope that your interviewer doesn’t bring it up, but what does that do for your confidence in the interview? You go in there hoping that your interviewer doesn’t ask you about the problem areas, but it is his or her job to ask the hard questions. So get your story straight, and be ready to spin the difficult facts with confidence. You took a semester off to take care of your ill mother. Yes, you failed calculus twice, but you got a B the third time, showing you will never give up; you will always persevere until you get it right. Yes, you got a 1.9 GPA your freshman year, but you were immature and learned from the experience, and averaged a 3.9 in your next 3 years of college. Problem solved.
Do Mock Interviews
The best way to be prepared for an interview is to do practice interviews. See if your school offers mock interviews. If not, consider hiring a consultant or an academic tutoring firm such as Logos Tutoring to conduct mock interviews. If you can’t afford this option, consider asking a friend, parent, or sibling to conduct mock interviews. Good candidates for practice interviewers are those who like to argue or always seem to win every debate because they are most likely to be able to identify the tough questions and aren’t afraid to ask them. Once you pass the hurdle of the mock interview, you will be ready to pass the greater hurdle of the real interview.
Be Ready to Talk About Yourself
OK, since this is an interview, at some point in the conversation, you will be given the floor. Outline some bullets of your key talking points. Have a few anecdotes ready that gives the interviewer insight into you and your accomplishments. Everyone likes a story, especially if you can tie it into your academic/career goals.
Prepare Questions for Your Interviewer(s)
At the end of the interview, your interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. Make sure you prepare questions ahead of time. There are no set questions that you should ask. Shoot for a two-for-one: something that is not only a conversation starter but something you are genuinely curious about. An example would be, “What are in your opinion the greatest strengths and weaknesses of this institution?” The more homework you have done prior to the interview, the better your questions will be.
Buy a Nice Suit or Blouse
Don’t skimp on this one. When you look like a million bucks, you will feel like a million bucks. Think of it as an investment in your future, which will pay for itself many times over. Make sure that your attire is appropriate for your industry; different fields have different standards for attire. Also, make sure that your attire is immaculate.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Develop a relaxation device. Try different techniques until you find one that works. One possibility is to repeat the Buddhist mantra of Om. Another is meditation. Also, deep slow breathing can be helpful. Visualization is something that many find helpful: imagine your flawless performance, and it will be so. I have heard of the green dot but haven’t actually tried it; you focus on a green dot in your mind, and it brings peace. (If it works, I am all for it.) Prayer works for some people as well, but not the prayer of someone in desperate straights, but rather a meditative prayer. Use your relaxation technique, whatever it may be, before your interview. You will find yourself so relaxed when you start your interview that you will come across as a cool cucumber instead of a nervous wreck.
The Day before the Interview
Set your alarm clock well in advance of bedtime. Set a backup alarm as well. Have all of your attire and accessories laid out and ready to go. Have your transportation plans already mapped out and ready to go. Have extra copies of your paperwork ready for your interviewers. Do not assume that they will have your paperwork in front of them. Your paperwork may include your resume/CV, personal statement or letter of intent, and any applicable summary reports (such as from AMCAS for medicine or LSDAS for law). Also, write a checklist for everything that you will need to bring with you. A sample checklist might include a briefcase with extra copies of your paperwork, a pen, money for parking, directions to the facility, a bottle of water, a watch with an alarm, and a legal pad to write on.
The Day of the Interview
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. Relax, because you are super prepared. Be friendly; talk to the other candidates who are interviewing. But if someone is a nervous wreck, just tune them out. Bring your iPod or another device to say I don’t want to talk to you right now. During the group events, ask a lot of questions. It will show that you take the initiative. Be cordial but assertive.
The Interview
Before you start the interview, turn your cell phone off. Make eye contact and smile, firmly shaking the interviewer’s hand while introducing yourself. Listen attentively when you are being spoken to. If you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification. It may not be a bad idea to make notes on key points to convey your interest in what the speaker is saying. When you have the floor, speak as a well-prepared expert speaks: with confidence, authority, decisiveness and calmness. Like a 747 pilot at 30,000 feet, you are in command. Be conversational. If you are lucky, you will find commonalities with the interviewer. In fact, sometimes interviewers will pick you to interview because you have something in common. If that’s the case, run with it. Towards the end of the interview, you will be asked whether you have any questions. Ask the questions that you have prepared. At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer graciously for his time. If the interview went well, you may want to ask for his or her card. Shake his or her hand firmly, maintaining eye contact, before you leave.
After the Interview
After the interview, follow up with thank-you notes to your interviewers. Tell them how much you enjoyed the interview and the school or company. This shows courtesy, graciousness, and interest in the program. If you are a borderline candidate, this may help to push you over the top.
If you follow these tips for successful interviewing, you will be in great shape. Good luck in your interviews from Logos Tutoring!