Secret to Interview Success (Part II)

Note: This is a continuation of an earlier post. If you haven't done so already, make sure to read Part I.

So you've figured out what makes you an interesting candidate. Maybe you're a dedicated musician and have written and performed your own music for the past few years. Maybe you're a computer guru and have written your own iPhone applets. Or you're the dedicated athlete. Or you simply have a unique life story--you lived abroad, you've worked to help support your family, whatever.

Now what?

Now it's time to craft that into a message and package that you're going to deliver in your interview.

Remember--whether it's an alumni interviewer or someone on the admissions staff, they're walking into your interview with a simple question: "Why you?" Tell them!

Be ready with two things prior to your interview:

a) Have an elevator pitch. In two or three sentences, in 15 seconds or less, why are you a uniquely qualified candidate for admissions? This is one of the most difficult things to do--can you distill everything about you into a quick statement that will make your interviewer go "oh, yeah, that makes sense"?

Developing your pitch forces you to cut through the clutter. Sure you're in 15 clubs, play two sports and rescue kittens from trees on alternating Wednesdays. You and 100 other applicants. But who are you, really, and why are you different? What really sums you up and sets you apart? (and as importantly: are you self-aware enough to know what makes you unique?)

Some examples from past students I've interviewed:

"From early in high school, I've always wanted to take on leadership roles so I could feel like I've left my mark. I've been active in student government for four years now and currently am student body president. As president, I've been able to revamp how student clubs are funded, which I think will provide a solid base for student activities long after I graduate."

"My family moved here from Ghana when I was young, but every year we go back to see my family. Seeing the differences between opportunities in the two countries has really made me want to take advantage of every opportunity that I can, both academically and outside of the classroom. I hope to study medicine eventually, so that I can return to Africa and help provide some of the basic services that people take for granted."

"I've always loved sports--both watching and participating. I currently play two varsity sports, which has taught me a lot about leadership, team work, and balancing a schedule--but the most surprising thing I've learned is the importance of mentoring younger players. I'm currently thinking about going into teaching so I can turn my love of mentoring and teaching into a career."

Although styles vary--and you should make your statement your own, since it needs to be genuine to be effective--one common format is "background generalization-->specific detail-->future goal".

For instance, say you're into drama and the theater. Your statement might be something like:
"When I first started acting in junior high I got hooked on being able to express myself through a character [background]. My theater experience got me interested in other forms of artistic expression, so I've pursued music and painting as well [details]. I hope to explore other ways of self-expression in college, perhaps through the school's writing program. [future goal]"

Again, what's the point of having a pitch ready? Your interviewer needs to walk away being able to summarize you--instead of letting them do it, do it for them. You know yourself better!

b) Just three things. Now that you have your elevator pitch down, what three things would you like your interviewer to walk away with? (If your elevator pitch is genuine, it and your three points will be related).

These are the three things that you want to make sure your interviewer knows. What are the three things about you that you want your interviewer to remember and walk away knowing about you?

They can be anything--what you're best at academically (or why), activities that are important to you, what matters most to you--anything. But knowing what you want your interviewer to walk away from the interview knowing will make the interview go easier, since you'll know beforehand what you want to talk about.

Plus your interviewer is looking for these points--again, remember that whoever is interviewing you will need to summarize what they learned in your interview. What do you want them to walk away with?

Now that you know what you want to talk about, it's just a matter of getting it into your interview. More on that in a future post ------CJ