As a student, do you feel nervous to think that you will be participating in an interview? If this is the case, you do not need to worry because many students have the same feelings.
You may be thinking that sitting before the panel of unknown individuals could be intimidating as compared to a one-to-one interview.
Irrespective of the number of people conducting a meeting, a few things would help you to improve your chances of having a successful scholarship interview.
Preparation
Would you imagine attending a job interview without doing any preparation or conducting any research on the organization? The obvious answer is NO! Similarly, when it comes to scholarship interviews, how can you go unprepared?
In order to be fully prepared, go through the complete mission statement of the scholarship provider, community involvement, and the current news. It will be helpful to check out who will be the interviewers.
As a student, you would like to double-check all these details. To reinforce your preparation, you can check Linkedin; it will give you an idea regarding the professional profiles. Linkedin is a great portfolio comprising a large number of professionals.
You would like to re-evaluate your application file and to be on a safe side. You can keep extra copies of your resume. If would be wise to list down the potential questions to be answered.
The interviewee can practice those answers. Some typical questions are the part of every interview and following is the list:
- Give a brief introduction of yourself?
- What are the areas of your strength?
- How do you cope with challenges?
- What are your future goals, and where do you place yourself in the next five years?
- Which three words best describe your personality?
- What makes you think you deserve this scholarship?
While answering these questions, you should sound confident and create the impression that you are well prepared. Try to talk briefly and formally; do not use any simple words during the interview.
Practice will enable you to handle all the questions. Keep in mind that you have to prove your eligibility for the scholarship.
Dress to Impress
The dress is a brief introduction to your personality. When you appear for an interview, the interviewer or the panel evaluates your way of dressing. You have to give the impression that you are a responsible student; therefore, your dress should be proper business attire.
For example, slacks and a collared shirt, which is fully buttoned down. Similarly, your shoes should give a new look. Interviewers evaluate all these things as soon as you enter the room.
Keep some mints; during the interview, bad breath may ruin your whole image.
Punctuality
As a student, you should be right on-time. Always keep in mind the distance to cover. Leave home early so that you could avoid any hassle such as traffic delays or parking problems.
When you arrive at the place of interview, ask for the person who will be interviewing you. It will be the signs of nervousness if you do not know the name of the interviewer.
In case you think you would get late for any reason, always inform the authorities about this. Although it’s not good to arrive late, it’s even worse if the applicant did not let the interviewer know about that.
Think Before Speaking
Careful listening is always essential and does not rush to answer any questions. First, fully understand as to what the question is and then respond appropriately.
In order to sound confident, always make eye contact with your interviewer. Do not try to give extra details, remain focused on the actual question. Sometimes, giving too much detail in answer distracts interviewer or the panel. Honesty is another key element during the interview.
Interviewers are the experienced people, and they can tell if you are trying to make up answers to make an impression. When the interviewer is speaking, do not interrupt them; once they finish, start answering the questions.
Be Yourself
Do not try to impress interviewers. Be yourself, and do not overthink about their views for you. Sometimes candidates try to explore the mind of the interviewer, and in the process, they often try too many things such as talking unnecessarily.
This tactic may adversely affect your image. Always remember, your hard work and dedication have taken you to this level, and that is why always show positive behaviour and leave aside all the negativity and nervousness.
In most of the interviews, often interviewers do not let the candidate know as to what they feel about them. Keep yourself calm; do not give too many facial expressions.
Plan Ahead
Planning all the activities a day before the interview serves as a morale booster for the candidates. They will walk in the interview room with natural confidence with full preparation. Subsequently, the chances of success will be bright.
Following is the checklist that students need to review before their interview
- Choose your best dress
- Carefully review the instructions given by the interviewers that include the timing of the interview, where to park the vehicle, and who will be the concerned person
- Sort out all the relevant documents that you need to carry
- Have breakfast; do not go without eating anything else you may feel tired during the interview
- Set the alarm in your clock and mobile to make sure you do not get late
- After getting up, do not rush the things, manage all the necessary items calmly
To be on the safe side, it is better to reach the place of the interview at least 15 minutes before the starting time. Key is to remain calm.
If you reach just a couple of minutes before the time, you may get a bit nervous. So, give yourself a good time.
Questions to Ask
Once the interviewer or the interviewing panel concludes the interview session, they often ask candidates if they have any questions. This is the right time to ask about the organization, which is sponsoring the scholarship.
You will leave a good impression on interviewers if you show some curiosity. The relevant question can be: how the sponsoring organization can remain involved in the future.
