Face-to-face with the interview - Winning interview strategies

How to write a winning scholarship essay - Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe 2018

Face-to-face with the interview
Winning interview strategies

In this chapter:

The two types of interviews

How to ace the interview

Who are the interviewers

How to dress and act

What to do if you have a disaster interview

Face-to-face with the interview

Let’s start with some good news. If you are asked to do an interview for a scholarship competition it means that you are a serious contender.

Most competitions only interview a small number of finalists who make it through the initial round based on their application and essay. The bad news is that you will now undergo the nerve-wracking scrutiny of an interview with one or more scholarship judges. If the thought of this makes your palms moisten or you get a sinking feeling in your stomach, you are not alone.

The best way to overcome a fear of the interview is to know exactly what to expect and to be prepared for the questions you might be asked. In this chapter, we discuss what scholarship interviewers are looking for in your answers, and we will share some strategies to help you prepare.

Many students wonder why they have to do an interview in the first place. While some scholarships are awarded solely based on the written application, many scholarship committees like to perform face-to-face interviews to make the final decision. Particularly, if the scholarship is for a significant amount of money, the selection committee wants to be sure to give it to the most deserving student.

Having sat on both sides of the interview table, we can attest to the fact that an interview can shed significant insight on an applicant. Before we discuss how to make the most of the interview, let’s cover the two situations you may face.