From facing the anxiety and nerves before an interview begins to constantly worrying about the performance afterwards, the interview process can feel incredibly difficult and overwhelming. Nevertheless, the relevance of interviews in both the job-hunting and academic worlds makes it necessary for people to be fully confident going into them.
Specifically, high school students who are applying for college or participating in certain extracurriculars should reinforce these skills, as they’ll likely experience multiple interviews throughout their academic career. Unfortunately, many students suffer from social anxiety or a fear of public speaking, and may find the experience more challenging than the average person. This makes it all the more crucial to share tips that can help students ace any interviews that come their way.
BIFU students partake in a wide variety of extracurriculars, ranging from sports to academic competitions. Interviews are required for various reasons within many of these activities. For instance, students in robotics are often interviewed as part of their competition judging process. One example of an interview session involves a 5-minute period in which students present their progress from the season, followed by a 10-minute period in which judges pose questions based on the presentations.
Cindy Gu (10th) said, “Robotics is a team thing. We call and do run-throughs, and my team captain drafts different questions and answers to test us.”
As many people advise, practice makes perfect. By experiencing a simulation of the interview environment alongside repetitive practice, students can feel more mentally prepared and confident in their success. Practicing with a group is also beneficial, as members can share constructive feedback with each other that further reinforces the overall polish of the team.
Separately, for some athletics-based extracurriculars, students participate in post-match interviews where they discuss their strategies and emotional states.
Sarah Yang (8th), a table tennis player, said, “Just say the truth. [...] Don’t be scared.”
While this sounds simple, being transparent and showing genuinity is the best way for a student to be properly represented. Truthful words flow easier and are more grounded, allowing for an authentic connection to form between the interviewee and interviewer. By having the words come naturally, it’s easier to get into the flow of conversation and eventually feel less nervous overall.
Beyond extracurriculars, interviews are extremely important for applications to various university and high school programs. While college interviews are typically conducted by volunteer alumni and are more casual, summer program interviews are conducted by an admission committee and require extra preparation.
Ms. Ye, a high school counselor at BIFU, said, “When you prepare for the interview, the first thing you need to do is very thorough research about the program, because each program has a different focus. You should know what they’re really looking for.”
This can be especially true for specialized programs, as they often look for students who express the program’s specific goals. For instance, scientific research programs are more likely to consider students who show clear interest or experience in lab work over those who don’t.
For anxious students, preparing for these stricter interviews may feel even more daunting. However, there are numerous tools and methods available to help students succeed. One such method is to record a practice interview on camera and then watch it back to see what was done well and what could be improved. This makes it clear whether the speaking sounds too scripted or robotic, which would signal an effort to be more genuine.
When struggling to answer a question on the spot, Ms. Ye suggested to “…think about the answers you have prepared, and answer it in a way that you have prepared similar answers to.”
Everything leads back to practice and repetition. Still, if no answer comes to mind, being honest with the interviewer and asking clarifying questions is the next step. Relevant questions show engagement with the conversation and integrity, both of which are good qualities to portray.
Ultimately, although interviews can be difficult for many students, anyone can ace them with the right approach and mindset.
“No matter what kind of program you’re interviewing for, what leaves the longer impact is the story and the detail you can add to your experience.” said Ms. Ye. “Show your qualities instead of telling them.”