You have worked diligently for months preparing for the GMAT/GRE/TOEFL/IELTS
and crafting compelling essays and now you have received a coveted interview
invitation from your ideal graduate program. Congratulations - this is already
a huge accomplishment! But unfortunately you do not have time to celebrate
this small victory because you suddenly realize that interviewing well under
pressure will be the most difficult part of the application - you only get one
chance and small block of time to make a lasting first impression. Plus, as
an international applicant you have never experienced an English interview
which makes this a particularly daunting task.
Most interviewees understand that they will be assessed by the quality of
their work experience and progression, whether their career plans are realistic
and achievable, and whether they understand how graduate education can help
them reach these goals. We have found that with adequate preparation for the
typical graduate school interview questions, most people can deliver a fairly
coherent explanation about the challenges they face at work, an achievement,
their future plans and why they are seeking graduate education. But with so
many applicants that have impressive academic credentials, solid work
experience and lots of extracurricular involvement, what is the dividing line
between those who are admitted or rejected? The point of differentiation will
often come down to the interviewee's confidence, assertiveness, poise and
charisma - those key 'soft skills' that we hear so much about. Unfortunately,
this is the aspect of the interview that an interviewee cannot plan for by
simply writing out answers and memorizing them.
So how exactly can an interviewee convince the interviewer that they are
charismatic, self-confident and warm? Here are our suggestions in how to
prepare:
- Videotape yourself. Try videotaping your responses to typical
interview questions and then watch your performance a couple times.
This is effective because you might notice some awkward facial
expressions, bodily ticks or issues with your speech that you can modify
and eliminate.
- Engage in realistic interview practice. Doing interview practice with
a friend is a good start. But practicing with someone you do not know
at all or very well provides a much more realistic setting that can
help you quickly improve. By doing so, you will feel the pressure of
trying to clearly introduce your key experiences and making a strong
connection with that person.
- Power posing. Are you naturally introverted? Do you have
self-confidence issues? If so, it might be hard for you to convince
an alumni interviewer that you are a future CEO. As we all know, many
people naturally exude confidence while others look terrified at the
sign of the slightest pressure. As Harvard Business School Professor
Amy Cuddy taught us in her viral Ted Talk, "power posing" - standing
in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident, might
help us overcome very stressful situations. We are not pretending to
understand the science behind Professor Cuddy's research, but if you
really have confidence issues, why not try some power posing before
your big interview and imagine how you are going to use strong body
language to communicate a sense of confidence to your interviewer.
You never know, it just might give you the edge you are looking for!
We hope this was helpful and good luck with your next interview!
Regards,
David