As it’s interview season, our company founder, James Uffindell, has given us his top 5 tips to succeed at interview. Have a read through for some last minute advice.
1. Be yourself
The admissions tutors want to get to know YOU, so don’t pretend you’re really fascinated by something if you’re not, or that you’ve just been elected Head Girl if that’s not true. YOUR achievements and YOUR personal statement got you this far! Stick with it.
2. Take a breath
Remember, your interviewer is human. Although the interviews are challenging, they’re not trying to catch you out. If you are asked something you can’t answer immediately, breathe and take a pause while you think of the best way to answer. Never be afraid to give yourself a couple of seconds to think – it’s much better to give a considered answer after a few moments than to plough on without much direction!
3. Be prepared to stand your ground
It’s highly likely your interview will challenge you on something you’ve written in your Personal Statement, or in an answer you give. They want to see how you can handle debate and discussion and will deliberately be pushing you. Don’t be intimidated by their position and stand up for what you’ve said – give a clear and structured argument with relevant examples.
4. Be ready to explain and explore
If you find that your interviewer is pushing you, constantly uttering “and?”, this means you’re being invited to explore your ideas in more detail or from a different angle. You may be very close to the answer they are looking for. Apply those lateral thinking skills and expand your answer.
5. Know your Personal Statement inside out
The Personal Statement is the first flavour the tutors have had of you and your interests, so it is very likely they will quiz you on the content. This is also true if you have submitted any written work to your college beforehand. This is great news for you, as you already know what some of the questions will be about! Make sure you have read your work thoroughly and can discuss everything in it confidently – this is not something to get caught out on.
Most of all, stay calm and remember how amazingly you’ve done to make it this far.
Best of luck to you in your interviews and all your university applications!
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