Interview skills are helpful not only for the DYW competition but also for life preparation. Young women should learn how to speak in front of a panel, which will help them prepare for college and job interviews in the future.
So...how do you have a polished interview??
The interview was my favorite competition category with Distinguished Young Women. I know that it can also be the most intimidating, but I found it fun because it was my only chance to get to communicate personally with the judges.
To prepare for state, I made sure that I was knowledgeable on current events and social issues that related to my hometown. I represented Orlando at the Florida program, so I read up on Orlando news, the tourist industry and knew specifics as to my city and county. In addition, contestants should ideally know the names of their mayor, governor, representative and state senators. I would also recommend knowing the names of our country's speaker of the house, attorney general, secretary of state and any other key figures. There were a couple times when the judges would "pop quiz" me on a few names and it's always good to have that in your back pocket!
For Nationals, I did a lot of prep on state and national news. Participants should review controversial issues from their state. For example, the Trayvon Martin case was all in the news during Nationals and that was a case that came from Florida, so I made sure that I was prepared for a question pertaining to that case. Other hot topics in Florida include illegal immigration and it just so happened that I got a question on illegal immigration in my Nationals interview.
My biggest piece of advice is: take the time to study. Even if it's only for a few minutes every day! Of course it's impossible to know every single current event issue. In fact, I began my year as the Distinguished Young Woman of Florida knowing practically nothing about current events. I didn't read or watch the news and I knew very little of what was going on in the world. With my preparation, I started reading the headlines and keeping notes on what was happening, which really helped me to cultivate my point of view on various issues. This in turn truly helped in my interview at Nationals.
But do not try to memorize answers. Be natural!! Never script an answer, but it may be wise to know your general opinion on various topics so that you are already have a formulated idea. The more you practice, the smoother your answers will become.
Practice questions with yourself. Leading up to Nationals, I practiced a list of about 100 questions every day. I used a website called Quizlet (www.quizlet.com) and I made online flashcards with various interview questions I pulled from program websites. Then I would drill them, using the voice mode where the computer would ask me the questions. This was invaluable, as it gave me practice answering different questions!
Get help from others. Before state, I didn't do a practice interview, but I did discuss politics with my parents a lot. (I was also involved in competitive speech and debate, which helped me learn how to prepare.) After the state program, I had many practice interviews with my committee where we would drill questions and critique my answers. As it turned out, many of the questions I was asked at Nationals I had already answered in a practice round! I truly believe in the power of feedback. Accept the constructive criticism and apply it. My biggest problem was that I spoke too fast and it really helped to get advice and feedback from mentors who helped me to become more polished in my interview. If you don't have a committee or anyone to help you, record yourself answering a few questions and watch the video. You will notice things you didn't even know you did, like gestures and movements.
Wear something you love. Wear something that shows who you are in a professional way. But also recognize that your outfit isn't the deciding factor in the interview—it's only a reflection of your personality. Don't get too worried about the clothes, because ultimately what's most important is your character and who you are as a unique individual. So show who you are in what you wear!
Be yourself. The judges want to see you as a person. Show them your strengths and passions. If you don't know the answer to a question, that's okay! I didn't know the answer to one at state, so I just simply said, "I don't know." It doesn't count against you. As much as you can, bring your answers back to you and your passions. For example, at the end of your interview you will have about 60 seconds to tell the judges whatever you want to say. It's a good idea to have a few options prepared to choose from in the moment. Since I want to be a professional novelist, I talked about my books and a two act play I wrote when I was sixteen.
In the end, just remember to have fun and do not let the stress get to you before your interview. I have found that interviews always go better when the speaker is relaxed and doesn't try to anticipate the questions beforehand.
If you have any questions on how to work on your interview skills, please comment below!
Blessings,
~Ciera Horton
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