Have you got a university interview coming up? Then read these top tips:
Wear something comfortable and smart or smart/casual.
Wear something you feel confident in and is appropriate. A shirt and trousers for men and trousers and shirt/skirt and shirt/dress for women is fine. Avoid anything that reveals too much skin or is very casual (e.g. ripped jeans/tracksuit).
Re-read your personal statement.
What have you included that they may ask you more about? Be prepared to talk about anything you’ve written about.
Read everything you have been sent by the university and revisit the course pages on the university website.
That way the course details will be fresh in your mind, and you may think of questions you would like to ask the interviewer.
Prepare answers to common questions.
Common questions may include the ones on the next page. Why have you picked that course specifically? The tutor wants to see your enthusiasm for the subject.
Plan in advance.
How will you get there? Do you need to stay overnight? Make sure you know exactly where you are going and allow yourself plenty of time to get there. Being late or getting lost will not calm your nerves!
What are you doing at the moment?
They know you are studying, but what do you do as well as your studies? Think about transferable skills (e.g. a part-time job). What are you doing on top of your studies that can show them you’re interested in this subject? If you’re applying for music for example, are you a member of an orchestra / choir / band? Learning new instruments? Taking exams or entering competitions? Going to regular performances and keeping up to date with new music genres?
The interviewer is a person, just like you.
They’re not looking to catch you out; they just want to know you’re passionate about the course and will succeed at it. It’s also an opportunity for you to find out more about the university, so you can decide you can see yourself studying there.
Think about your body language.
You’re nervous, so you may show nervous mannerisms. Be aware of them – they can occasionally give off negative messages you’re not aware of. Walk confidently, make eye contact and smile – even if you don’t feel confident, you’ll look it!
Don’t panic!
If you can’t answer a question, just ask the interviewer to repeat it. If you’re struggling for an answer then answer it as best as you can and move on. Don’t get hung up on it – focus on answering the next question.
Give STAR answers.
If it is appropriate, you could use the STAR technique to answer questions:
S ituation
T ask
A ction
R esult
In a job interview, we recommend using STAR to make sure you’ve answered questions fully when describing a specific situation – the same can be applied when answering competency based questions, e.g. can you give an example of a time when…
Think of some questions to ask.
This will show your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn more. One or two questions will be enough, but make sure you can’t find the answer elsewhere (e.g. in the information they’ve sent you or on the university’s website).
Following these tips will hopefully make you more confident in your interview.
Best of luck!
Considering University? 