Build Your Interview in a Positive Way!

Message from Heather Sumlin
Building your Interview in a positive way!

Most people believe that interview is the most important phase of competition and I agree. The first impression is the most important aspect of the competition but I challenge you to make sure you pay attention to all phases of competition. Interview will probably take up the majority of your time but stay balanced in all phases in training. Many contestants wonder: I am wasting my time training or am I not training enough?

Here are a few helpful ideas that will hopefully get you out and about, meeting people and building communication skills that you can take to the interview room.

First of all, identify what areas of your interview needs help. Is it phrasing answers in an understandable manner, posture and body movements, current events knowledge, platform knowledge, communication skills or do you just need practice to get comfortable in an interview setting? The best way I have found to identify your areas for growth is to video tape your mock interviews and go over them with your director, parent or interview coach. Take the time to identify what you need to work on but make sure that you also identify the parts in your interview that are really good. Keep feeding your Self-Image positives about your interview so your training is productive.

Here is a list of ways to train for interview:

1. Set up training sessions with professional coaches - a professional coach can help you identify areas you need to grow and can help you understand why your interview may need help

2. Mock Interviews - a mock interview is a practice interview conducted with judges as if it is the real deal. Ask friends and family members to help you find judges that will give you honest feedback who are strangers to you to make the interview seem more realistic. If you have a Pageant Director then many times your director will help with this.

3. Sit in other mock interviews of other contestants....not your pageant sisters but maybe contestants in different systems or in another age group to give you an understanding of what it is like to judge.

4. Video Review - video tape your mock interviews and review your performance with a filter. What I mean is when you watch yourself on video make sure to make a list of everything you did well first. Take the time to give yourself credit for what you did that was right! Most girls watch the video and get frustrated by the areas they still need to improve and do not take the time to help their self-image grow by focusing on the positives of the interview.

5. Speaking Opportunities - take the time to find places you can speak. In the Miss America System the job of Miss America is very much a job of public speaking. In Texas, Miss Texas will do approx. 400 appearances during her reign and many of those appearances she will have to prepare a speech and deliver a strong message. Prepare in advance for those situations - train for the job not just the competition. There are many places to speak including, schools, chambers, rotary clubs, girls scout troop meetings, PTA meetings, daycare centers, etc. If you have a platform, you may be able to build speeches based on that platform.

6. Interview for Information - here is my version of Interviewing for Information. In interview you will be asked many questions on your platform (if you have one), yourself, current events, political questions, anything goes. Most people get their information from TV, radio, newspaper, magazines and the internet. What if you also took the time to interview experts in the field of whatever you are studying for interview. You never know who may be willing to spend a couple of minutes with you and answer your questions either in person or by phone. Believe that no one in unreachable and you never know who you will meet. Then in interview when you talk about crime in your city maybe you have spoken the Chief of Police and can give a real life example not just something you read.

7. Interviewing for Experience - set up a couple of interviews a week to help you grow as a communicator - the goal is to get opinions on topics as well as have them ask you questions about your experiences, pageants, school, work, etc. The goal of these interviews is to help you learn how to communicate with different people and the challenge is for you to work on phrasing answers, being witty, write down questions that are of concern, recognize when you does well, build confidence and experience.

8. Keep track of your training in a Performance Analysis Journal. You cannot manage what you do not measure. If you are not keeping track of your training it will be easy for you to believe you have not done enough or think you have done more than you really have in preparation. When you are meeting with your Director, Pageant Coach or Parent you should be able to take out your journal and show them exactly where you are and what you are working on everyday. This is also a valuable opportunity for you to Build Your Self-Image by writing as much as possible in the Success Analysis section of your journal! Most contestants are too lazy to do this and if you will do this step it will give you an edge in competition.

9. Watch Your Self Talk - fill your mind with positive thoughts about your interview. If you know it needs work, take the time to find the answers to making it better but do not dwell on it being poor! Keep your focus on the solution to your problems not on the problem itself. This is not just related to interview but to everything you do in life - keep a positive outlook. Have you ever known a negative person to be happy? Me either!

10. Create an agenda for your interview - what do you really want the judges to know about you before you leave the room. It may be something that is already on your bio - that's ok - not every judge takes the time to thoroughly dissect the bios before the interview. Share the top 3 to 5 things about you that make you the best candidate for the job! Find a way to fit those items in regardless of the questions asked - this is not easy and takes practice. Be willing to put in the hours of training necessary to reach your goals!

For more information on Heather Sumlin and Mental Management please check out our website: www.mentalmanagement.com

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