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Helen Nanjira Mazuva-Gregory |
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Must Have Beauty Pageant Tips |
INTERVIEW TIP By :Helen Mazuva “Miss Millennium Namibia 2000” Preparing for an interview In competition that include an interview, you need to fully comprehend that this phase in judging can make or break you. This is a strong statement, but think about it for a moment. The interview will be the longest segment of your competition as far as time goes, and it will probably occur before any of the other competitions. So the old adage, “the first impression is the most lasting one”, becomes a very true statement. The interview sets the tone for the rest of your competition sessions. You will be noticed more by the judges in the other competitions if you do very well in your interview rather then if you do poorly. It may not be fair, but judges are only human. A great interview will stick in their subconscious minds, so that a contestant sometimes will score higher than deserved in other categories. Looking at it from as different angle, suppose that in a judge’s view you were tied with another contestant. Whom do you think the judges would vote for, the contestant with the best or worst interview? Always keep in mind that this is your interview, so maximize your opportunity to the fullest extent. You, as a unique human being, should try to show all facets of your personality, be they humorous, serious, intelligent, mature, talented, educated, directed, etc. Think about what you would like the judges to know about you and make sure that you say it. Do not be afraid of boasting, since you will not have time to be modest or coy. You know what accomplishments you are most proud of and why. Though you cannot afford the luxury of being restrained about yourself, you can talk about yourself with humility never the less. Most of the rest of the competition will be about the acronym GOSPEL AT A CAMP. Remember this acronym as it makes it easier for some to remember how to maximize an interview and even control it to some extent. In approaching an interview, remember the acronym GOSPEL AT A CAMP. The acronym mean, Grooming, Openness, Sincere, Poise, Eye contact, Leading, Attentive, To be yourself, Aware, Concise, Attire, Make new friends and Posture.
GROOMING: care should be given to your daytime makeup, hair, skin, teeth and nails. There is a big difference between daytime makeup, stage makeup, and photography makeup. You should go to professional who knows the differences and have them teach you how to apply each properly. You hairstyle should flatter your face and not be something under which it looks like you hiding. Your skin should be clear and your teeth cleaned. Your nails should be clean and polished to match your attire or else clear coated.
OPENNESS: To be open in your answers to judges’ questions at times require tact, discretion, and practical sense. Honesty is always the best policy. However, this assumes that the questions asked are in good taste. For instance, “What is your view on abortion issue?” maybe phrased, “have you ever had an abortion?” not only would it be in a bad taste, but it should not be given a response other than to say that you do not believe that the question is German… if you do not know the answer to a question, it is better to be honest and say so, rather than to bluff your way through it.
SINCERE: Be sincere in your answers. Never try to give an answer that you think is what the judges want to hear. Dishonesty is quickly seen by most judges and can only hurt you. Sometimes judges will become argumentative on one of your answers, even though secretly they agree with your position. This is done for one or both of two reasons, i.e. they want to see just how well you have thought out your position and to find out if they can make you budge or change your position. By holding to your position, you will normally score higher over a person who changes their position.
POISE: You should walk into the interview with a carriage and a mental attitude that says you are confident. After all, the interview is centred on you and the only expert in the room on the subject of you…is YOU! Poise and confidence also come from being prepared. You prepare yourself by knowing the backgrounds, goals, and expectations of the pageant in which you are competing and by keeping yourself abreast of current affairs and subjects, which you may have touched on, in any autobiographical sketch. If talent is included as one of your competitions, you certainly will want to be prepared to talk about it and the people who are famous in your particular field.
EYE CONTACT: When a judge is asking you a question, your eye-contact should be directed towards that person while she or he is asking. When you answer, you should make eye-contact with each member of the panel; however, the eye contact should begin and end with the person asking the question. The exception to this is when you think a particular judge is making it difficult for you or is monopolizing your interview time. In such a case, simply begin you eye contact with the person asking the question, take in the rest of the panel, and finish answering while looking directly at the friendliest face on the panel. Nine out of ten, that person will ask you the next question, thereby helping you escape you supposed antagonist. It should be noted that the judges whom you think may be unfriendly to you is generally an avid supporter.
LEADING: leading where the interview is going is as much as up to you as it is to the judges. Believe it or not, you can control the interview by leaving your answers open-ended( sometimes referred to as leaving a “hook”). For example, a judge asks, “Have you done much Travelling?”. You respond, “Yes, my favourite trip was to Norway where I attended language School, then tour the country, and there after which I was made an offer that was hard to refuse.” If you stop at this point, what do you think the next question is going to be? You are right….”what was the offer you received?” Now who is controlling the interview? With a little practice, this technique can put you in control of the interview and you can talk about the subject you wish to talk about. Practice this technique with you family, friends and coaches until you a comfortable using it.
ATTENTIVE: When a judge ask a question, be attentive, with a pleasant smile, and listen to the whole question. Being attentive sends the message that you are interested as much about the judges as you want them to be about you. Sometimes, listening to the question very carefully clues you into an answer you might not have been able to give otherwise. Never start answering a question before you have heard the whole question. First of all, it’s rude, more importantly if you listen to the whole question you will give a correct or better answer. A judge may ask you a question that is muddled or very confusing. When this occurs, you might consider prefacing your answer by saying something like, “ If I understand your question correctly, my answer would be…” or “If I’m hearing you right, you’re asking…(rephrased the question)..my answer would be…” by using this technique you will save judges, who asked the question, embarrassment. This diplomacy will not go unnoticed by either the judge or her or his fellow judges, and may result in better score than you might have otherwise received.
TO BE YOURSELF: Going into a an interview with a perceived notion of what he judges want to hear, or with canned or stock answers, is very quick way to self –destruction. To the judges, it will sound phoney and they will score accordingly. The best piece of advice I can give you about going into interview is: BE YOURSELF. The judges want to get to know the real you, not some imagined or fabricated person. They want to know what you think and feel, what your goals are and why.
AWARE: Judges are looking to see if you are aware of the world around you. This means you may receive some questions on current event. So prepare yourself. Preparing for the current event questions is a matter of forming some good habits. As a suggestion, you should watch the highest rated television morning shows and evening news, chances that you then will be tuned into the same programs that the majority of the judges’ panel is watching. Consider watching e.g. CNN, BBC, African news, reading newspapers to update yourself.
CONCISE: Your answers to questions should be concise and clearly pronounced, while being articulate. In other words, sound bites. Sound bites are what you hear and see on television news broadcast everyday (e.g. when a president makes a speech somewhere, audio that goes with a quick ten second clip you see from the speech is a sound bite). Practise keeping your answers to judges’ questions down to 20 seconds or less. You should focus on making them well thought out, but brief. With a little practice, you will be able to present a good deal of information in that amount of time.
ATTIRE: the outfit that you wear into you interview sill say a lot about you. When selecting what you well wear for an interview, keep in mind why you are there. You are interviewing for a job! Sure, you get a crown, Title and Awards, but you will have the job of being a spokesperson for your pageant for the next 365days, unlike me who have my job as Miss Millennium Namibia for my lifetimeJ. Keeping that in mind, don’t wear fashionable revealing cloths, get some advice wearing clothes for different occasions but still being You.
MAKE NEW FRIENDS: Go into you interview with the attitude that you are going to meet and make new friends… friends who happen to be judges at your pageant. You make new friends by putting you best foot forward. However, do not get too casual, Remember that casual is just another word for familiar and familiazation at times breeds contempt. At risk of repeating: be yourself. Also remember this: friends are more likely to vote….for friends.
POSTURE: Body language sends a signal, so be conscious about your posture when walking and sitting in an interview. When sitting upon a chair, do not sit all the way back in the chair. Keep your upper body straight, you hands in your lap(when you are not expressing yourself) and your feet crossed at the ankles. Do not sit rigidly during the interview. It sends a message that you are not comfortable. A title holder must be comfortable working in small and large groups. |