my kingdom for my previous entry draft
Feb. 24th, 2007 09:47 pmArgh - the new LJ draft recovery system isn't perfect as the vast majority of what I wrote before.
I've always felt more comfortable conducting interviews rather than being the subject of one, thanks to working on the paper for five years. Being put on the visiting speakers beat for 3-4 years gave me a lot of opportunities to talk to fascinating people from diverse backgrounds outside of their official settings; I was happy to see that Lalita Tademy has just come out with a promising sophomore historical novel, Red River. I've only had one less than favorable encounter with a pretentious, insecure Harvard and Oxford grad pole vaulting champion trying to be the next Dan Brown thriller writer.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
melee_melo, you know who I'm talking about; he's the guy who wrote that ''cult'' mystery.
Yesterday morning between classes I interviewed a few students being considered for the 4-year full tuition scholarship. (![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
malbal55.) Being on the evaluation side of that process now now - it's like when I was 6 and tried walking around in my mother's high-heeled pumps for the first time. Each candidate is evaluated by a professor, an admissions staff member and a student. It's just a little intimidating to think that you have some input in giving someone over $120,000. I wouldn't call myself a professional by any means, but I am glad that I had some interviewing experience before joining the interview teams.
It seems terribly obvious, but interviews are a two-way street; if the dialogue is being dominated by one person, whether they be the interviewer or interviewee, you should correct that imbalance. Doing your background research and brushing up on the news headlines are a must, of course, but the most important part with evaluative interviews is to establish a sense of connection as well as present your qualifications in a fresh way. No one person is the sole subject of the interview - if you have enough time, i.e. more than 15 minutes, there should be a balance in how much the interviewers and interviewees have to say. It's cynical but true - people love to talk about themselves or are at least flattered that you show an interest in what they have to say about an issue. Looking back at when I did my interview, I know I wasn't the most qualified candidate out there, but I was really lucky in that I had interviewers who were easy to connect to and who were giving of themselves. It doesn't really matter in the long-run if you understand everything that the other person is saying; the point is that you're genuinely curious and attentive about what the other person is thinking.
What tripped up some of the candidates yesterday was that they were so nervous about presenting themselves that they didn't take into account the 'connection' factor. I tried smiling and nodding a lot to help put the candidates at ease before throwing them a curve ball question; they tend to be more candid when they underestimate you. I've forgotten that people my age tend to maintain eye contact longer with adults who ask them questions than with their peers. Most of the candidates tended to ignore me unless I directly questioned them, but they probably asked their hosts a lot of questions already. But that's already a big no-no; if you're being interviewed by several people, you should address your responses to all of them or at least change whom you're addressing for each question.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to realize that it's important to form a connection with as many of their interviewers as possible, not just the adults. There are students there for a reason - they're key in judging how good of a fit the candidate is overall for the university. Call me a rampant egotist, but if you plan on attending college, you need to be able to relate and work with your fellow students as well as your professors and the administration. Telling me on paper that you're a team player and good at communicating and working with your peers just doesn't cut it if you can't do so in an unfamiliar situation.
I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for the next two batches of interviews I'm doing. But I'd like to think that I'm generally pretty fair and forgiving, and I don't mean to say that the candidates I encountered were antisocial jerks by any means. They're just inexperienced, and unfortunately it shows.
And now, for something completely different.
Music Meme
List seven songs you are into right now, no matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your livejournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.
1. First Season Main Title (Revised) - The Man from UNCLE - Jerry Goldsmith
2. Generique Stephane - The Science of Sleep - Jean-Michel Bernard
3. I Will Wait For You - Les Parapluies de Cherbourg - Michel Legrand
4. Les Lunettes Magiques - Jeux d'Enfants - Phillippe Rombi
5. Alicia Discovers Nash's Dark World - A Beautiful Mind - James Horner
6. Toccata for Toy Trains - Elmer Bernstein
7. Wichta Sutra Vortex - Philip Glass
Tagged: anyone who feels like doing this meme
I've always felt more comfortable conducting interviews rather than being the subject of one, thanks to working on the paper for five years. Being put on the visiting speakers beat for 3-4 years gave me a lot of opportunities to talk to fascinating people from diverse backgrounds outside of their official settings; I was happy to see that Lalita Tademy has just come out with a promising sophomore historical novel, Red River. I've only had one less than favorable encounter with a pretentious, insecure Harvard and Oxford grad pole vaulting champion trying to be the next Dan Brown thriller writer.
melee_melo, you know who I'm talking about; he's the guy who wrote that ''cult'' mystery.Yesterday morning between classes I interviewed a few students being considered for the 4-year full tuition scholarship. (
malbal55.) Being on the evaluation side of that process now now - it's like when I was 6 and tried walking around in my mother's high-heeled pumps for the first time. Each candidate is evaluated by a professor, an admissions staff member and a student. It's It seems terribly obvious, but interviews are a two-way street; if the dialogue is being dominated by one person, whether they be the interviewer or interviewee, you should correct that imbalance. Doing your background research and brushing up on the news headlines are a must, of course, but the most important part with evaluative interviews is to establish a sense of connection as well as present your qualifications in a fresh way. No one person is the sole subject of the interview - if you have enough time, i.e. more than 15 minutes, there should be a balance in how much the interviewers and interviewees have to say. It's cynical but true - people love to talk about themselves or are at least flattered that you show an interest in what they have to say about an issue. Looking back at when I did my interview, I know I wasn't the most qualified candidate out there, but I was really lucky in that I had interviewers who were easy to connect to and who were giving of themselves. It doesn't really matter in the long-run if you understand everything that the other person is saying; the point is that you're genuinely curious and attentive about what the other person is thinking.
What tripped up some of the candidates yesterday was that they were so nervous about presenting themselves that they didn't take into account the 'connection' factor. I tried smiling and nodding a lot to help put the candidates at ease before throwing them a curve ball question; they tend to be more candid when they underestimate you. I've forgotten that people my age tend to maintain eye contact longer with adults who ask them questions than with their peers. Most of the candidates tended to ignore me unless I directly questioned them, but they probably asked their hosts a lot of questions already. But that's already a big no-no; if you're being interviewed by several people, you should address your responses to all of them or at least change whom you're addressing for each question.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to realize that it's important to form a connection with as many of their interviewers as possible, not just the adults. There are students there for a reason - they're key in judging how good of a fit the candidate is overall for the university. Call me a rampant egotist, but if you plan on attending college, you need to be able to relate and work with your fellow students as well as your professors and the administration. Telling me on paper that you're a team player and good at communicating and working with your peers just doesn't cut it if you can't do so in an unfamiliar situation.
I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for the next two batches of interviews I'm doing. But I'd like to think that I'm generally pretty fair and forgiving, and I don't mean to say that the candidates I encountered were antisocial jerks by any means. They're just inexperienced, and unfortunately it shows.
And now, for something completely different.
Music Meme
List seven songs you are into right now, no matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your livejournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.
1. First Season Main Title (Revised) - The Man from UNCLE - Jerry Goldsmith
2. Generique Stephane - The Science of Sleep - Jean-Michel Bernard
3. I Will Wait For You - Les Parapluies de Cherbourg - Michel Legrand
4. Les Lunettes Magiques - Jeux d'Enfants - Phillippe Rombi
5. Alicia Discovers Nash's Dark World - A Beautiful Mind - James Horner
6. Toccata for Toy Trains - Elmer Bernstein
7. Wichta Sutra Vortex - Philip Glass
Tagged: anyone who feels like doing this meme
