A few teenagers who come to me for counselling have expressed concern about having to sell themselves with university interviews coming up. After the battle of working out where you want to go, and if you're choosing the right course, comes the uncertainty of knowing how to effectively persuade the one person who'll decide if you are going to get there at all. It's hard to get into this frame of mind and you wonder if it's necessary to bring up the fact that you were a member of the chess club in Year Seven; or that you were in the school musical that year as well. Unfortunately, there is no magic answer and there is no end of people ready to give you good advice. What worries me is that the advice usually starts with 'I hate interviews'. This doesn't fill us with confidence nor does it create any positive vibes. I have been told all sorts of strategies but the best approach is the one you feel most comfortable with. When I was applying for my course, I talked about my experiences and project work as I knew I could talk a lot about these things. Thankfully, I could bring the work to the interview with me for backup in case I got stuck. I thought I was doing well until I was asked if I had any questions. This took me by surprise and I had to come up with something on the spot. Luckily, I was able to think of something to ask, but I made sure for my next interview that I had a bank of questions prepared so I could appear even more enthusiastic. The best way to handle an interview is to practise. If you are anxious about impending interviews, get a few friends together and engage in role play. This will also give you the chance to play the interviewer and get some insight into how they are thinking. After the real deal, don't agonise over whether you said the right things - instead, focus on rewarding yourself and getting on with less stressful endeavours. Good luck! David Simpson is an experienced youth counsellor and a regular SYP columnist.
