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Almost everyone dreads the interviewing process. Whether interviewing for
admission to a favorite college, a desired internship, or a prestigious job, it’s
stressful when there’s a lot at stake. Students often practice in advance answering
common questions such as, “Why should we select you?” “What experience would
you bring with you?” and “What are your proudest accomplishments?” It’s easy to
remember the good things we’ve done, and we’re usually proud to talk about our
assets and achievements.
Things get trickier when the interviewer asks a question such as, “Can you tell me
about a time when you failed?” There is even an essay prompt on the Common
Application, accepted by more than 600 colleges, that focuses on failure. It states,
“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later
success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it
affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”
The worst thing students can do is pretend they’ve never failed at anything. Is it
possible for anyone to have lived through their childhood, and many of their teen
years, and never have struggled in an academic subject, been cut from a sports team,
lost a school election, or suffered any setback? If this is so, in the eyes of the
interviewer the candidate might be a risky choice because no one knows how he or
she will handle the inevitable setback or failure that is sure to loom in the future.
Most likely, the interviewee is simply trying to put his/her best foot forward. But
it’s a mistake to think that admitting to a past failure is a sign of weakness. It’s
actually an opportunity for a student to demonstrate that a lesson was learned, and
he/she has moved on from the failure. People who think they have never failed at
anything either don’t have the self-awareness to recognize their weaknesses, or the
self-confidence to admit to their failures. Either way, coming off as pompous in an
interview is a turn-off that is not likely to turn out well.
Another mistake interviewees sometimes make is to talk in too casual a manner and
use inappropriate language when answering questions. It is never acceptable to
refer, in an offensive way, to another person based on race, gender, or any other
defining quality. Interviewers want to identify candidates who will represent their
college or job in a non-biased, respectable manner.
In short, students should present themselves in the best possible light, while being
honest and realistic when answering questions – even about their flaws.
Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of SAT Smart in Hillsborough that has
been offering PSAT, SAT, and ACT preparation courses, as well as private
tutoring by IVY-League educated instructors, for more than 20 years. Visit
www.SATsmart.com.
