Some Tips on Giving an Impressive Interview--熟練基本題 可對鏡子多練習

Next Monday, I'm going to conduct a mock interview with five candidates for different universities. Three of them are applying to the Department of Japanese at different universities, one that of Spanish, and the other English.

Yesterday, the UDN ran the following article, which provides good tips for a successful interview.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=240881

熟練基本題 可對鏡子多練習

【聯合報╱記者陳智華、李威儀、薛荷玉／專題報導】2010/03/25

各校甄選面試形態不一，有一對一，一對多，或多對多，有些學校甚至有一次以上的面試；問題則包括對個人、時事、常識、思考、專業類，考生可請老師或同學提問、練習，以求臨場有最自然的表現。

台北市大直高中輔導老師丁郁美說，面試以一對多最普遍，一位考生面對2~5位教授，少數則為群體面試；考生如不熟悉對著不熟的人說話，最好多對著鏡子練習，或找同學、家人陪練。

My comments: As the proverb goes, "Practice makes perfect." I used to be very shy. However, I overcame my shyness in the first class I taught. As a NTNU student, we had to teach in our affiliated high school for two weeks. To appeared confident instead of shy, I practiced hard the day before I taught. I even memorized almost every word I would say in class to the extent that my sister told me I spoke English in my dream. Strangely, I ran the class very well the next day.

丁郁美歸納面試最常問的5種題目類型，包括基本題、專業題、機智題、延伸題等；基本題最重要，包括介紹自己、報考此系動機等，熟練這些基本題可安定心神；外文或商學院還可能要求考生以英文自我介紹。

My comments: Usually, the candidates are asked to give a one-minute self-introduction. BTW, a common question is like this: Convince us to accept you as our student.

丁郁美表示，專業題包括入門和較深的題目，很多與時事結合，如健保調漲、死刑存廢等，相關科系可先準備。

在服裝儀容方面，丁郁美認為，只要乾淨、整潔、簡單，「展現誠意，且像一個高中生即可。」她表示，不一定要穿套裝或西裝，但不建議穿牛仔褲，除非有表演題等特殊要求。男生穿襯衫配長褲，女生著針織衫或襯衫，配裙子、長褲都可。

My comments: Dress simple.

淡江大學西班牙文系二年級學生蔡惠伊說，她當年面試時有三關，需要用中、英文來回答問題，她曾被考官問過，要她推薦一本最近在看的書，並分享面試當天走進校園時對學校的感覺；因為看過學長姊的推甄心得，對這樣的題目也曾預做練習，有準備自然就不會緊張。

My comments: It's helpful to know about the past interview questions.

她說，面試的穿著要儘量正式整齊，她上半身穿襯衫，下半身是及膝裙，上白下黑，頭髮也綁起來，「雖然穿得像個上班族，心裡感到有點奇怪，可是到了面試場合就不會覺得了，因為大家都會穿得很正式。」

就讀大同大學工業設計系一年級的莊鈞雅說，面試時表現出開朗的感覺很重要，且要有幽默感，不要過於緊張，因為表達能力與應對態度，都是主考官觀察的重點。

My comments: Wearing a smile is definitely a plus.