Preparing Students for Interviews

By cryotosensei | diaperfinancingfund | 11 Jan 2023


Just wrote this for my students. So proud of myself!

As a Year 4 student at NorthLight School, you will face a crossroads this November. Some of you may wish to pursue further studies at ITE while others may want to go out to work. Regardless of the path you choose to undertake, you will need to go through interviews many times in your life. So, preparing good answers to interview questions will help you get your desired course of study or job.

Attending an interview will make you nervous because you do not know your interviewers. It is normal for you to feel lost on what to say and how much to articulate in front of interviewers. Your mind may be as blank as a sheet of white paper!

To keep yourself calm, you should reframe the interview as an opportunity to share about yourself with a new mentor. Think of it as having a chat with him or her. Also remember that interviewers want to find someone who is a good fit for their company, so many of them will ask you probing questions when you appear stuck or give incomplete answers. Sell yourself confidently and share how you can help the company!

The following is an example of how Haqif from 4RS1 answered an English teacher’s questions.

Mr Heng:

What are your strengths?

 

Haqif:

Fast learner.

 

Mr Heng:

Can you tell me more?

 

Haqif:

I can easily get what the teacher teaches. Or even physical activities.

 

Mr Heng:

Can you be more specific? Do you mean sports?

 

Haqif:

For example, I just learnt basketball and I’m just so good at it. After a few tries.

 

Mr Heng:

How do you know you are good at basketball?

 

Haqif:

Because the coach told me so.

 

Mr Heng:

How do you think being a fast learner will help you in the workplace?

 

Haqif:

I think it’s relevant. You learn a little bit from someone… (pauses for a moment) so that I know how to do my work. Don’t have to ask a lot of questions.

 

 

To improve his interviewing skills, Haqif can consider using the PEEL approach. It is a great way for us to structure our answers in a systematic way so that the interviewers can determine whether we can do the job for their company well.

In this case, Haqif could have used the PEEL approach as such:

P

Point

Share one strength

E

Explain

Support his strength with reasons

E

Examples

Give an example and expand on how it supports his strength

L

Link

Link back to his strength

 

Using the PEEL approach will help Haqif state a clear and well-articulated answer that meets the interviewers’ expectations.

Point

         I believe that I am a fast learner. I usually understand my teachers’ instructions and explanations quite fast. This also applies to physical activities. For example, I recently picked up basketball and realised that I had a knack for it after a few tries. My coach complimented me on my good learning attitude. So, I think this will help me perform my job well because I just need to receive a little bit of training from my supervisor or colleagues. I don’t have to ask people too many questions and can just fulfil my responsibilities.

Explain

Example

Link

 

Putting everything together, it would be ideal for Haqif to answer as such in response to an interviewer’s question:

Interviewer:

What are your strengths?

 

Haqif:

I believe that I am a fast learner. I usually understand my teachers’ instructions and explanations quite fast. This also applies to physical activities. For example, I recently picked up basketball and realised that I had a knack for it after a few tries. My coach complimented me on my good learning attitude. So, I think this will help me perform my job well because I just need to receive a little bit of training from my supervisor or colleagues. I don’t have to ask people too many questions and can just fulfil my responsibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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cryotosensei
cryotosensei

budding investor


diaperfinancingfund
diaperfinancingfund

Blogging about crypto as I learn

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