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My Interview Philosophy: Some Tips and Tricks
About four years ago, I attended my dreaded Cambridge interview. Sat in front of a panel of intimidating Dons, I was petrified, and had good reason to be. On my mind were some extraordinarily absurd, abstract and difficult questions previously asked by Dons such as:
'Unwrap this banana with your mind' and 'what is Life?' and 'why?'
So I have compiled this list of skills which I consider to be absolutely crucial in interview, especially at Oxbridge level, all of which I seek to work on in my classes:
1) Confidence: Having the self-assuredness to speak clearly, to come across as willing to learn and to maintain good eye contact and positive body language.
2) Intellectual Curiosity: the willingness to listen (and not just speak), to ask good questions and to be able to consider different perspectives.
3) Strengths and Weaknesses: the ability to allude to one's strengths (in a modest way) and to at the same time illustrate areas which one is keen to improve.
4) Answering the question: the direct ability to tackle a specific question without waffling.
5) The ability to charm and amuse: Though this may sound unimportant, proving to the interiewer that you might be someone that they will want to teach for the next few years is actually extremely significant. Ask yourself: 'if I was in their position, who would I want to offer a place to and why?'
