fourpoints Magazine

The #1 Resource for Everything Miss America & MAOTeen

Interview Techniques

Wednesday, 11 May 2011 11:52

Hello everyone! I cannot believe it’s the middle of May already!  This year has gone by so fast!  In my opinion, though, this is the best time of the year.  The weather is beautiful, the flowers are blooming, and school is almost over.  Many of you are probably finishing up projects and cramming for your final exams.  As a college student, I know all too well how that goes!  If you are going through your last couple of final exams or projects at school, I wish you the best of luck!

Talking about final exams and projects, most of you have probably had to stand up in front of the class and give a presentation on your project or on a specific topic at some point throughout your academic career.  Were you nervous?  I can remember being so nervous to stand up and present my book report to the entire class when I was in 4th grade.  My face got red, my hands started to shake, and I wanted to be anywhere but in that classroom.  As I got older, my fear of speaking in front of a class or group of people really didn’t go away.  It wasn’t until I entered my first pageant at the age of 14 and had to interview in front of a panel of judges that I realized how public speaking wasn’t actually that bad.  Not only did that experience force me to speak and express my thoughts and beliefs in front of people, but it also made me realize what a powerful tool speaking is.  Being able to effectively and confidently communicate your ideas with any group of people is a skill that will always serve you well in life.  Luckily, Teens in Training Camp can help you learn and perfect that skill.  At Teens in Training Camp this summer, teens will be able to take classes with some of today’s most skilled communicators.  They will be given the opportunity to have an interview experience similar to mine that will teach them how to get their point across in a clear, concise manner.  They will also practice their public speaking skills by introducing themselves to the audience at a preliminary MAOTeen pageant.

To give you a little preview of what you will learn about the interview process at Teens in Training Camp, here is a tip from expert interview and pageant coach, Elizabeth McGlynn:

“’What do the judges want to hear? What would ‘sound better’? What would be the ‘perfect’ answer to that question?’

These are questions I am asked repeatedly by the young women I work with – and I can’t answer them – at least I can’t speak for what anyone else ‘wants’ to hear. There are NO perfect answers – and what you answer on one day might be different from the next depending on how the question is asked and the information you may have gained in the interim time between one interview and the next.  What I impress on everyone I work with who wants to be their best in an interview is: Answer honestly and from the heart; in other words, BE YOURSELF! Judges are people with their own opinions, ideas, values and perceptions on the world around them.”

Hope this gets you excited for camp!  From now until June 1st you can register for TNT Camp by using promo code 4pointsTNT to receive a $150 discount.  Don’t miss out on this incredible discount and all the wonderful opportunities Teens in Training Camp has to offer!

Truly yours,

Tawni