Interviews that persuade and stick reflect five key elements.
- Excellent preparation: research the fellowship, including talking to past winners, mock interviewing, and testing your language skills.
- Have 3-4 talking points with short anecdotes you want to convey, and if appropriate, with a visual handout.
- Read every line of your resume and highlight experiences and skills, as well as challenges you’ve overcome.
- Use adjectives that you want the reviewers to associate with you as an initiator, collaborator, and leader.
- For Zoom interviews, keep a glass (not bottle) and small notepad off-screen to jot quick notes for compound questions you are asked and with two questions you will ask. Always follow up with a tailored, short thank-you email within 24 hours.