Interviews: Make Them Stick!

Interviews that persuade and stick reflect five key elements.

1. Excellent preparation: research the fellowship, including talking to past winners, mock interviewing, and testing your language skills.
2. Have 3-4 talking points with short anecdotes you want to convey, and if appropriate, with a visual handout.
3. Read every line of your resume and highlight experiences and skills, as well as challenges you’ve overcome.
4. Use adjectives that you want the reviewers to associate with you as an initiator, collaborator, and leader.
5. 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.