Dean's List Advice

[Ringo5tarr]

So I asked somebody this before (I don't remember where or who) but I don't remember getting an answer that really helped, so is it better to have an air of professionalism or relaxed confidence? Like, should I be as well dressed and groomed as possible while trying to use complete and proper grammar or should I dress and act like I typically would at competition, that is, clothes that I feel conformable in, speaking in my typical (not really professional) manner?

[Jon Stratis]

I would treat the Dean's List interview just like a job interview. And that's hard for most high schoolers, as you don't have the experience of interviewing for professional jobs!

In interviews, it's important to dress appropriately (note: everything that follows is from a male perspective. I have no idea how females should dress for most interviews!). "Appropriately" is, of course, defined by the circumstances. If you're interviewing for a position stocking shelves at a warehouse, you would probably be fine with a collared shirt and nice pants. Interviewing for an engineering position that is mostly a desk job, you would probably want to go with a nice suit. For Dean's List, I think team attire is entirely appropriate... But make sure it's on the nicest side. Wear some nice jeans, not ones with rips at the knees and a huge stain from grease. If you can class up your team dress (some teams have both t-shirts and polo's, or they have a button down that most people leave untucked), then by all means do so! It would also be appropriate to dress up for the interview if you desire - some people find that dressing up for something like this helps give them added confidence, which is definitely good in an interview!

As for answering the questions, do some research on the proper way to answer interview questions. The STAR method works great, and is one I highly recommend. Take a second to think about the answer, formulate a response, then verbalize it completely and professionally. And above all else, let you enthusiasm and excitement for robotics shine through!

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by Ringo5tarr

So I asked somebody this before (I don't remember where or who) but I don't remember getting an answer that really helped, so is it better to have an air of professionalism or relaxed confidence? Like, should I be as well dressed and groomed as possible while trying to use complete and proper grammar or should I dress and act like I typically would at competition, that is, clothes that I feel conformable in, speaking in my typical (not really professional) manner?

I think what you wear is not as important as the confidence and professionalism you radiate. I personally wore a pear of joggers and my team shirt and don't think it would have gone any differently if I'd worn a suit.

[Poseidon5817]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

I think what you wear is not as important as the confidence and professionalism you radiate. I personally wore a pear of joggers and my team shirt and don't think it would have gone any differently if I'd worn a suit.

At the same time, in my experience, dressing up nicely definitely shows that you care, and that it's not just an aside from the regular competition for you, and that you appreciate the award itself.

[Rangel(kf7fdb)]

How you dress probably isn't going to be the deciding but it could matter. I could definitely see some judges liking one candidate more because they were dressed very professionally. In something like Dean's List where everyone going for the award is likely to be an all star on their teams, there will likely be very little separating the top candidates. Maybe dressing up nicely won't show up on paper, but it could affect the bias of how a judge scores on whatever scoring system they go off of. Key word is could. Dressing nicely might have no impact at all but it could.

As for standing out in the interview, I would definitely try to talk about some experiences that other candidates might not have had. I didn't have to do an interview back in my time but I believe my biggest appeal to the judges was the work and leadership I did in other competitions outside of FIRST. Talk about how you led your team in a new direction or how you maybe restructured your team. Everybody has their own story to tell, big or small. Just make sure that when you go into the interview, it's your story and not some cookie cutter leader.