1. Choose a quiet place for the interview. If you don’t have a good place at home, you can book a room at your college library or public library.
2. Choose a plain background, such as a light-colored wall, so that the interviewer will not be distracted by mirrors, pictures, or your adorable puppy that keeps jumping on your lap.
3. Check your sound, video, and internet connection ahead of time and try out the platform used to conduct the interview (like Zoom or Microsoft Teams).
4. “Show up” early. It’s important to be ready and in the waiting room a few minutes early.
5. Look professional. Not only should you look put together, you should also remember to smile, sit up straight, and make eye contact, i.e. look at the faces on the screen and/or the camera.
Here are some questions that you might be asked if you were invited to interview for the Master’s in Marketing at the University of Southern California, the Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern, and other programs around the US:
When thinking about how to answer these questions, remember that the rules that apply to essays also apply to interviews.
The admission’s team asks these questions because they want to know about your ambitions, be convinced that you can do the work, and believe that you have done your homework about the school before you applied. The interviewer also wants to know that you will be a good classmate who can work in groups, a skill that will be important during and after your degree.
These interviews are also your chance to ask your own questions. It is just as important to have your own questions ready as it is to answer those asked of you. Here’s a sampling for master’s programs in communications or marketing, though many of these questions will apply to other programs and situations as well.
Feel free to take notes while they answer your questions. These answers will help you to choose between programs after you have received acceptances.
1. Choose a quiet place for the interview. If you don’t a good place at home, you can book a room at your college library or public libraries.
2. Choose a plain background, such as a light-colored wall, so that the interviewer will not be distracted by mirrors, pictures, or worst of all, an unmade bed.
3. Check your sound, video, and internet connection ahead of time and try out the platform used to conduct the interview (like Zoom or Microsoft Teams).
4. “Show up” early. It’s important to be ready and in the waiting room a few minutes early.
5. Look professional. Not only should you look put together, you should also remember to smile, sit up straight, and make eye contact, i.e. look at the faces on the screen and/or the camera.