A Job Interview Competition? To Do or Not To Do?

By Telijah Patterson

Job Interviews. #Sigh. No one enjoys them, but they are a necessary part of life, especially life as an ambitious professional who might need to go through several rounds of interviews for a senior level position. 

Phi Theta Kappa members are known the world over as young leaders who are rich in potential and many go on to become very accomplished individuals. This is no coincidence. In fact, Phi Theta Kappa has specialized training for active members to polish their professional suave. More than this, in order to incentivize professional readiness Phi Theta Kappa hosts a job interview competition at it’s annual convention every year! As if interviewing weren’t hard enough, Phi Theta Kappa challenges its members to their apex!

The way it works is at the convention students who wish to participate must present a resume to the selection committee. Candidates who meet their approval will then be able to advance to a 15 minute interview. All candidates are asked similar questions. First place receives $500, second place receives $250, and third place receives $100. The Phi Theta Kappa website notes that: “Contestants will be evaluated on their understanding of employment procedures faced in applying for an entry-level position.” There are only 40 slots available and expected attendance will be in the thousands so if students want to participate they must be on their A+ game and get in early.

This competition is an excellent opportunity for everyone, including people who do not win a prize. There is a proverb that says “aim for the moon, even if you should fail, you will land among the stars.” In the same way, preparing for the job interview competition is a great way to help students prepare for real-life scenarios. No doubt, being a participant whether a winner or not will boost students’ confidence in their ability to articulate themselves and help to clarify their professional goals. Doing all this research on the job interview competition at our upcoming Phi Theta Kappa international convention has me kind of considering whether I should accept the challenge myself. 

As I sit here on a cool Friday morning sipping a cup of fresh optimism I contemplate what this will require of me and I’ve come up with a list :

• Preparation and time, preferably at least 30 minutes a day until competition
• Feedback from one or more of my mentors
• Research in several categories. First, what are tough interview questions and what are the best ways to answer? Second, who were winners from previous competitions and how can I get in touch with them for their advice? Last, but not least, do I know how to properly articulate my own experience?
• Video camera so that I can record myself because what I feel and see might not be what the world feels and sees
• A resume facelift because I have some great experience, but the design of my resume wouldn’t necessarily StAnD oUt (See how I just did that!, lol!). For this I will need to look at some colorful resume templates on canva.com
• Master the STAR technique of interviewing.
• Buy a new interview suit, something professional, but that also allows me to express my personality. I’m thinking of something with splashes of color and a bit of an edge! (This might just be the perfect excuse for me to go to Forever 21, yay!)
• Rally supporters by talking to my friends. There’s nothing like some positive peer pressure, affirmation, and an outside source of accountability.
• Get and stay in the right frame of mind. I have quite the imagination and I must admit that I’m a bit ashamed to say that what’s fueling my raging optimism right now is the image of myself grazing the stage to stake claim to my first place prize, but really that's not what this should be about. I am in this to improve myself professionally and whatever the outcome I will be more prepared to present myself at an interview when it matters most.

I really want to do this not for the competition because in my eyes the only person worth competing with is myself, making myself a better person that I was the day before. I don't want to do this for my school either. I love my school, yes, but no one needs that extra pressure. I want to do this for me! Because accepting a challenge is an affirmation of growth and in the end isn't that what life is supposed to be about? Stagnation is death and I am anything, but that! So here we go, I am inches away from clicking the sign up button. I can, I will, I must #participate!