Miniseries Chapter 3: Striking the balance – The questions you will likely be asked in a funding int
Interviews …
There’s a reason I prefer emailing people to talking to them in person, & its nothing to do with cellphone bills! Okay, that comes into it, student budget & all. But I digress.
Looking or feeling foolish & under-prepared is something most people are TERRIFIED will happen to them in a job / funding application interview.
This is why, a few days before the interview, it is great to surround yourself with a group of trusted friends / colleagues, preferably with years of experience in the work force, & get them to grill you with hard questions. This is what I did, before my shortlist Skype interview with the Fulbright panel. From about question 3, I wanted to curl up into a corner, because I found the questions difficult to answer, &/or was asked questions I had never thought about before. While the group had my best interests at heart, they didn't pull their punches, & told me which answers needed serious work, & how to answer them better. The manner in which you answer the questions is very important, because your answers are how the panel get an impression of who you are - not something you want to mess up.
I recorded the entire grilling session on voice note, & then spent hours typing up key notes about the questions they had asked me, & how I had been advised to answer them. I then walked about my digs room, answering the questions while concentrating on my body language & maintaining eye-contact. Shoulders back, strike a power stance, & remember to smile too!
I then spoke with my voice coach, to make sure I understood the "Who's Who" of the SA classical music industry, and what gaps & issues were currently under discussion. What's key in this step, is "If you don't know, ask".
But it's also important to formulate your OWN opinions about things! You need to be / cultivate your reflexive muscles, if you're going to stand out. How you go about this, is actually quite an obvious one: Reflect on the training you have been receiving, and compare it to the training people from other institutions have received. Don't just reflect on the theoretical training, but the practical. First acknowledge what you have been well-prepared for, and then mention what gaps receiving this funding grant will allow you to fill, in your chosen postgraduate institution. I will say it time & time again: acknowledge the value and work of your teachers!
Let's look at the questions you are likely to be asked in an interview:
Why is your field important in your home country / How does your field contribute to the economic growth of your home country?
I wasn't exactly asked this question for Fulbright, but it may be asked if you're applying for funding for national study / a job.
Simplify your speciality for us – help us understand it.
Self-explanatory. Refer to the field vocabulary you may have mentioned in your written application, & put it into "layman's terms". For example: bel canto singing technique.
What has been the biggest change / challenge in your life, and how did you deal with it?
If other people helped you overcome this difficulty, acknowledge them. This can be a car accident, repeating a year in school, falling off a horse, having a learning disability, having to work hard on English when coming to university ... It can also be deciding what branch of the music industry you would pursue as a career. For me, being raised with such an eclectic musical family, and 9 years of choral training, it was difficult for me to decide between musical theatre and opera as my solo pursuit. See a previous blog post titled "Opera Found: how I 'found my voice in opera' (Duncan Guy) ". Ultimately, opera became my love interest because it alligned with my personal and creative politics. #Deep?
Who inspires you in your field / is your hero? Why?
Mention leading figures in the industry who really do inspire you. And maybe, I don't know, your teacher ... ?
What makes you special / unique from the other candidates we’ve interviewed today?
If you've had more practical experience than your contemporaries, or if your path into your field has been an interesting one, this is a good way to answer this question. Every candidate has drive & passion. What else do you have?
Why are you approaching us for funding? Why that particular country? And why that particular school?
What’s your 5 / 10 year plan?
What do you intend on doing with the education this funding will provide you with? How will you “give back”?
The above three questions are inter-related, hence why I've put them together.
And finally, the question that stumps most people ... What question do you wish we had asked you in this interview?
I answered that I would have liked to talk about my obsession with female composers.
Now, you're seconds away from the interview beginning (for which you've been logged on a good 10 minutes before). You may also have done yoga & perhaps taken some rescue remedy ... hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink. Your notes are all arranged on the desk in front of you, in the order you think you may be asked them. They are for reference though, as no-one wants to feel like they are talking to a piece of paper. The phone rings ... so the first thing you do is take 3 deep breaths. And then, you answer the call, subconsciously thinking "I'm well prepared, & this is going to be a successful interview".
Remembering to breathe & smile throughout really does calm the nerves. Don't be afraid of pausing for thought, or commenting that they have asked you a good question. And if you need to ask them to repeat a question, that's okay! I did, and I still got through to semifinals. The sky did not come tumbling down, and neither will you.
I hope you've enjoyed following this Miniseries as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Teaching is an inherited passion of mine, & if i've helped guide you, even a little bit, I am glad. If there's anything else you'd like guidance on, please leave a comment below. Who knows, I might write another blog post just for you!
Don't forget to follow my flight on Facebook and Insta @the_forest_weaver.
Best of luck!
With much love & light,
The Forest Weaver xx
