Need help about interview - no college experience

elvis0_0lives

Hi,

Hoping someone can help me here. I got a letter for an IT invited to an interview for a degree course (business management) starting in sep. But im really worried.

Previously I went for an interview at another college and to be honest the interview was a joke. Im 23 and working full time since my leaving. Im currently a sales rep and dealing in margins etc all day. In the interview i told them all about my job and what I have done in the past, then get hit with "Do you know what a biblography is" followed by "can you write an essay". Im 23 so its not that long since out of school. I explained to them I understand the commitment, and that im prepared to give 100% as its something i really want. Bottom line was ... I havent done any study for 5 years so not a hope of getting in. (politely told of course)

This is why im nervous about this interview. I havent done any courses at all. I have been a sales rep and a manager in a store. So with this other college im wondering what will I say?

Im prepared to give up my job, my car and my wages. (I have been saving for college - always planned to go when im 23) I was told by a teacher I met when I was 19, not to bother doing a PLC course and best to wait and just do the degree and god am i regretting that now.

All help welcome.
Thanks

Larianne

I don't think you should look at the previous interview as a joke. It's all experience. You can now prepare for the next interview, focusing on how to answer such questions and not being put on the spot.

Yes, colleges will look at your gap in study as a negative on your application but they wouldn't call you for interview if you didn't have some chance of getting in!

If they do make a point of your lack of study, mention that you keep abreast of business type news by reading X and Y. Also, I think you should do a bit of research into study skills on the net. Stella Cottrell is a known author in the field. She has written a few books on it. And believe me, your interviewers will definitely be impressed by mentioning your knowledge on study skills/reflective learning journals etc. And well, all the information will help you when you go to college.

elvis0_0lives

Hi,

Thank you for your quick reply. Ah I mean it was a joke as in I wasn't really prepared (didnt think Id get asked those questions), but like you said its experience and if it wasn't for that interview id be going to this one blind.

Im going to google Stella Cottrell and find some information. What are reflective study journals? (sorry) Ill google them up anyway and see what I come across.

Im wondering, there must be a lot of people who get into college as a mature student and havent studied in years.?

Thanks a million for your reply Larianne

xinchao

Hi elvis0_0lives,

I read your post and thought I would send you a mail and tell you what I was asked in my interview at UL last week! I'm a mature student 33 years old.
I went to College before but applied and was accepted through the CAO.
I studied Business studies in Computing. I was a mature student when i applied but had enough points from my old Leaving Cert. I went to L.I.T. in Limerick.
Got a Diploma (a pass one at that) and never really used it after that. Actually I made terrible choice taking that course, but that's another story...:D

After that I went travelling and teaching English for quite a number of years and came back to Ireland two years ago. I applied for UL this year and was called for an interview last week. The course was HPSS (History, Politics, Sociology and Social Sciences) never studied anything like that before. And it's very different from the course I did previously....
I read an introduction to Sociology a month before hand to get some kind of idea of the main ideas and theories and the people who came up with them.
The interview itself, they said was supposed to be 15-20 minutes but I was probably in there for about an hour.
When I went in there, I had to wait for about 30 minutes for the guy that was before me and there were other people waiting when i was waiting, they were quite a bit older than me, which made me more nervous, but when i started chatting to them they also were just starting off too and coming from different areas. One woman there was a qualified electrician so their backgrounds were very varied and when she started talking to me about the course she came across as knowing a LOT more than I did. That didn't do anything for my nerves either. hahaha..
However when I was called, just as I entered the room, I said to myself f*** it, I'm here because I want to do this course and they will be lucky to have someone as committed as myself, that gave me a little boost of confidence..
The interview started off with: Why do you want to study this course?
So I explained that I had travelled etc, and lived in a communist country before and also lived in Capitalist societies and could see the differences between their societies etc etc...I talked about my previous education, how it wasn't the right course for me but I stayed doing it to get some kind of qualification etc. Then I went on to talk about my current situation, I said to them, I'm not married, don't have a house, financially secure in that I have no mortgage or car loans or kids to look after etc, I said i could afford to take this time to do a course and also I said that this was my last chance to be able to do something like this......
That opened the room I suppose and answered most of their questions without them fishing for more information, it might have sounded like a lot to say to one question but if you think about what you are going to say in the interview then make sure you stick to it, without going on too much or getting side-tracked.
The interviewers were really nice guys and are NOT there to pick holes in your C.V. they just want to see that you are committed and will remain committed to the course. Most M. students leave University because of financial reasons, and they will want to be certain that you are fully aware of this and have really thought about this course. They don't expect you to be an expert in the field you have chosen but they do expect you to have some knowledge of what you are studying.
The next few questions they asked me were: what is Sociology, What is Public Administration, Why did I choose economics, social geography, and public administration with Sociology?
I told them that i studied economics before in college, so it will be easier for me to undertake and that i also really enjoyed it at college, Social geography becuase that was my best subject at school (remember i did my leaving Cert in 1994 hahaha) and so i said that the last subject Public Administration because i needed to have balance on the course, I am really interested in three of the subjects, the fourth Public Administration is an elective and I will only do it for one year...So better to do that for first year only. Remember most Universities/colleges regard first year as the introduction to the course, kinda like leaving Cert. standard.
I suggest to you, to know the course, what subjects you want to do and where you want to go with this course.
They also asked me What i would do after the course, I said to them I was looking at a Masters min. Degree was only a stepping stone i.e. the first.
So I said after that I am not sure because that's 5 or 6 years away and a lot can change in that time-frame BUT I said a career in research or the Government would be likely. I only said that to show them i do have some kind of plan...I think you know what i mean..
They asked me finally, did i have any questions, i asked them about the co-op programme, and the master programme, what were the stats. on people who had got a degree, what did they do afterwards, i.e. further study or got a job etc..
Anyway, I hope this is of some help. I think being relaxed but confident is the most important thing to begin with. Then showing them you are really interested in the course, examples of book you've read or what you find interesting about the course or its future job prospects or what kind of path it will send you on. That's up to you!
Remember to look them in the eye, usually one is writing and not looking, but i started talking to the both of them and the guy that was writing looked up after about 2 minutes and then stopped writing and joining in the conversation, i believe it was because i was talking to them both and not just to the guy that was asking the questions.
I hope this give you a flavour of things to come.
anyway good luck in the interview, you'll be fine I think. the fact you are worried about it shows that it means something to you!

Kev...

xinchao

Ohhh by the way, seeing that you have so much experience at management level and also at the coal face, talk about the skills you have learned, time management, communication, team work, being able to work on your own initiative, managing people, schedules, working to tight deadlines..Remember you have life experience and relevant work experience! That's a huge plus!
You also know exactly what it's like to do business in Ireland at the moment.
So going back to University/college now is probably the best time for you because when the economy gets better you'll probably just be finishing (hopefully)..I think being able to talk somewhat about the economy, would go a long was too for that course...And your experience is more than enough!
You just want to match an education with your work skills!
anyway, good luck!