How to prepare for a WIL scholarship interview

So you have applied for a WIL scholarship and you have been successful in getting to the second stage of a scholarship interview. It is worthwhile for you to consider the following information so that you may be better prepared for this interview. 

You should consider an interview for a scholarship as being the same as a job interview, and prepare for it and approach it in a similar way. This will then provide you with valuable experience for the future, when applying for jobs.

While the approach may differ from organisation to organisation and even from people within the same organisation, there are some basic similarities that will apply. 

There may be a number of interviewers who will cover different areas of your skills and competencies. Do not be surprised if there is little if any focus on your technical skills. If they are doing a number of interviews they will have prepared questions and will ask them of all candidates and rate each candidate on the basis of their answers.

Do not be surprised (and be prepared) that they will be asking you about your skills in the following areas:
1.    Ownership and Communication skills;
2.    Creative problem solving and adaptability;
3.    Passion for the business, passion for technology, and to get some basic idea of your technical ability and experience. 

Understand that while all you may be looking for is the opportunity of getting such a scholarship, and experience, the donor is looking for people who are potential future employees. Therefore to answer a question such as “why do you want this scholarship” with an answer such as “the money will be useful” will not impress. The donor would like to think that you have researched their organisation and have some passion and desire to join them.

There are a number of things I believe you need to do in order to best prepare yourself for these interviews. What I am suggesting is what I would also suggest that you should consider doing for any interview that you may undertake in the future. 

Most importantly is to arrive for the interview on time, and as neatly dressed in “corporate attire” as possible. If you are not familiar with the location of the interview then allow plenty of time to get there. Have a phone number of someone who you can contact if inadvertently you are delayed, and contact them in plenty of time to inform them that you are late. Organise that you arrive between 15 – 30 minutes earlier than your appointment, and then grab a coffee or sit quietly somewhere and go over your notes, research etc. There is nothing worse than rushing to arrive either just in time or late and getting there frazzled and nervous.

Other important considerations are :- 
1. Do some research on the donor organisation and understand a little more about it than perhaps you do currently.  Ultimately understand that the donor are possibly looking to identify future employee,
2. It is always a good strategy to prepare an intelligent question or two that you may have of the interviewer/s.
3. They are looking for people who are really keen to do these scholarships and not just for the money they will receive - answers like "I want to work for a big company like XXXX" and "I am keen to get the money" may not be the most impressive.  “To gain the skills and experience that you will by this experience, and working for a prestigious global IT company like XXXX, and the credibility of having XXXX on your cv, which will aid you in your future career and job prospects”, are much better and more valid reasons.
4. They will probably ask you what projects you have been involved in during your course and to describe some of your experiences and what has happened when things went wrong or people did not pull their weight etc.  They will be looking for real life examples and not hypothetical ones.  You need to think back on your experiences and be prepared for these types of questions.
5. You need to think about and be able to articulate why you are passionate about IT and a career in IT.
6. Try to be comfortable, concise and considered in your answers. If you do not understand the question then ask them exactly what they mean and do not assume their meaning or you may be answering a different question to the one that was asked.
7. Do not be casual laid back or too relaxed in your demeanour when approaching an interview. Do not take it as a given that just because you are getting an interview you will automatically get a scholarship. Generally they are looking for reasons why you will not get one, as they probably need to remove some applicants from their list.
8. The donor is trying to assess how you will fit into their organisation and team structures, as well as how this opportunity is going to benefit you.  When they asked you to bring "proof of residency", they are looking for your passport or birth certificate, and not your rental agreement or an electricity bill.

Understand that life is not a one way street and that this really is a golden opportunity for you, and if you are successful you need to work hard and give a good impression of yourself. Understand that the donor will be assessing you during your scholarship, and whether you are offered a job or considered for a job with that organisation will depend very much on your performance. Also understand that while (especially in large organisations) you may not want to work in the business unit where you do your scholarship, there may be other areas where you do want to work. Your opportunity to be considered for other areas will depend on giving a good impression. 

Many donors give students during their scholarship a lot of flexibility and may not closely supervise them.   Some students take this as an opportunity to take advantage of the donor and be slack in either their performance, time keeping or both. Understand that that is all a part of the evaluation process and donors are looking for people who are self starters and do not need to be closely watched all the time in order that they perform. Also understand that the people who will be managing you will be a lot more experienced than you and will know all the tricks.