Academic Advising Office March 2014 Mock Interviews Interview Scenarios  A student from the Faculty of Arts applying for a 1 –year exchange programme to a University in the United Kingdom  A student from the Faculty of Business and Economics nominated for an academic merit scholarship  A student from the Faculty of Engineering applying for a summer internship programme based in Hong Kong Debrief and Further Advice Interview: The DOs  Be punctual  Dress appropriately  Turn off / silence your phone  Treat other people you meet politely  Smile and have eye contact  Be well-prepared: the background of the Scholarship/ programme/ position you are applying for  Respond with specific examples whenever possible  Ask sensible questions  Relax, be friendly and be humorous (if possible)  A thank you note to the interviewers Interview: The Don’ts      Don’t be late Don’t dress too causal Don’t keep you mobile on or take call Don’t treat the interview causally Don’t make negative comments / badmouth your professors/ course mates/ room mates  Don’t simply answer “yes” or “no”. Try to elaborate your answers and demonstrate your communication skills.  Don’t chew gum or smell of smoke Business casual Way too casual! Sample Questions for Further Practice Exchange What can you tell me about globalization?  Have you traveled abroad before? If so, what have you learned in your travels?  What influenced your choice of host university?  Tell me about a time you’ve been in a new/uncomfortable situation and what happened.  What do you hope to learn from your exchange experience?  Why do you think you will represent HKU well abroad?  What could you contribute to your host universities community? Sample Questions for Further Practice Academic Internship  What are you most proud of?  Tell me something interesting about yourself.  We need someone who is tactful and diplomatic- how does that profile fit you?  How does this internship compare with others you’re looking at?  Where do you see yourself in five years?  Who do you admire most and why?  Give me an example of a difficult decision that you have made.  Why do you think you are better than the other candidates? Sample Questions for Further Practice Scholarship What influenced your choice of study/major? Why should you specifically be selected for this scholarship? How would your current professors describe you? In what academic areas do you think you can improve? What motivates you? Give an example to demonstrate your answer. Sample Questions for Further Practice Postgraduate Studies  Tell me why you are qualified to enter a PhD programme.  Why do you want to go directly into postgraduate study, as opposed to wait two or three years after gaining some experience?  How do you think your field of study will change in the next ten years?  How do you plan to use your postgraduate studies to achieve your future career plans?  What motivates you to continue studying?  Describe your favorite teachers.  What's the most important thing you have learned during your undergraduate study?  What could you contribute to our university community?  How do you think you could improve on your academic performance? Additional Resources @ HKU Academic Advising Office http://aao.hku.hk HKU Scholarships http://www.scholarships.hku.hk CEDARS (Careers and Placement) http://cedars.hku.hk Centre for Applied English Studies http://caes.hku.hk Thank You