What class to take to improve interview skills?

[shadowclaws]

I'm pretty sure my interviewing skills suck. 0/3 on interviews out of 10 completed secondaries.

I applied pretty late, complete in december last year. I took august mcat and overestimated my mcat score and selected a few schools that were very far reaches.

I have plenty of volunteer and research experience and decent LORs, but I'm like the shy type.

Anyone have any good suggestions on classes that helps improve interviewing skills.

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[sehnsucht]

I'm pretty sure my interviewing skills suck. 0/3 on interviews out of 10 completed secondaries.

I applied pretty late, complete in december last year. I took august mcat and overestimated my mcat score and selected a few schools that were very far reaches.

I have plenty of volunteer and research experience and decent LORs, but I'm like the shy type.

Anyone have any good suggestions on classes that helps improve interviewing skills.

Public speaking helped me a lot on job interviews. Confidence is key in academics and I refer back to everything I learned in my PS class whenever I give a lab meeting presentation, poster session or attend an interview of some sort. Some quick points that I found very valuable were:

-be aware of your body language.
-dress comfortably but appropriately.
-minimize "ums" and long silences when answering questions, they show indecisiveness in conversation.
-look at interviewers straight in the eye when asking and answering questions.
-be easygoing, if I were the interviewer, I'd hate to be stuck talking to an uptight, boring person. be engaging.
-ALWAYS have questions for the interviewer, it shows you did your homework on the school and the level of interest in the institution.

 

[Tenk]

Sit in front of a mirror and talk to yourself for 30 minutes. Use questions in the interview section of SDN.

Watch:
-Posture
-Facial Expressions
-Gestures
-Sincerity
-Focus

If you can't look at yourself for 30 minutes, how can you expect them to? =p

 

[RxnMan]

Apply earlier, and don't use a class. I posted a bunch of interview tips in the link in my signature.

 

[Lshapley]

If a class is what you want, take some acting classes. They would improve your body awareness and confront phobias about speaking in public head on. They would also help you appear more "natural".