How to Be Confident During a Beauty Pageant Interview
Watch interviews from past pageants., Talk to former contestants., Find out the interview procedure for your pageant., Review your paperwork., Get up to speed on current events., Know your brand., Hire a coach., Practice.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Watch interviews from past pageants.
It’s hard to be confident when you don’t know what to expect from the interviewing process.
One of the best ways to prepare yourself is to watch the pageant interview section from past years.
There are many recordings of major beauty pageants on online sites like Youtube or pageant websites.You can also try to get in touch with the organizers of the pageant if you are competing in a small or local pageant and see if they can connect with recordings.
If you can’t find footage from your particular pageant, watch interviews from similar pageants to see the kinds of questions that are posed to the contestants. -
Step 2: Talk to former contestants.
No one knows what the interview process is like better than people who have already been through it.
Get in touch with former contestants either through contacts you may have or by connecting through email or social media.
Ask them what interviewing was like for them and request advice.Ask the former contestant if there was anything about the interview that they didn’t expect, and ask them what goes on behind the scenes.
Ask the contestant if they were asked any challenging questions, and what advice they would give you for answering more difficult questions. , Every pageant does the interviewing process slightly differently.
Make sure that you understand exactly how the pageant you are competing in does the interview.
Make sure you know the length of the interview, as well as the number of questions usually asked.
Also know what time the interview is and how the interviewing process fits in with the rest of the day.
Finally, make sure you understand the judging system of the interview.
Many beauty pageants have a panel of judges that assess your answers based on multiple criteria.
See if there is a copy of a rubric or scorecard that judges will use that you can view to prepare for the interview. , Many pageants require their contestants to submit paperwork to compete in the pageant.
The paperwork is often the first resource that judges turn to when formulating questions for individual contestants.
The judges draw information from the paperwork and ask questions relating to what the contestant wrote about themselves.Because paperwork is often used as a tool for formulating questions, it’s good to review what you wrote.
This can give you a good idea of what questions you may be asked to answer.
For instance, if you wrote that you love working with animals in your bio, you may be asked in your interview what laws or regulations you think there should be in place to stop cruelty to animals.
If you wrote that you love painting, you might be asked a question about why the arts are important to society. , Beauty pageants aren’t all glitz and glamor: contestants have to prove that they are up to date and knowledgeable about politics and current events.
Follow all the major stories in the news, both nationally and internationally, as well as major issues of the past decade.
Doing so will make you feel more prepared and confident as you head into the interview.Make sure you know your opinion on controversial subjects like gun control and national security.
Also be informed about local issues and politicians, especially if you are competing in a local pageant. , Think about what differentiates you from your competition.
Decide what parts of your personality and talent you want to emphasize.
Then think about how you can incorporate these points into answers to common pageant questions.For instance, maybe you are a sporty girl who was a tomboy growing up.
Emphasize how sports helped you grow as a person, and aim to talk about how critical sports and other extracurriculars are in school systems. , Many beauty contestants hire a coach to prepare them for the pageant interview.
In large competitions like Miss America, practically all contestants have a coach.
Even if you’re competing in a small or local contest, a coach can be an invaluable resource that can be a source of comfort., Practice your answers to common interview questions.
Hold mock interviews with your coach or with a trusted mentor.
Even though it’s only practice, speak and hold yourself as you would for the real interview.
Practicing will make the real interview feel more familiar and less scary.Record yourself answering mock interview questions, then review the tapes.
With each practice round you do, try to improve on aspects of your performance. -
Step 3: Find out the interview procedure for your pageant.
-
Step 4: Review your paperwork.
-
Step 5: Get up to speed on current events.
-
Step 6: Know your brand.
-
Step 7: Hire a coach.
-
Step 8: Practice.
Detailed Guide
It’s hard to be confident when you don’t know what to expect from the interviewing process.
One of the best ways to prepare yourself is to watch the pageant interview section from past years.
There are many recordings of major beauty pageants on online sites like Youtube or pageant websites.You can also try to get in touch with the organizers of the pageant if you are competing in a small or local pageant and see if they can connect with recordings.
If you can’t find footage from your particular pageant, watch interviews from similar pageants to see the kinds of questions that are posed to the contestants.
No one knows what the interview process is like better than people who have already been through it.
Get in touch with former contestants either through contacts you may have or by connecting through email or social media.
Ask them what interviewing was like for them and request advice.Ask the former contestant if there was anything about the interview that they didn’t expect, and ask them what goes on behind the scenes.
Ask the contestant if they were asked any challenging questions, and what advice they would give you for answering more difficult questions. , Every pageant does the interviewing process slightly differently.
Make sure that you understand exactly how the pageant you are competing in does the interview.
Make sure you know the length of the interview, as well as the number of questions usually asked.
Also know what time the interview is and how the interviewing process fits in with the rest of the day.
Finally, make sure you understand the judging system of the interview.
Many beauty pageants have a panel of judges that assess your answers based on multiple criteria.
See if there is a copy of a rubric or scorecard that judges will use that you can view to prepare for the interview. , Many pageants require their contestants to submit paperwork to compete in the pageant.
The paperwork is often the first resource that judges turn to when formulating questions for individual contestants.
The judges draw information from the paperwork and ask questions relating to what the contestant wrote about themselves.Because paperwork is often used as a tool for formulating questions, it’s good to review what you wrote.
This can give you a good idea of what questions you may be asked to answer.
For instance, if you wrote that you love working with animals in your bio, you may be asked in your interview what laws or regulations you think there should be in place to stop cruelty to animals.
If you wrote that you love painting, you might be asked a question about why the arts are important to society. , Beauty pageants aren’t all glitz and glamor: contestants have to prove that they are up to date and knowledgeable about politics and current events.
Follow all the major stories in the news, both nationally and internationally, as well as major issues of the past decade.
Doing so will make you feel more prepared and confident as you head into the interview.Make sure you know your opinion on controversial subjects like gun control and national security.
Also be informed about local issues and politicians, especially if you are competing in a local pageant. , Think about what differentiates you from your competition.
Decide what parts of your personality and talent you want to emphasize.
Then think about how you can incorporate these points into answers to common pageant questions.For instance, maybe you are a sporty girl who was a tomboy growing up.
Emphasize how sports helped you grow as a person, and aim to talk about how critical sports and other extracurriculars are in school systems. , Many beauty contestants hire a coach to prepare them for the pageant interview.
In large competitions like Miss America, practically all contestants have a coach.
Even if you’re competing in a small or local contest, a coach can be an invaluable resource that can be a source of comfort., Practice your answers to common interview questions.
Hold mock interviews with your coach or with a trusted mentor.
Even though it’s only practice, speak and hold yourself as you would for the real interview.
Practicing will make the real interview feel more familiar and less scary.Record yourself answering mock interview questions, then review the tapes.
With each practice round you do, try to improve on aspects of your performance.
About the Author
Larry Burns
Writer and educator with a focus on practical creative arts knowledge.
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