Our top 5 tips for impressing us at your college interview

There isn't long until the end of term, and if you've applied to us, we'll soon be inviting you for your college interview.

Whether these take place in person, online, or over the phone, we wanted to share our top tips, so you're prepared and ready.

Our college interviews are a great way for us to meet you, find out a little more about you, and make sure that we can help you get to where you want to be after college - whether that is university, into a full-time job, or to start an apprenticeship.

They're also really useful for you. It gives you the chance to tell us why you'd be a great addition to our course, you can meet the people who will be teaching you, and you can ask any questions you may have. It's also great practise for university or job interviews!

The interview is an important part of your application, but we promise they aren't designed to catch you out.

If you do these five things, then we're sure you'll have a great interview.

Be prepared

Whether your interview is online, over the phone, or on campus, it is important that you're ready. Make sure you spend some time before your interview to get all of your important documents together. We will let you know what you need when we send out our interview invitations - but it will include things like your ID and your predicted grades.

Be on time

In fact, go one better and be early. Whether you're meeting your new tutor at campus or you’re expecting them to call, be ready a few minutes before your appointment. This will give you time to set yourself, calm any nerves, and go over what you'd like to say. If you're late or miss their call, it won't make a very good first impression. It'll cut down the time you have to talk, and you'll probably be a bit flustered during the interview.

Be polite

We think it is really important to make a good first impression. If you've done the first two tips - you're almost there. Being polite, smiling, saying hello, and, if you’re in person, making eye contact is a great way to get your interview off to a good start. All of these things show your tutor that you're serious about joining the course.

If you are able to make it onto campus or a video call, carefully consider how you present yourself too. Looking tidy and well groomed is a really good way to make it obvious that you care about your future and you’re willing to put in every effort to succeed - especially at this initial stage.

Be confident

You might be feeling a little nervous when the interview starts, and that's perfectly normal. Your nerves will soon disappear once the interview gets going, so try to have a positive and confident mindset from the beginning. Your tutor will ask the questions - and you already know all the answers because it's all about you! Be confident and tell us about yourself. We're not trying to catch you out; we're genuinely interested in you.

Don't be afraid to tell us why you love the subject you've chosen, where you're hoping it will take you in the future, and why you're looking forward to studying with us.

Be interested

Be engaged and interested throughout the interview. Make it a two-way conversation, rather than a question and one-word answer session. Elaborating on your answers is a great way to impress your new tutor.

Your interview is also a great opportunity for you to ask us questions. Perhaps you'd like to know more about the trips you'll go on or whether you'll be required to wear a uniform. If you don't have any questions, make an effort to ask one. Do a little bit of research about the course and ask a question about one of the modules. Perhaps ask about our former students, or even ask our tutors about their background and interests.

A nice way to end

Once your interview has finished, smile, thank your tutor for their time, tell them that it was really great to meet them, and you are really looking forward to joining the course in September.

Follow our tips, and you'll be absolutely fine! But if you would like a little more help or advice before your interview, feel free to send us a DM on social media, use our website ChatBot, or give us a call 030 300 39699.

Good luck!