5 Tips for UiTM MASS COMM (Diploma) Interview!
As of 19th April 2014, I had gone for this very interview and my experience was definitely one I'd never forget~ You can read all about it here and here!
Now, onto my personal tips! Just a reminder, these are just ones I came up with on my own through my own experience so it may not totally help you 100%...I'm not an expert and this was my very first interview EVER. But I do believe some of it will be able to grant you a little confidence and motivation to ace this interview!
Make Early Preparations
I believe the UPU results would be released about a week before the actual interview date and in this span of time, MAKE USE OF IT! Bring out all the needed documents, make copies and file them nicely. Take a day to go back to your high school and have one of the higher-up teachers certify the copies and have them organized. Your interviewers are also people who will be taking off their precious hours just to sit and talk to you so don't be disorganized and waste their time with fumbling and mixing up the documents. So get files and sort them well so that the interviewers are able to read through them easily.
While dealing with the documents, do make an effort to prepare yourself! Figure out what you will wear and make sure it's decent, formal and polite. I personally did not have a proper outfit so I had to pull my boyfriend to Midvalley and go shopping. Also, go and read up on several general information about Malaysia. Be sure to recognize the top ministers and have a broad knowledge about the current issues. I was not asked much about this but it was thanks to all the reading that I was able to talk about one of our former Prime Ministers with ease and I had confidence in all the facts that I spoke about.
If you have never had experience in an interview, take your time to rehearse. Sit in front of the mirror and talk to yourself. Observe your posture, facial expressions and eye contact. Interviewers really dislike it when someone slouches or show 'bored' body language. Remember, they are looking for a student who will become an asset to the university as well as the country so show your efforts and confidence with a nice not-so stiff posture and talk with confidence.
Do A Little Research About UiTM
The interviewers are most likely going to give you chances to ask them questions...here, it's most likely that they want to see how interested you are in the university so you must be able to take the challenge and ask them quality questions. Don't ask simple and bland questions like "What subjects are we going to study?" or "What are our choices in the degree programmes after finishing diploma?" You can get all those facts easily on their site and it shows that you haven't gotten to know their university.
Ask interesting questions and show your attraction towards the university. It will show the interviewers that you are definitely interested and that you are also knowledgeable.
Remember, Everything is in English!
So brush up on your English skills. You don't have to become the next William Shakespeare but having a solid base will ease you to handle their written test as well as the interviewers. However, don't stress yourself out too much. The lecturers are all human beings and imperfections are understandable so don't worry! But you will need to at least be able to write proper English in their written test. I've talked about the questions in their written test in my diary entry so you can check them out there and make a script of what you'd want to write about during the interview day. You can memorize it and use that to your advantage~ As for the interview, just be humble. Don't be 'berlagak pandai' which means to show off when you can't. So do what you can and just give it your best~
Know and BE Yourself
Here is something I personally wish everyone does regardless for an interview or not. Be sure to know your own set of skills and talents and use this to your advantage during the interview. Don't wait for them to ask you about it because they might not; tell them all about it in your introduction or slip it in any time in the interview. Your way with words and how you present yourself will definitely affect their judgement about you so be sure to give yourself a certain level of reputation and air of confidence. Don't go and get all snobby in their faces...that would definitely have consequences upon you so please, just stay humble. Confidence is not being a snob, it's about understanding your limits and your achievements and being proud to admit the good and the bad about yourself. Nobody is perfect but I do believe that EVERYONE has a unique talent that will bring them out into the world.
The interviewers are not mind-readers. They don't know anything about you and that is why you must really bring yourself out in the interview. Tell them your experiences, may they be bad or good. Tell them your achievements and goals. You can even tell them about what you've gone through in your personal life -but not too much though...it may come off as bland at times. If you're amazing in sports, let them know. If you were an honor student, tell them everything about it. Know your best and worst self and be able to talk about yourself with ease. It shows both confidence and a down-to-earth aura.
SMILE =)
I know this is such a cliche but it is very true. Don't show them a grumpy, sad or frightened face. Brighten up and smile. This is crucial during the interview as it allows the interviewers to see your confidence as well as show a humble side. Heck, you can even gain a new friend or two when you smile at them~ Relax and just have fun. It is a new beginning for you. In Islam, we believe that smiling is a form of sedekah. It can make the saddest person happy and calm the angriest of people. And...it can even make the interviewers remember your bright and shining smile and that could be the reason they would want to accept you~ Haha!
So just take a breath, keep your head up and SMILE~!
That is all from yours truly! I do hope some of these tips may help you to go through the interview smoothly... In fact, I wish you all the best of luck!
Last but not least, remember to have fun. New experiences are fun; only when you make it to be. ^_^
Now, onto my personal tips! Just a reminder, these are just ones I came up with on my own through my own experience so it may not totally help you 100%...I'm not an expert and this was my very first interview EVER. But I do believe some of it will be able to grant you a little confidence and motivation to ace this interview!
Make Early Preparations
I believe the UPU results would be released about a week before the actual interview date and in this span of time, MAKE USE OF IT! Bring out all the needed documents, make copies and file them nicely. Take a day to go back to your high school and have one of the higher-up teachers certify the copies and have them organized. Your interviewers are also people who will be taking off their precious hours just to sit and talk to you so don't be disorganized and waste their time with fumbling and mixing up the documents. So get files and sort them well so that the interviewers are able to read through them easily.
While dealing with the documents, do make an effort to prepare yourself! Figure out what you will wear and make sure it's decent, formal and polite. I personally did not have a proper outfit so I had to pull my boyfriend to Midvalley and go shopping. Also, go and read up on several general information about Malaysia. Be sure to recognize the top ministers and have a broad knowledge about the current issues. I was not asked much about this but it was thanks to all the reading that I was able to talk about one of our former Prime Ministers with ease and I had confidence in all the facts that I spoke about.
If you have never had experience in an interview, take your time to rehearse. Sit in front of the mirror and talk to yourself. Observe your posture, facial expressions and eye contact. Interviewers really dislike it when someone slouches or show 'bored' body language. Remember, they are looking for a student who will become an asset to the university as well as the country so show your efforts and confidence with a nice not-so stiff posture and talk with confidence.
Do A Little Research About UiTM
The interviewers are most likely going to give you chances to ask them questions...here, it's most likely that they want to see how interested you are in the university so you must be able to take the challenge and ask them quality questions. Don't ask simple and bland questions like "What subjects are we going to study?" or "What are our choices in the degree programmes after finishing diploma?" You can get all those facts easily on their site and it shows that you haven't gotten to know their university.
Ask interesting questions and show your attraction towards the university. It will show the interviewers that you are definitely interested and that you are also knowledgeable.
Remember, Everything is in English!
So brush up on your English skills. You don't have to become the next William Shakespeare but having a solid base will ease you to handle their written test as well as the interviewers. However, don't stress yourself out too much. The lecturers are all human beings and imperfections are understandable so don't worry! But you will need to at least be able to write proper English in their written test. I've talked about the questions in their written test in my diary entry so you can check them out there and make a script of what you'd want to write about during the interview day. You can memorize it and use that to your advantage~ As for the interview, just be humble. Don't be 'berlagak pandai' which means to show off when you can't. So do what you can and just give it your best~
Know and BE Yourself
Here is something I personally wish everyone does regardless for an interview or not. Be sure to know your own set of skills and talents and use this to your advantage during the interview. Don't wait for them to ask you about it because they might not; tell them all about it in your introduction or slip it in any time in the interview. Your way with words and how you present yourself will definitely affect their judgement about you so be sure to give yourself a certain level of reputation and air of confidence. Don't go and get all snobby in their faces...that would definitely have consequences upon you so please, just stay humble. Confidence is not being a snob, it's about understanding your limits and your achievements and being proud to admit the good and the bad about yourself. Nobody is perfect but I do believe that EVERYONE has a unique talent that will bring them out into the world.
The interviewers are not mind-readers. They don't know anything about you and that is why you must really bring yourself out in the interview. Tell them your experiences, may they be bad or good. Tell them your achievements and goals. You can even tell them about what you've gone through in your personal life -but not too much though...it may come off as bland at times. If you're amazing in sports, let them know. If you were an honor student, tell them everything about it. Know your best and worst self and be able to talk about yourself with ease. It shows both confidence and a down-to-earth aura.
SMILE =)
I know this is such a cliche but it is very true. Don't show them a grumpy, sad or frightened face. Brighten up and smile. This is crucial during the interview as it allows the interviewers to see your confidence as well as show a humble side. Heck, you can even gain a new friend or two when you smile at them~ Relax and just have fun. It is a new beginning for you. In Islam, we believe that smiling is a form of sedekah. It can make the saddest person happy and calm the angriest of people. And...it can even make the interviewers remember your bright and shining smile and that could be the reason they would want to accept you~ Haha!
So just take a breath, keep your head up and SMILE~!
That is all from yours truly! I do hope some of these tips may help you to go through the interview smoothly... In fact, I wish you all the best of luck!
Last but not least, remember to have fun. New experiences are fun; only when you make it to be. ^_^
