Interview Tips from a State Pageant

I recently flew to Dallas, Texas to judge the Texas International Pageant. I had such a wonderful time meeting all the contestants and fellow judges. On today’s blog I wanted to share some helpful tips for Interview.

(2019 Texas International Pageant Judges) 

1. Convince the judges that you want this job.

This is so important. When I was judging, I thought every girl I met was beautiful and smart. But every once in a while someone would walk in and convince me that they really wanted this job. They mentioned how they have already made time for the job and how much it would mean to them if they were to be chosen. When our interview time was up, I had this overwhelming feeling that I wanted to give that girl the job because she had convinced me. And that's a great place to be after interview.

2. Don’t mention how many pageants you’ve done.

Every interview coach or judge may have a different opinion on this one. For me, when a girl sits down for interview and one of the first things she tells me is that this is her first pageant, I automatically think she won't be as experienced and may not be ready for the job. Even if she is fantastic, it’s hard to get the idea out of a judge's head that you are new to this. Similarly , if you’ve competed in many pageants before, I wouldn’t recommend mentioning that either. In my opinion it just distracts from the real reason you are there.

3. Do your research on the pageant.

I cannot stress this one enough. Know your pageant system inside and out. Know what they are looking for both on the national level and state/country/regional level. For example, if you are competing for Miss Texas International, you should know a little about both the current Miss Texas International and the current Miss International. This is the job you are trying to convince the judges that you want and deserve. So if you don’t know the current queens names or platforms, it’s harder to compel the judges to pick you.

4. Remember you’re just a person talking to another person.
While I’m judging personal interview, I think of one thing when our 5 minute time frame is finished… Do I want to continue this conversation with her? I love when a girl sits down and just has a conversation with me. I don’t want her to be focused on being “judged”. That’s not what this is about. I want to believe that if she wins the crown that evening that she can go out to appearances and be personable, approachable and easy to talk to. That is why it’s so important to think of the judges as just someone you met at an event or appearance. And that person just happened to ask you about your title and your platform. Just have a conversation about what you’re passionate about, and I believe it will make the whole interview process a lot easier. Remember, the judges want you to do well so just speak from the heart.

I hope you found all these tips helpful for your next International Pageant interview!

Together We Rise,

Your Mrs. International 2018

LAUREN WEEKS