Interview Tips

(Moments before my interview at Mrs. International 2018)

Quite a few ladies have asked me what I did to stand out to the judges during the Mrs. International competition. That’s a really hard question to answer because every judge is looking for something different in their ideal titleholder. I believe the woman who wins the competition just happened to be who those particular judges liked on that particular night. All of this being said, there are a few tips I have for contestants as they begin to prepare for Nationals.

In my opinion preparation is key for success with any venture one pursues. One of the things I did to prepare for Nationals is read Suzy Bootz’ book titled, “Creating Queens - Secrets in Pageantry.” I read the book over the course of a month and took time to highlight my favorite ideas and tips that I wanted to revisit after the book was finished. I recommend that all of you read the full book but today i’m going to highlight a couple of my favorite tips from it.

(Creating Queens By Suzy Bootz)

Tip #1

Discover your “Why.”

Suzy talks about finding your “why” a lot in her book. She does this because it is the fundamental reason we are there competing at the pageant. Your “why” has to be meaningful, has to be true, and has to be relayed to the judges very quickly. You only have five minutes with each judge, so the art of the interview comes from your ability to convince the judges that you are ready for this job in under five minutes. If you practice doing that, you will be a lot less stressed during your real interview with the judges.

(My interview group for Mrs. International) 

Tip #2

Be Authentic!

To quote Suzy, “Focus on your message and in being in the moment, and you will be more convincing and remain true to your own story and personality.”

I found this to be so helpful. I tend to be the type of person who goes off on tangents when I’m speaking. Remembering to focus on my message helped me to move the conversation along in the direction I wanted it to go. It also helped me to be authentic and real for the judges. Every question they asked me was one that I had thought about before so I was ready to answer in an Authentically-Lauren way.

Tip #3

Come from a place of Contribution.

This is another major theme to Suzy’s book… What do you bring to the table? What unique talents and qualities do you have that makes you ready for this job? “Knowing what you want to offer the pageant rather than waiting to see what you can get out of the title will not only assist you in being a great titleholder, but you will be able to effectively communicate those abilities to the judges.” It is vital to have a full understanding of what you can offer International Pageants and what kind of legacy you want to leave behind.

I hope these three tips help you as you prepare for your interview with the judges. For more incredible insight you can purchase Suzy Bootz’ book by clicking the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Queens-Secrets-Pageantry-Bootz/dp/0615642675

You can also purchase a workbook to go along with it by clicking this link:

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Queens-Workbook-Suzy-Bootz/dp/069239463X/ref=pd_sim_14_1/135-5199744-9475459?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=069239463X&pd_rd_r=bc6c46c3-30e4-11e9-b078-d9bf83a301a9&pd_rd_w=koW9S&pd_rd_wg=mmuf3&pf_rd_p=90485860-83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30&pf_rd_r=T9NEK2EM6NRG7Q7CTTBC&psc=1&refRID=T9NEK2EM6NRG7Q7CTTBC

Together We Rise,

Your Mrs. International 2018

LAUREN WEEKS