I found these websites where you can design your own stationary to look like a cartoon-version of yourself. Very cool!
Design-her Gals: www.designhergals.com
Pose Prints: www.poseprints.com
Interviewing Tips
Before the Interview
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Do your homework- In a job interview, this means researching the company, their products & services, the position, and how you think you fit the position requirements. In Junior Miss, this means remembering what you wrote down in your online forms (interests, favorites, opinions, etc.). Brush up on current events. You don’t have to know the details about issues, but you should know the basics.
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Practice! The best way to prepare yourself is to have a friend or family member ask you mock interview questions. You can always contact me for samples.
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Get plenty of rest- There’s nothing worse than being tired and cranky for an interview. It’s important to feel and look well-rested.
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Plan your outfit ahead of time- Don’t decide at the last minute what you will wear. Make sure you think about what you’re wearing well in advance.
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Plan your transportation- For job interviews, make sure you know exactly where you are going and how to get there. Imagine how stressed out you’d be if you can’t find it? For Junior Miss, we take care of the transportation for you!
Dress for Success
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Suit or no suit? I highly recommend getting a full pant or skirt suit. You can find these for very affordable prices ($40-$60) at places like JC Penney, Ross, Mervyns, etc. It looks very classy when you have a matching professional suit on!
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Skirts- DO NOT wear a skirt that is more than 2 inches above your knee. It may look fabulous to you, but to the folks that are interviewing you, it may look trashy. Remember- a lot of judges and interviewers are older than you (in their 40s+). They don’t appreciate short skirts!
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Common Sense- I think it’s common sense that you don’t wear a t-shirt, low-cut blouse, wrinkled, extremely tight, club-wearing, or casual apparel to an interview. You’d be surprised how many people do this!
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Sweating- It’s natural to get nervous during and before an interview. When choosing clothing take this into consideration. If you sweat a lot, you may not want to pick a shirt that will show every drop when you lift an arm. I recommend a product called Certain Dry, to curb sweat. It’s available at most Walgreens and Walmarts.
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Accessories- Do not wear too much make up, too much perfume, or too much jewelry. You want the judges to be thinking about what you say, not distracted by what you look like.
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Panty Hose & Shoes- If you wear a skirt, you must wear panty hose. I know it’s not 1950, but older adults get offended when women don’t wear panty hose. Make sure you keep an extra pair in your purse in case you get a snag on the way to the interview. I also recommend close-toed shoes for interviews. They look more professional!
During the Interview
- Display confidence through your posture, walk, energy, and eye contact.
- Listen carefully.
- Welcome all questions, even the difficult ones, with a smile.
- Develop answers in your head before you respond. If you don’t understand a question, ask for it to be repeated or clarified. You don’t have to rush, but you don’t want to appear indecisive.
- Give honest, direct answers.
- If you don’t know, be honest. You can explain how you would go about finding the information needed to answer the question.
- Try to use proper grammar when speaking. If you have a tendency to talk fast, try to slow it down.
- It’s ok to get emotional while answering certain questions. Try your best to re-gain composure for the next questions.
- Keep a positive tone in your voice. You don’t want to sound monotone or you’ll put your interviewers to sleep! It’s also helpful to have a sense of humor during the interview (don’t force it if it doesn’t come natural to you).
After the interview it’s always appropriate to thank your interviewers for the opportunity and their time. During the Junior Miss interviews you have 1 minute at the end of questioning to tell the judges anything about yourself that you would like them to know that wasn’t covered. After a job interview, I recommend sending thank you notes to those who interviewed you.
Hopefully these tips will help you prepare. The Junior Miss interview is one of the most exciting parts of judging and will help you with your future interviewing opportunities.
Deadline for 2009 Forms Extended October 28, 2008
Deadline for forms extended!!!
For all 2009 participants, the deadline to turn in your forms has been extended.
The original date was Oct. 31. However, the new deadline for forms will be November 17. Please have the following completed: Online Information Tabs Completed (interests, awards, etc.), Photo uploaded online, Contestant Info Form, Health Certificate, Contestant Agreement, and Scholastics Form.
Some of you may have just recently taken the ACT. If so, let me know and you may turn in the scholastics form when you receive your new scores.
If anyone has questions on the forms or needs help, please let me know, I’m here to help!
Junior Miss- The Scoring Process October 14, 2008
The scoring process for Junior Miss can seem complicated, but it’s really pretty simple. There are five categories contestants are judged in: Scholastics, Interview, Fitness, Talent, & Self-Expression.
The first portion of judging is Scholastics. Scholastics is 20% of the overall score. This portion of scoring happens with a separate panel of academic professional judges before contestants even arrive to the competition. They are looking at your grades, standardized test scores, honors/AP classes, and GPA.
The next portion of the competition is the interview, 25% of the overall score. The interview happens usually the day of or day before the competition. Each contestant is interviewed individually with a panel of 5 judges. They ask questions about the contestant’s biography, goals, opinions, current events, etc. They are looking for confidence in the contestant’s answers, poise, proper grammar, and professionalism. You don’t have to know every detail about current events, it’s just important to know where you stand and what your opinion is. This is the judges’ chance to actually get to know the contestants personally. The judges panel consists of professionals from various backgrounds and diverse groups.
The final night of the competition, contestants are judged in the remaining categories. Fitness is 15% of the total score. In a small group, contestants perform a pre-choreographed aerobic/fitness routine on-stage. Judges are not focusing on the participants physical appearance; they are looking for stamina, strenght, agility, and muscle tone.
After fitness, contestants are judged in Talent (25% of the total score). Talent can range from playing a musical instrument, dancing, doing a sign language demonstration, monologe, sports routine, painting, etc. Judges look at your ability and talent level, appropriateness of selection, and costume.
The last portion of the judging process is called Self-Expression (15% of total score). Self-Expression is the part where contestants answer a question on stage. Judges are looking at how you carry yourself on stage, confidence, and poise under pressure.
After the judging process is complete, scores are tallied and judges go into deliberation. The winner of the local program advances to the state competition. If its a state program, the winner attends Nationals in Mobile, AL. Judging is the same at every level- from locals to nationals.
One important thing to remember about the judging process is that Junior Miss is not about physical beauty. The judging process is designed to award the girl who is the most well-rounded and excels in every aspect. The average GPA of contestants who make it to the national level is often above 3.75. Many contestants receive top scores on the ACT / SAT. They are attending top universities such as Harvard, Yale, and MIT. In addition, Junior Miss contestants often participate in numerous community service projects and organizations. They are often top performers in their area of talent. Past Junior Miss’s include: Diane Sawyer, Deborah Norville, Deborah Messing, Kim Bassinger, and more.
Information Sessions October 4, 2008
I would like to host some information sessions to meet with girls who are interested in paricipating this year and answer any questions you may have. These sessions are very informal, and you can bring your parents. The sessions will be on a Saturday (either end of October or early November).
If you are interested in attending a session, please send a comment back to the blog with your name and city you live in. Or you can email me at nmjuniormiss@hotmail.com with your name & city. I will try to host as many sessions I can in cities that are fairly close to where you live.
Daily Thought Wallpaper October 1, 2008
Daily Thought, originally uploaded by missmarcie007.
I found these really pretty wallpapers for your computer. They are courtesy of Real Simple Magazine. Just visit this link to download your favorites:
There are several to choose from. I might have to create one for Junior Miss…..
NMJM Goes Green! September 30, 2008
Yes, it’s true, JM is going green! What I mean by this is that I will NOT be sending out paper packets. E-packets were emailed this afternoon to all 2009 contestants. This E-packet has an informational letter, contestant agreement form, contestant information form, health form, scholastic record, and self expression dress ideas.
In the spirit of saving trees, decreasing carbon emissions, and saving cost, we decided to e-mail these packets. Please read the packet and fill out the forms. Please fill out the forms on your computer and send back to me, or you can print hard copies and fill them out. If you have any questions, let me know.
Upcoming Deadlines for State Program
For 2009 State Participants:
Contestant Welcome Packets will be mailed out this week. Please make sure your mailing address is correct in the AJM login system. This packet includes important information and forms! If you don’t receive the packet by next Monday, let me know.
Deadlines are as follows:
- Forms Completed Online – October 31, 2008
- Photograph Uploaded Online – October 31, 3008
- All Paper Forms & Clothing Fee Due – October 31, 2008
- Information Session – October/November (Date & Time TBA)
- Detailed Schedule Sent to Contestants – November 14, 2008
- DVD w/ Opening # & Fitness Routine Sent – November 14, 2008
- Contestants Mail Talent Accompaniment CD (if applicable) – November 14, 2008
IMPORTANT! Program Dates Changed
Due to a scheduling conflict with the venue, we were forced to change the dates of the program. New Dates are: January 15 – 18, 2009. Contestants will now be arriving Thursday, January 15th at 7:30 pm. This means unfortunately, contestants will have to miss school on Friday, January 16th. The final program will be Sunday afternoon.
Wordle? Create Your Own! September 29, 2008
I found this great site, www.wordle.net where you can create your own “wordle” or word collage.
You can create your own that represents you. This could also be a great motivational tool to get you pumped up for the state finals!
See my Junior Miss collage:
The Beginning September 28, 2008
This is officially the first post of my blog, dedicated to the New Mexico’s Junior Miss Scholarship Program. I am excited to use this as a tool to relay JM news, information, tips, and other random stuff. I hope our current participants, past alumni, volunteers, parents, sponsors, and JM fans enjoy it!
What is Junior Miss?
Junior Miss is one of the largest, oldest, nonprofit scholarship program for high school senior girls. It is NOT A PAGEANT. The program provides scholarships to young ladies who are well-rounded and excel in several areas of life. The judging consists of looking at their academic achievements, interviewing skills, fitness, talent, and self-confidence and expression. We provide over $150,000 in scholarships at the National level each year.
Who can participate? High school senior girls compete at the local level and then advance to the state level. Each state selects a winner and that girl competes in the national finals in Mobile, Alabama.
For more info, visit our website, www.ajm.org.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 