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 November 7, 2008
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.
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…..
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.
