Help me word myself at interview
I will be 31 when course starts, its just a basic college course but in a area that is hard to get into so has a huge amount of applicants (I got into unversity before easier than a basic course at this college!)
Its complicated but let me tell you my background, a course at college aged 16-19 in same subject but it was far different than now i.e wasn't digital so darkrooms and video tapes to manually edit and though I loved it, it was time consuming and easy to make errors.
I then spent a few years in and out of work till a family death made me out of work for a few years due to depression at which point I tried university for a year but wasn't ready as was still affected by depression and so left and 2 years after that tried college but had funding problems and the medication meant I found it almost impossible to get up at 6.30am every morning to get to class (it was 40 miles away but I needed public transport)
Now I live 14 miles from college bus takes 25 minutes and is twice a hour, in a far better position in life and recovering and ready to make my life better.
So I guess I could mention that but in a more positive spin but I failed interview for same course last year(its Media) because I came across as not interested as I said I didn't have a blog or youtube channel (when in fact that was part of the reason I wanted to do course to learn how) Also I have autism and dyslexia and a few other disabilties so I start of learning slow then speed up so when they did a on the spot written test at interview I screwed up as my brain was a blank so they thought I wasnt smart enough (this year I can prepare)
The other part I failed was that they said to me its a hard industry to get into too and my age meant university was pointless in the subject and I tried to make that sound positive by saying that I would see what happens on the course and if I excel at it I will go to university if I am good at it I may just continue on and transfer skills to relevant life skills.
Trying to word that in a way that makes it seem I am positive and so they can't just tell me to do a basic access course in something like English instead.
Its complicated but let me tell you my background, a course at college aged 16-19 in same subject but it was far different than now i.e wasn't digital so darkrooms and video tapes to manually edit and though I loved it, it was time consuming and easy to make errors.
I then spent a few years in and out of work till a family death made me out of work for a few years due to depression at which point I tried university for a year but wasn't ready as was still affected by depression and so left and 2 years after that tried college but had funding problems and the medication meant I found it almost impossible to get up at 6.30am every morning to get to class (it was 40 miles away but I needed public transport)
Now I live 14 miles from college bus takes 25 minutes and is twice a hour, in a far better position in life and recovering and ready to make my life better.
So I guess I could mention that but in a more positive spin but I failed interview for same course last year(its Media) because I came across as not interested as I said I didn't have a blog or youtube channel (when in fact that was part of the reason I wanted to do course to learn how) Also I have autism and dyslexia and a few other disabilties so I start of learning slow then speed up so when they did a on the spot written test at interview I screwed up as my brain was a blank so they thought I wasnt smart enough (this year I can prepare)
The other part I failed was that they said to me its a hard industry to get into too and my age meant university was pointless in the subject and I tried to make that sound positive by saying that I would see what happens on the course and if I excel at it I will go to university if I am good at it I may just continue on and transfer skills to relevant life skills.
Trying to word that in a way that makes it seem I am positive and so they can't just tell me to do a basic access course in something like English instead.
Original post by drbluebox
.........
You shouldn;t mention any of the past at all, focus on now and the future. Focus on what relevant activities you currently take part in, and what your ambitions and plans are - not just big fanciful ideas about ending up in Hollywood six months after the course, but how your technical skills, social skills, understanding of the industry et will all be improved and put you in a stronger position for the next step on developing a career.
No-one is going to offer you a place on a course based on failures in the past, they are going to offer you a place based on a belief you will benefit from it - and that means showing you have the basic interest, the basic skills and the realistic ambition to use what you learn in the future.
Original post by threeportdrift
You shouldn;t mention any of the past at all, focus on now and the future. Focus on what relevant activities you currently take part in, and what your ambitions and plans are - not just big fanciful ideas about ending up in Hollywood six months after the course, but how your technical skills, social skills, understanding of the industry et will all be improved and put you in a stronger position for the next step on developing a career.
No-one is going to offer you a place on a course based on failures in the past, they are going to offer you a place based on a belief you will benefit from it - and that means showing you have the basic interest, the basic skills and the realistic ambition to use what you learn in the future.
No-one is going to offer you a place on a course based on failures in the past, they are going to offer you a place based on a belief you will benefit from it - and that means showing you have the basic interest, the basic skills and the realistic ambition to use what you learn in the future.
Thats different than what I was told by student support, they said mention the past in the sense that I have overcome things to make it sound positive rather than just mention them.
Original post by drbluebox
Thats different than what I was told by student support, they said mention the past in the sense that I have overcome things to make it sound positive rather than just mention them.
In a sentence maybe, but they aren't giving out places on the basis of charity ie sympathy for what you have overcome. They need people to be successful out of the end of the course, and that is what you have to focus on. That's not to diminish what you have overcome to get to this point, but to be awarded a place on the course, what you have overcome is much less relevant than what you will gain from being offered a place.
Original post by threeportdrift
In a sentence maybe, but they aren't giving out places on the basis of charity ie sympathy for what you have overcome. They need people to be successful out of the end of the course, and that is what you have to focus on. That's not to diminish what you have overcome to get to this point, but to be awarded a place on the course, what you have overcome is much less relevant than what you will gain from being offered a place.
Im not expecting charity as much as I mentioned it at last interview as if to say that what I have already achieved based on the barriers I had show a lot of commitment as other people would of not bothered, plus I already have more than the required entry requirements(far more) but my skills were rusty so I wanted to go back to improve my skills and along with that social confidence, skills all of which would help me to get a job in the future.
The problem is at my age its hard to get into the industry so I wanted to use the course as a stepping stone to whatever does happen be it a degree(which is unlikely) a job, or a course in another subject.
So I was wanting to gain from it but also explain why its taken me so long and why I failed in the past so they don't think I just spent a few years out of work and couldn't handle education.
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