Interview Resource - Keller ISD Schools

INTERVIEW RESOURCE | 26
Memoirs of an Interview Judge
No one believed we were judges. Maybe it would have helped if we
had a little white hair 18 . This became very clear when another judge
wished Sanjai and me good luck. “Don’t be nervous,” she said. “You’ve
been preparing for this all year. You’re ready.”
“We’ll do our best,” I said, and then boarded the judges’ bus with her.
Interview training was thorough. Non-competing decathletes came forward and underwent model
interviews on stage. As judges, we assigned each a score; then, we compared across the room, to make
sure everyone was on a similar scale. Looking around, however, it was clear certain judges were “softer”
than others. They smiled and nodded and assigned every student a near-perfect score. Others were
scalding in their criticism. I was left doubting whether fair judging panels could ever be assembled. The
two of us fell somewhere in the middle. Having competed on a winning team, I certainly knew how
good a good interview ought to be—but at the same time, I knew how bad a bad interview could be.
Or, rather, I thought I knew these things. Later in the day, Sanjai and I encountered individuals at both
ends of the spectrum, one so articulate he left us in awe, and another so unprepared and shy that she left
us cringing on her behalf, and doubting in our skills as interviewers.
Case 1
He was an interview judge’s dream: well-groomed, respectful, with a clear, resonant voice. His stride was
strong. “Sir,” he said, nodding at each of us before sitting down. No feigned sugary handshaking from
him. He spoke without filler words. No ums, ahs, or likes. Before answering each question he paused just
long enough to compose a precisely-worded response. Asked for his role models, he surprised us with a
combination of a historical figure and a character from Star Trek: The Next Generation. One, he said,
was real, but imperfect; the other, fictional, but ideal.
Sanjai followed up, asking him for his favorite Star Trek episode. He made an excellent choice under
pressure, selecting an episode titled “Disaster,” in which Captain Picard had to face his fear of children.
He answered every question with similar wit and insight. Though he smiled only a little, he seemed at
ease. He made comfortable eye contact. The interview had the atmosphere of a casual yet intellectual
conversation, and he conveyed the bearing of someone confident in himself but still very humble.
When he thanked us for the interview, we shook his hand and saw him on his way. “You did great,” one
of us said to him. He did do great. Sanjai and I each gave him a perfect 1000, and the third judge, a
990. The next day, at the banquet, we cheered when he won the gold medal.
Case 2
Her glasses were crooked. I’ve had the same problem with mine a hundred times 19 , so I didn’t pay it
much attention at first—but she was visibly uncomfortable, fidgeting with them and blinking at us.
18
We’ve both remedied this since.
19
Not anymore. Hurray for LASIK. – Daniel