Interview

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cdh50193

5-Year Member
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Jul 20, 2010
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Well, my interview is going to be this thursday and I have some questions on what to wear, bring, etc.

List of stuff to bring:

Resume
Awards/Certificates? (Bring this?)
a good attitude

What to wear:

A white shirt with a tie (An all-out Tuxedo isn't necessary right?)
Dress pants
Dress shoes?

Anyone who had previously done an interview, can you give me some advice/ recommendations on what I should expect, any surprise questions, what I should ask/question, how long the interview should last, EVERYTHING, the whole deal.

Thanks in advance. :)
 
It is always a good idea (IMO) to bring a resume.

What you wear depends on the area you are located.

Good Luck!!!!!:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
Nice dress shirt and pants will do. Tie would be good but not essential. Anything more than that is just unnecessary. Definitely bring an extra copy of your resume, just in case. The interviewing officer will most likely have a copy in front of him, but itll show him you came prepared.

Otherwise just be yourself. They wont interrogate you or try to intimidate you. First, they'll explain the whole process and ask if you have any questions. Then they'll go over your resume with you. This is where you need to stick out and be confident. Explain what you did in high school and emphasize why it makes you a better leader. Try to separate yourself from the competition. By that i dont mean lie or try to kiss a**, but just sell yourself. Be confident and dont shy away from explaining things.

Good luck. Hope it works out well. Also, dont be afraid to ask questions. Its a great time to clear anything up, since its a rare chance to get the word straight from the horse's mouth as opposed to online forums.
 
This is a job interview. Wear a suit if you can.

In addition to extra resumes, bring a notepad with pen and be prepared to take notes (even if you don't plan to take any). This will show the interviewer that you are prepared.

Also, there is a post somewhere on SAF with a link to the "Interview Sheet" (the grading sheet that the interviewer will use). Search for it.

Be articulate and sharp. Get a good blend of seriousness without being nerdy.

Good luck.
 
Cool, but I've also heard from somewhere that it is necessary that I bring any awards or letters of certificates that I've earned. Is that essential?
 
I would tell you that every school is different. You might want to drop the ROO/enrollment officer a line asking what she/he recommends you bring. We've done interviews in the woods, on the side of a hill, watching a paintball battle. Suit and tie would obviously been inappropriate. We have also conducted interviews in the office. JROTC cadets sometimes wear their uniform, which is a nice touch. We appreciate a resume, but for us, we are more worried about making sure you have all your credentials in the system, or on the interview sheet. Great advice by Patentesq to check out the interview sheet... here's a blog post that has a link to the interview sheet (shameless plug).

http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/the-essay-what-does-the-board-want-to-hear/

good luck with the interview. Enjoy it, have fun, ask lots of smart questions, and let the PMS know how much you want to be an Officer.
 
Wow, greatly appreciate the advice, and the links to the actual interview sheet. Makes me much more confident in what to expect.

Any other advices that weren't mentioned would also be appreciated! :)
 
For my interview, I wore a dress shirt, nice jeans, and nice shoes. Just dress like you put some degree of thought into it, don't show up in a wife beater, torn jeans, and flip flops. I brought a pen and a notebook for Q & A sessions as well as any other notes I thought were useful. I didn't bring a resume, nor did he ask for one. Bring an official high school transcript if you can, I forgot to bring one and he just asked me to email it to him. For the interview, keep in mind how things you say will be taken from their point of view. You want to make yourself look good, so just don't say anything stupid. If you can, find something in common with the person interviewing you. For me, the LTC and I had several things in common, and he used phrases like "people like us" and stuff like that, which I took to be a very good sign. Use formal language, no slang. Sit up straight and have a firm handshake. Little things will go a long ways.

Good luck :thumb:
 
Relax and have confidence in yourself. Best advice I can give someone.
 
Just a mom's input...sit up straight, don't fidget, brush your teeth or chew gum on the way there-but you MUST spit gum out before meeting anyone, food in your teeth/bad breath are a big turn off anywhere. Clean shoes(no mud etc) clean hands(no dirt under nails) shows attention to details. Eye contact is essential when you are talking to anyone, don't look down or mumble your voice, nerves might cause you to clear your throat - that's better than talking poorly. Hope this helps, my DS rocked his interview last summer and he's been hearing all these tips since grade school.
 
I had my interview over the summer at my first choice school; hopefully that's where you are interviewing Thursday.
I went all out and wore a suit. Also, I had copies (3-i was told there would be 3 people interviewing me) of my resume/acitivity list and transcript. They actually DID NOT want to see them, but instead talked straight to me with their own questions. Since there were 3 interviewers, each took a different aspect of SAL and had a series of pretty generic questions for each category.
As always, eye contact is good!!! So is sitting up straight! If they don't extend to shake your hand, DO IT!
Pretty much just be honest and answer the questions as best as possible. In my case, one of the guys was just super scary looking, but they were all very nice and did their best to keep the situation calm/cool.
Good Luck!
 
Yes Sir...No Sir, Yes Ma'am...No Ma'am.
 
Clarksonarmy is right on the spot when he said that every ROTC unit is different.

My older son dressed in slacks, shirt and tie. When he called to confirm the interview time the Major asked to speak to me. She asked if I was bringing him to the interview, I said yes but I would stay outside and let him come in on his own. She told me "Oh No" I would like to speak to you as well and so would the Colonel. I was a bit surprised but just said yes ma'am. The Major spoke to my son and I for about 1/2 hour and then did the formal interview while I talked with the Colonel. My son told me it was a very informal interview, he was respectful and answered all the questions that were asked. She seemed to spend a lot of the interview getting to know my son, which I guess is all part of the process.

In the spring of my younger son's junior year in HS he went to visit his brother during spring break. While he was there he joined the guys at morning PT. The PMS was there and asked if my son would like to come in a talk with him. So there he was in his shorts, running shoes and t-shirt. They talked for about an hour whenh the Colonel told him "Why don't we just make this your official interview" My son hadan't even started the application process yet. The Colonel got out the form, filled it out and said he would send it in once the application was submitted.

So Clarkson is very correct in that every unit is different, jusy be ready for anything, be yourself, respectful, confident and prepared and you'll do just fine. The biggest thing is don't over think it or you'll just make yourself nervous.
 
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