This month, some of you will have your interview for the Eiken examination. Some will have the 3rd grade interview, some will have the pre-2nd interview, some will have the 2nd grade interview. Maybe, there are a couple of students who will be trying the pre-1st interview too. I hope that you will have success in the exam, and I know that all your teachers here at Otemae are supporting and cheering for you too.

Having an interview is a very stressful experience. I remember when I came to Otemae many years ago and I had an interview here. I was very nervous. I was shaking. I was sweating. I felt terrible. But I was lucky. I was lucky because I met some wonderful teachers here. I also met the founders of Otemae. They made me feel very good, and they made me feel very welcome.

But not every interview is nice. Some interviews can be hard, and scary. I have a few suggestions and ideas for how you can have a good interview. I hope that they will help you for your Eiken interview, and also for any interview you have in the future. Here they are:

Number One: Study for the interview. If you know the style of interview you can practice and study for it. You should practice your greeting. You should practice how you knock on the door and how you open the door. You should study the information you need for the interview. In a situation like the Eiken interview, maybe you know how to start and how to answer the different kinds of questions. You can prepare.

Number Two: Be clean and keep your clothes clean too. Make sure that your shoes are clean. Make sure to brush your teeth. Make sure that you don’t have crazy hair. Make sure that your uniform is proper. It is important that you feel good and feel clean for your interview.

Number Three: Be early for the interview. Do not be late. If you are running to the interview time you will be sweaty and nervous. You will be unorganized. Everything will feel very bad and it is easy to make a mistake when you are sweaty and nervous.

Number Four: Be confident and smile. This is hard, but it is important that you talk to yourself. Look in the mirror and say, “You are good enough. You are smart. You are handsome. You can do this interview. You can do it. No problem!” This kind of self-talk will make you feel more relaxed, and yes, I really believe that you can do your Eiken interview. You really are good enough.

Number Five: Keep good manners. If you do not understand something, you can ask the other person to repeat themselves. Just say, “Once again please”. That is okay. Also, make sure to keep good eye contact. Look at the other person in the face. They want to see your face and your eyes, so don’t be too shy. When you leave the room don’t forget to say, “Thank you very much” and “Have a nice day!” Good manners are very important in any interview and people will remember you in a good way.

If you can keep these five points you can have a better interview. Sometimes you will pass the interview, and sometimes you will fail. But you will be the same person. Continue to fight hard, study hard, and believe in yourself. You can do it.

Good luck on your next interview!