The advice I was given for my Rhodes scholarship interview
This article is a follow-up to an earlier one on my Rhodes scholarship application journey!
Interview invitation in the midst of a state of resignation
One thing I didn’t know when I submitted my application was that different constituencies sent interview invitations at different times. Therefore, when I heard some of my friends who had applied to other constituencies say they had been invited for interviews, I concluded that I was on track to getting rejected. Later, Ruth (a Rhodes Scholar) informed me that the Kenya constituency usually invited shortlisted applicants for interviews toward the end of October. Hearing this from Ruth almost brought back my hope — but I didn’t really want this hope — I had had my hopes dashed many times before — and I did not think I could handle another scholarship heartbreak. So, I proceeded without much expectation and even intensified my applications for graduate jobs as I had already thrown the dream of graduate study off the window.
On the 26th day of October 2020, while in this state of resignation, I received a message from a friend asking if I had heard back on the application. It was 8 pm in Edinburgh, which meant it was 11 pm in Kenya. I was sceptical of rechecking my email at this time of the night considering that when I had checked at 6 pm (Kenyan time), there had yet to be any news on the scholarship application. I was about to tell the friend I hadn’t heard back yet — but I decided to check, just for the sake. And guess what! I had a new email titled “Rhodes Scholarships — Virtual Interview”. The message congratulated me and said I had been invited to the final interview.
Being overwhelmed by the prospect of becoming a Rhodes scholar
My heart has never beaten that fast! I hadn’t realised how much I had still hoped to be shortlisted despite my resolve to prepare for the worst. So, in that rushed state of emotions, I told my closest friends about the interview invitation and then sat back to take it all in. I was still in a state of shock four days later when I found a voicemail from the Kenya Rhodes recruitment team calling to confirm if I had received the interview invitation email. I quickly apologised for the late reply and reverted by filling out the relevant forms. Their response was gracious; they promised to send me the Zoom call details later.
The realisation that I only had one step left to become a Rhodes scholar really scared and overwhelmed me. I was more stressed than excited as I felt that I had come so far to fail. I resolved to do everything I could to prepare adequately for the interview and give myself the best chance of success. I became a man possessed. Despite being in a hectic period of my undergraduate degree, I spoke to fourteen amazing people to help me prepare for the interview. I spoke to my ever-present inspirational friends Kamau and Billy. I spoke to Martin and Ruth, who were Kenyan Rhodes scholars in residence. I spoke to Dr Ng’etich, who is a Kenyan Rhodes Scholar alumni. I spoke to Dr Morstyn, Dr Byamukama and Dr Samende from Oxford University’s Energy and Power Group (EPG), whose research I admired. I spoke to my friends Prince and Lauryn about their Rhodes interview experience. Last but not least, I got advice from Jo, Pete, Nick and Derek from the Edinburgh MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program. I was amazed by everyone’s willingness to help. I realised that sometimes all we need is to ask, and help will be availed.
The advice I was given
Here is some of the advice that I got from the fourteen conversations I had in preparation for my interview.
Advice on preparing for the interview
- The interview questions to be asked will be based on what you wrote in the personal statement. So make sure you carefully review the statement, reflect on everything you wrote, and anticipate the questions that might be drawn from the statement.
- Take time to prepare for behavioural questions. In the case of the Rhodes scholarship, preparing for these questions can involve selecting the most suitable experiences to use to demonstrate that you possess the desired qualities/skills of a Rhodes scholar. It helped me take a test on 16personalities.com, which equipped me with great words to talk about my strengths and weaknesses.
- Take time to catch up with the latest developments in your field of interest.
- Take time to catch up with the emerging global conversations and reflect on your views on these issues.
- Check out the profiles of your interviewers beforehand to get a feel of their experience and interests. Doing this will let you anticipate the kind of questions they will likely ask you.
- Prepare some questions for the panel. These shouldn’t be questions whose answers you can easily find on the website. If possible, make them personal — people like to talk about themselves.
Advice for while in the interview
- You were invited to the interview because the recruiters liked your application. So bring your whole self with you. Don’t feel like you have to be someone else or to act — just be authentic!!
- For some of the general questions asked, there are no straightforward answers. So when you hear a scary question, stay calm and feel free to ask, “Can I think about it for a few seconds?” Do not panic unnecessarily.
- For some questions, it is okay to acknowledge that you do not know the answer. Then, you can draw from your knowledge and experience to explain how you would arrive at a solution.
- Follow the STAR Method when describing your experiences as I described in my article on writing personal statements. However, don’t get hung up on remembering these methods if that makes you sound unnatural or affects your flow of thoughts. Just make sure you give comprehensive responses.
- Usually, there is a large number of panellists who need to ask questions within the allocated time. So, make your responses brief and concise. Do not go on and on.
- Do not be boring. Be lively and engaging.
- Feel at home. Relax. Smile. It would help if you made the panel feel at ease with you the same way they try to make you feel at ease with them.
- Be confident and passionate when talking about your aspirations. Do not act like you are second-guessing yourself.
- The panellists will be highly accomplished professionals volunteering their time to interview you. So show respect and appreciation— but remember that you are the main person in the interview. Be yourself, and feel free to politely disagree with a view as long as you can clearly reason for your take.
- Some panellists will know more than you in some fields. But don’t be scared to give your informed opinions or views as long as you do this with respect and acknowledgement that you keep an open mind for learning and unlearning.
What I did with the advice
Per the advice, I had an intense dive into my personal statement and came up with questions that could come from it. I reflected on my CV and organised my thoughts on how I would discuss each of the experiences on it. I also researched the courses I intended to study at Oxford and ensured I had a comprehensive story on how the two courses linked to my career aspirations. I also took time to understand myself, my strengths and weaknesses by doing and reflecting on a personality test from 16personalities.com — this helped me find words to describe myself.
Before the interview, I wanted to set myself in the best mood. As the interview was online, I found the computer orientation that would have the best lighting and even got a new lamp. Before going to bed, I had my shirt nicely ironed and had my suit, tie, shoes and socks well placed — (I promise I am not usually this organised, but on this day, I wasn’t ready to take any chances!).
On the interview day
My interview was scheduled for 9 am (GMT). I woke up early, showered and put myself in a happy mood. I test-called my friend Billy to ensure my Zoom and computer setup were working well. Thirty minutes before the interview, I was given the panellists’ names and could quickly check out their profiles.
The start of the interview was terrific. The introduction from the panel lead was so calm that it made me feel at home right away. I didn’t know the panel lead before — I later found out she had experience leading panels for interviewing candidates for major commissions in Kenya. So, I was very proud to have been interviewed by her.
True to the advice, some questions almost made me jump out of my seat because they were very unexpected — but I remembered to relax, recollect myself, and sometimes acknowledge that I didn’t have a definite answer but would instead talk about the process I would take to arrive at a solution. As I engaged with the various panellists, I could gauge their temperament and know who I could make a joke to and who I couldn’t. Taking the personality test allowed me to talk better about who I am and what drives me. I could confidently give my perspectives even when they disagreed with a panellist’s view; I remembered to be respectful and to explain the reasoning behind my responses.
At the end of the interview, I felt good. I had expressed myself in the best way I could. I felt that I had been listened to and been heard. I felt that the interviewers had really taken their time to dig through my CV and personal statement and understand the person I was. I didn’t care whether I would get the scholarship — I was just happy to have had this extraordinary chance to reflect on my past, present, future, and place in the world. I knew that after this experience, I wouldn’t be the same — I would endeavour to pursue my goals and potential — whatever the interview outcome was. So I sent an email to thank the panellists for the job well done and then went on to start an early weekend as it was a Friday. I felt lighter, hopeful, ecstatic, and as if my body, soul and spirit were now one!!
