An ICWIC Guide to NYWICI Scholarships
Every year NYWICI gives out scholarships to a few deserving communications students. The process includes an initial application, a phone interview, and an in person interview in front of a panel of many badass women. So it can be a lot. Lucky for you, ICWIC’s past winners got together to share their own experiences. Here’s the advice they gave:
Know who you are:
Don’t forget about yourself when it comes to prep.
Think of words or phrases that represent you and your brand.
Think of where you want to end up, or the general direction you want to go in.
Show you know who you are and how to market yourself.
Don’t overthink “tell us about yourself”. Just tell.
Show them you can see projects through. Did you come up with a show and then make it? Did you plan a campaign and then actualize it. Tell them about what you've made!
Interviews:
Feel free to make a cheat sheet about yourself. What are your accomplishments, things you want to improve on, etc.
Don’t forget the obvious questions. Are you a screenwriting major? Then they’ll probably ask you if you have a favorite writer.
Review all the materials you submitted beforehand. If they try to reference something you wrote a month ago, make sure you know what that is.
If it’s in person, know how your body language is coming across.
Be consistent. If you said late night was your passion in your essay, don’t only talk about your passion for feature films in your interview.
Set aside 30 minutes before your interview to be present and ready. This way if something goes wrong you have a buffer, or if they are ready early, they're not waiting on you.
Learn about the women interviewing you. That way you can find a connection and not feel so distant from them.
Know what NYWICI is and what they do. It’s going to be awkward if you know nothing about them.
Attitude:
Make connections. No one at NYWICI is waiting for you to fail.
Stay calm. Again, everyone is rooting for you.
Don’t tailor yourself for the interview. Let them see who you actually are.
Invest in your own individuality. Everyone interviewing is smart enough to get the scholarship. What about you sets you apart.
Be nice to everyone. It’s very simple.
Show people you appreciate them sharing their time. Send a follow up email, or even better, a thank you card to the ladies interviewing you.
Know you deserve this. If you don’t believe you should be here, they won’t.
If you want to watch the full panel, the live stream is posted to the ICWIC facebook page. And goodluck to all the ladies applying for the scholarship. You deserve it!
