Nomination Interview

[AxisVDP]

Yes, I know its a little off topic, but there are many Air Force Academy cadets and alumni on this board. So, I thought I'd ask this here. I have an interview on Thursday (just scheduled today) with a senator for an academy nomination. First, I'd like to know what I should wear. I'm thinking a polo and some khaki pants. And could any of you guys share some of the questions you were asked or what type of questions these guys ask? I know its different for each nominating authority, but I'm sure the general trend of questions is the same. Oh, and any other tips you guys can give me on interviewing in general.

Thanks a lot,
Karl

 

[AxisVDP]

Yea, that's what another guy said, so that's what I'm going with. I also read a post a little further down about wearing a suit and tie to an interview, so that's what I've decided to go with. I haven't done any of these interviews so I really had no idea, but thanks for the response.

 

[AArider]

Relax, be yourself, be honest, and let him/her know why you really want to go to the academy. Sell yourself (your achievments/accomplishments, your future endevours, why you feel you are quailified, etc.), and tell him/her why you would be a good asset to the academy, but be humble about your answers.

Good Luck,
AArider

 

[TonyC]

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised the Senator has the time to conduct such an interview in person - - those things are usually left to staff. That said, I'll second the suggestion for suit and tie. I'm guessing that's what he'll be wearing, why not dress like him?

As for questions... good question. Given my initial reaction, you can tell I have no experience with such an interview. However, I might give you a few suggestions about where he's coming from.

He only has a set number of appointments he can make, total. (I'm sure you know that, but I'll not assume anything at this point.) Of the five appointments, let's say that 2 years ago his appointee quit during basic, so he could appoint 2 last year. Of the 2 he appointed last year, one quit during basic, and the other washed out during his first semester of strenuous academics. Now he has 3 appointments, or maybe even 4, and he's getting really tired of appointuing quitters and losers. The Senator, in this case, might be sensitive to retention, and he might need reassurance that you have some clue about what you're about to get yourself into, and that you have the motivation to stick it out. Questions in the interview might go to that end, and you should be prepared to give him an honest appraisal of your intentions. If you don't want to graduate from the zoo in June 2008 more than anything else in the world, and you'll not stop at anything to get there, don't waste the Senator's time.

Perhaps the Senator wants to put a personality to the resume he can already read. Paper can minimze the differences in the personalities, hide the dynamics, and obscure the zeal to lead and serve. Sell yourself. Convince him that YOU are the man that he wants leading soldiers to battle in our defense. Convince him that YOU are the one that will do his great state proud by becoming the most significant career officer and military leader in the state's history.

Perhaps the Senator wants to see if there's a real person behind the resume. Have you become so consumed in your pursuit of this lofty goal that you forgot to be a real person? Have you spent so much time working on your Eagle, or your Spaatz, or the class presidency, or the football captainship, or the whatever, that you forgot to be a man? At the core of every applicant is the real person that will be unveiled in the middle of the struggle to survive the first year. All the accolades you can ever garner won't get you through the obstacle course, won't speed you through the assault course, won't substitute for leadership - - it'll be up to the real you to carry you through. He's interested in who YOU are.

I may be way off base with these thoughts, but I don't think it could hurt to consider them, even for your own edification. By far, the majority of the folks I saw quit were there for the wrong reasons - - if you're not going because YOU want to go, and you won't be refused, please... please... for the sake of the other guy... don't go.

If you ARE determined to go, stand tall, tell him why you want to be there, convince him you're the best candidate, and promise him you won't quit.

Good luck.


"Duty then, is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more. You should never wish to do less."
\ - Gen Robert E. Lee

 

[Merlin'05]

Others have made some very good points that I would follow.

Heres a few of mine (a lot of them are the same as others)

1) Yes, look nice. They are going to see you once in their life for just a few minutes. Good first impressions count. If you are in CAP or JROTC or something like that, wear service dress. It shows them your very interested in the military.

2) Act yourself!!!!! If you try to act like someone else, they will see right through you

3) Answer all questions as truthfully as possible

4) WAIT a second or two if you don't know how to answer a question (even if you do). Formulate the answer in your head so you don't rambel

5) If you don't have any idea how to answer a question, ask if you can move on and answer it later so you can give the best response possible.

6) Look at the people you are talking to in the eye--not at their nose, mouth, floor, ect. Give a frim hand shake

7) I know what it feels like, but do your best to relax.



But what helped me the most is to have a mock interview with my ALO. He spent three or four hours just grilling me with questions. Lets just say I crashed and burned that first time, but it gave me enough experence to do well during my real interview. You may not need that, but it helped me than probably anything else.


I'm sorry I can't remember any specific questions--it was a little over 3 years ago for me.


Good luck, and I'll be expecting to see you here next year

 

[TonyC]

Good luck, and I'll be expecting to see you here next year

Posted at 2252MST - - good grief, don't they have a lights out policy there anymore?

When I was there... oh, wait, I swore I'd never say that. Never mind.

CAP or JrROTC uniform?? I'm not so sure. Reference my comment on being a real person. I'd say showing up in a CAP uniform just might give the impression you're a little too immersed in a pretend Air Force to know what the real one is like. Don't get me wrong. The CAP experience is outstanding, and I would highly recommend it. I just don't think an interview with a US Senator is the right place to show off that uniform.

Excellent advice on eye contact. And excellent advice on pausing before answering a question. You should always ensure your brain is fully engaged before opening your mouth. Of course, this is generic interview stuff that will pay dividends in ANY interview situation.

Speaking of Liaison Officer... why don't you ask him for some advice? He might know what your Senator is looking for, or expects out of the interview. He might even be able to help you practice, or prepare. Short notice, true. Worth the effort, most definitely.

 

[AxisVDP]

Alright,

Every thing sounds good. Everyone's advice on clothing and how to conduct myself really helps. My interview is tomorrow at 9, so wish me luck.

See ya,
Karl

 

[Mogus]

I just got through all the interviews and was nominated by my congressman and am waiting for word from my senators in January. Like the others have said, be yourself. Interestingly, many people aren't. One guy came decked out in his ROTC uniform and sat ram-rod straight the whole time, didn't even talk to anyone else. Seemed very out of place. Then there was this girl that cracked me up. She came with all kinds of medals attached to her uniform. She was almost hunched over. Get a good conversation going with the other guys and girls there. Talk about where they want to go, what they want to do, etc. Sets the mind at ease. Strong hanshake. Most men and women are repulsed by a weak one. Some key questions are why you want to go, how you've dealt with failure (think about this before hand, not good to sit there dumbfounded trying to think of something, which I did), why they should send you, what makes you so great, your worst characteristic, and how you'll deal with the first year at the academy. Try not to stress about it. My experience with these interviews has been great. They were more like a casual conversation. Good luck!

 

[rainman_02]

Karl, Mogus,

While the interview is foreign to me (my senators and congressman did not conduct interviews)...I wish you luck today (I guess it is Thursday).

10 years ago (summer between 8th and 9th grade) I visited the Academy and decided I wanted to graduate from there.

I'm an Eagle Scout, I was ranked high in my class, I was involved in sports, I had some better than average SAT/ACT scores. I had a good resume and application package. I was not PQ. I didn't score the best on the CFT, but it wasn't miserable either.

I applied for the class of 2001. Got the "we regret to inform you" letter. Said to myself, "Self, I'm not gonna accpet no." The only problem? I wasn't Doug Masters, my dad didn't fly an F-16 into enemy territory and get shot down, and I didn't steal two and a Colonel to go get him back. So, I had to think about how I was going to get accepted.

There's a little known program called the Falcon Foundation. If you don't get accepted the first year, and you still want to go, call the Academy every day asking about the Falcon Foundation until you know you're in the works for it. They take 100 of the applicants that didn't get accepted for one reason or another and pay for (most) of a year at one of the military junior colleges around the nation. Take the scholarship, pass the classes, do better than the mins on the SAT/ACT, pass the CFT...and you have a 99% chance of being accepted in the next class.

I took the Falcon Foundation opportunity and went to NMMI for a year. I got my acceptance from the Academy for the Class of 2002 (NO LIMITS!)...and gladly inprocessed.

I spent four mostly great years there. There were tough times, there were bad times, there were good times. Being a smack sucked. Graduating didn't. Getting my Ring was awesome. Becoming PQ (thank you Academy clinic eye examiners) was the best.

So, here I am, 5 days from my IQT checkride in the KC-10. I do not regret a minute of the effort it took to get here.


What's the point of my ramble? If you want it, prove it to the people that nominate you. Prove it to the admissions board. A little motivation (and honesty) goes a long way.

I will also tell you that you will face completely different challenges than I did while I was there. Learn from every challenge. The Academy is a place to learn, and most of the lessons that are important are not taught in the classrooms.


Again, good luck to both of you. If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up anytime. PM me or AIM.

 

[AxisVDP]

Just Finished

Hey,
Just finished my interview. Everything went well. This is Lamar Alexander's first year doing appointments so they didn't have a review board. I was interviewed by a single woman, and apparently she'll send in the answers that I gave to a review board. I guess there is good and bad about this. Good because I said um and a few times and that's never good, and bad because I was very relaxed through the whole process, made good eye contact, and all the interview basics, but none of that will show through the paper that they'll see. I think I look good on paper so that helps as well. In the end really, I've done all I can do at this point and if its meant to be, its meant to be. Thanks for all the advice you guys gave me, especially the questions. I was asked a few of the questions you guys posted, and thankfully was able to answer promptly and concisely (not that it matters in this case).

See ya,
Karl

 

[Mogus]

Only one of my three interview dates was with a panel, the rest were with one person. I liked it better that way. Some um's and ah's are expected. They know you're nervous and that you're not going to be as eloquent as you usually are. They also ask some pretty tough questions. I got a lot of hypothetical, "If you were in command of three jet fighters..."-type questions. Those were tough, to say the least. But they did a good job of opening my eyes, making me realize that there's another side to the glamorous, glossy-poster image that you often get. They emphasized that the military's most basic goal is to break things and kill people, and that they want to make sure you're ready for that huge responsibility. Also, I called up the woman in charge of organizing the whole thing and thanked her profusely for her help throughout the process and for organizing it all. They put a lot of work into this and it's the least you can do. It may also help your chances of getting nominated. Believe it or not, these staffers aren't just paper-pushers. Many times they're asked for their input on candidates. Finally, if you have more interviews coming up, analyze what you did wrong in this one and prepare better for the next ones. I'm sure you'll get your Congrats letter in the mail soon. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[TonyC]

Re: Just Finished

Hey,
Just finished my interview. Everything went well. This is Lamar Alexander's first year doing appointments ...

SO, which end of the Volunteer state are you from?

 

[AxisVDP]

Mogus:
Thanks for the luck and the advice of thanking the staffers. I think I'll give them a call.

Tony C:
I live in Franklin, just south of Nashville. Originally I'm from Montgomery, Al. I moved here when I was a eleven. You?

See ya,
Karl

 

[TonyC]

I live in Franklin, just south of Nashville. ... You?

the west end...

 

[AxisVDP]

I should have known by your avatar.

 

[Merlin'05]

AFAIK, since the start of the Academy.

Some senators (or more accuratly, their staffers) don't do interivews.