You might think of LinkedIn as something to use years from now when you are job hunting after graduation. But the platform helps more than just job seekers. There are features that can also help you research colleges and prepare for college admissions interviews.
How to Use LinkedIn to Practice College Interviews
In the Jobs tab [in the top menu on the desktop version] there is a link for Interview Prep. This opens up sets of frequently asked interview questions. They resemble the types of questions that admissions reps and alumni interviews also use.
Tell me about yourself.
What is your greatest strength?
Tell me about a time you were successful on a team.
Even the questions that refer to employment can be easily reframed for college admissions.
“Why do you want to work here?” becomes “Why do you want to attend our college?”
“Can you explain your employment gap?” resembles questions about dropping activities or moving high schools. It’s really asking about the context of information in your record.
“What are your salary expectations?” could help you prepare for a conversation with admissions or financial aid to appeal a financial aid offer.
Each question has an overview that explains what an interviewer might hope to get from asking it. Remember that the purpose of any college admissions interview question is to help the interviewer learn more about who you are and what your story is.
Use the Video Tool to Practice Your Interview
What’s more, there is a feature that allows you to record an answer to each question. This lets you see what you look like in an interview scenario, where you lose your place, or if you have distracting fidgets. It also shows you what your pace and intonation are, so you can see if you tend to speed up or get higher pitched as you answer.
Since remote interviews will probably stick around after the pandemic, it gives you a chance to view your lighting and background as it might appear during an interview. If you have friends or mentors who also use LinkedIn, you can even send them your video and ask for feedback.
I really like this feature and think practicing responses to the questions in the Common Questions section would prepare you well for most college admissions interviews.