Education & Opportunity

I've already been getting a lot of questions about my Feb. 15 newspaper column on how to ace a college admission, scholarship, or job interview. In particular, a lot of folks have been asking for sample questions that might help students better prepare. So here's a list of practice interview questions to get you started:

General Questions

How would you describe yourself?
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
What is your favorite book, and why do you like it?
Who is someone you admire, and why?
How would you like to be remembered?
What has been your greatest accomplishment?
What was an occasion when you overcame adversity?
What is your family like?
How might you contribute to society in the future?

In my newspaper column for Feb. 8, I describe some of the great internships I've had over the years... and discuss how you, too, can find a perfect internship match.

One additional point worth mentioning is that the quality of an internship often comes down to the enthusiasm of the person who is your immediate supervisor. If the person is someone who is really interested in helping you learn -- and wants to see you make a real contribution to the organization -- the internship is likely to be fantastic. But if your supervisor isn't at all interested, the internship could be lacking even if the organization you're working for is terrific.

Here's an idea for your next vacation: How about taking a day or two to try out that possible dream job or fun hobby that has always intrigued you? A friend of mine let me know about a new company called Vocation Vacations (www.vocationvacations.com) that creates short mentorship opportunities across the U.S. Pretty cool idea, don't you think?

Want to try life as a chocolatier or pastry chef? Then travel to a famous pastry shop in Chicago for two days of one-on-one mentorship activities. Are you a big NASCAR fan? Then why not try life as a member of a race team pit crew. Other mentorship opportunities (usually one to three days in length) include vacations as a meteorologist, schooner captain, TV producer, cheese maker, or fishing guide.