Ask any seasoned beauty pageant professional and they will tell you the contest is won during the interview. However, there is no other aspect of the beauty pageant that instills as much fear and nervousness as the interview and its question and answer session.
The interview portion of a beauty pageant is where the contestant has her chance to reveal that she is much more than a pretty face or a perfect body. The interview reveals the qualities that she holds dear and true to her heart as well as reveals her level of self-confidence in the areas that she believes in. Everything from what she says to how she says it will be judged during this time.
To answer interview questions effectively, the contestant will need to focus on gathering her thoughts before hand. Her answers should be given in a logical and coherent manner as well as spoken with proper inflection and annunciation. If you struggle with nervousness, then you will need to address this in your training. When you answer your interview questions, you need to sound confident, assured, and convicted of your answer. It is not just enough to say, "Yes" or "No". You will need to give a detailed explanation of your convictions and beliefs and to present this answer to the judges in a confident manner.
Practicing sample interview questions is a great way for any contestant to help prepare themselves for their moment in the spotlight. Some of the most popular questions deal with topics that are important to humanitarian causes and reveal how you feel about societal issues. You may be asked how you would deal with homelessness, what qualities you believe a role model should possess, what your plans are for your future, why you entered the competition, how winning the crown would help you in your life, how did you prepare for the contest, and how would you change the world if you were elected president. Reviewing past contestant's answers and taking notice of how the winner's responded will shed great light on what type of answers judges are looking for.
No matter what interview question is posed to you, you should always answer any interview question in four simple steps. First, take at least three seconds to pause before you begin answering the question. This shows that you are not rushing to answer the question with a "packaged" answer. You don't want to make the judges think that you have your answer prepared. Wait three seconds, and then begin to answer. Second, you should answer by stating that this is your belief or conviction. Sentence starters such as, "I believe" or "I feel strongly" will add meat to your answer. Third, after your lead in sentence, share your convictions while answering the question. When you are through answering the question you should summarize your statement. This is the fourth and final step. Summarize your answer by stating, "Overall, I believe." Working with your personal beauty pageant trainer as well as a vocal coach can help you gain the confidence that you need to secure your crown.
Tiffany Hansenn is a contributor to a leading beauty pageant advice website. The website features pageant interview questions and pageant interview preparation.
