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.
By: Tiffany Hansenn
Posts Tagged ‘Beauty Pageant’
Beauty Pageant Interview Preparation Tips and Tricks
March 23rd, 2010Beauty Pageant Hair Tips
October 18th, 2009
When it comes to competing in and winning beauty pageants, one important step that cannot be overlooked is your style of pageant hair. Unlike your body structure, natural physical characteristics, or inherent personality your hair is one of the easiest qualities that you can change. You can easily change hair color, length, style, or go from curly to straight without much effort. However, if you change your hair too much, you run the risk of damaging it. Dry, frizzy, or over processed hair is not going to win you your next crown, therefore it is vitally important that you care for your hair properly and choose pageant hair styles that are not only complimentary, but are gentle to your hair as well.
One of the first resolutions that you should make is to never color or perm your hair yourself. Always leave these steps to a professional. Commercials, print ads, and even local sales people may try to sell you on the idea of highlighting or adding low lights to your hair at home, but these procedures do require an expert who has a license. You can ruin your hair as well as your chances simply by coloring or perming your hair at home, so always leave the chemicals in the hands of professionals.
You may also discover that the hairstyle that works best for you is one that compliments your natural hair texture as well as face shape. If you decide to make a complete color change, such as going from brunette to blonde, then you may want to seek the advice of a hair colorist. You can schedule a consultation where the colorist will look at your hair and discuss the toll that such a color change may mean to the condition of your hair. Beauty pageants are a serious commitment, and you will need to commit to maintaining your hair color throughout the entire competition. Roots or new growth will look dreadful, so it is wise to find a hair colorist that you trust and feel absolutely comfortable with.
If you are looking for pageant hairstyles to wear throughout the competition a great place to start is by watching videos of past pageants. Be sure to take special notice of the hairstyles worn by the winner and the runner-ups. However, take into consideration the contestant’s face shape because a winning hairstyle on an oval shaped face may not look as dazzling on a woman with a heart shape faced. Always tailor your hairstyle for your particular facial shape and bone structure. Again, discussing these options with your hairstylist is an excellent way to determine what styles accentuate your best features.
If you are considering adding clips or decorative accessories to your hair be conscientious of how these items will look with your gown as well as other jewelry pieces. It is always better to choose accessories in a conservative manner then to over use them. You can always ask the advice of your hair stylist as well as beauty pageant trainer before deciding on additional hairpieces or accessories to wear.
By: Tiffany Hansenn
