Being able to witness the first selection day at SCA 2.0 for the 2023/2024 cohort was interesting. It got me thinking about my selection day, how do I remember it going? Thankfully I started journalling ages ago and was able to find an excerpt

15/03/2022: “I had my selection day at SCA which went okayyy, it wasn’t the best but I was glad I did it and im happy with what I worked on.  Happy to have gotten paired with dave for the partner thing.. the other team had it rough. my personal stuff wasn’t the best piece of work so maybe wasn’t my strongest showing but worst case its reapply for another day later on.. learn the system.  Not sure why but I started ranting about water bottles to the interview person. Apparently I cant talk about that for a while”

20/03/2022: “I finally got a YES! Had the call with the dean of SCA and found out that I got into the school. Very exciting news…”

I remember feeling like I’d bombed the day.  I had had an enjoyable time with Dave when we partnered for a small thing during the day and we did let our playful children come out.  It was the craft, the copy and the interviews which I’d thought didn’t really go that well. As above, I think I ranted to Caroline that I think lots of my environmentally conscious friends are hypocrites for buying plastic water bottles. Sorry Caroline.

Back to reality, seeing the first selection day of the year and reading my account from my own, here’s a few things that I think could help you on your interview day. Should you decide to join our cult:

1. Ask Questions
Alec says: This one seems obvious one.. Uri’s first lesson on strategy is always start with a question.  But seriously, ask some questions and ask questions that you really want to know the answer to.  The Honey Cohort can chat and chat so if you want to know something, ask it.  Get around the obvious stuff, and sink your teeth in.  I would have loved to have known the specifics to how people worked alongside the course but in a specific way. How do you manage workload and a job – what ways have you made it work with your job etc.

Alec’s reality: I was in a place during my selection day where I was a little in limbo. Didn’t know what to do or the next stage of life.  I didn’t really have many questions but thankfully I was with Dave and Issie, two students who also were selected and are part of the Honey cohort, there to carry.  They were able to ask some real questions and I got to listen to what the previous cohort got to say and what they truly felt because guess what… they were asking REAL questions.  

2. Show some skin
Alec says: Be yourself and be bold.  If there’s anything SCA likes its a little fire in someone. Showing the mentors and Marc who you are and what you believe in, what you’re passionate about, what you like and don’t like will help.  Some things said to us this year:
“Put a little bit of yourself in all your work”
“How you doing anything is how you do everything”
Selection day is part of your work, so put yourself into it, SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOOOOOT. 

Alec’s reality: Maybe my water bottle rant showed some passion?? idk

3. Go watch some ad’s
Alec says: Go watch some ads… again similarly to 1 seems pretty obvious.  But have something in your back pocket to wipe out in case someone asks you. maybe have 2? Maybe think about why you like it?

Alec’s reality: Bose Noise cancelling goes unbeaten 😉

4. Find a human 

Alec says: When speaking to the student see if you start to feel like one voice or a few voices speak to you.  The way they are talking and the way they speak make you want to know more. THEN go buy them a pizza 😉 and ask if you can chat with them.  ASK THEM SHIT! its basically rule 1 but also with pizza so they speak to you.  See if you can ask them what they’re working on?? Idk but get questions out and try get the student to speak candidly cuz then you’ll get a more real feel for our thoughts. 

Alec’s Reality: There was an Irish student who spoke to Dave, Issie and I that I found was speaking very candidly and wasn’t hiding anything.  He was giving us his true thoughts and I took a lot from what he said.  Should have plugged him a little more to ask some for more of his thoughts. 

5. Enjoy

Alec says: There’s really no point, no point whatsoever, no point whatsoever in this vast vast world, no point whatsoever in this vast vast world that you of all people should not enjoy the moment.  You may be nervous, you may be excited idk whatever you are feeling, ride the wave of excitement in the building. We’ll probably all be quite excited to see some new faces around so enjoy it.  Its like 6 hours or something, try enjoy each of those hours!

Was that helpful – who knows?

Until next time SCAB
Echo n Out

Ps. Future interview students, buy me pizza 😉

PPs. Also to make sure I enjoy this experience of writing my scab – I took breaks to look at photos.  My own photos… This is the one I stared at while procrastinating.   

@echo_pizz