Our final interview fell on a Wednesday and was venued at the Officer's Mess at Bolkiah Garrison. As all the previous affairs we have had with MinDef, the interview was precisely scheduled to the minutes.
For preparations, before the interview, we learnt all there was to know about MinDef through their websites; all the names, all the facts. Asking around to friends or relatives who have had prior experience with the military also helped. On top of that, we made sure we knew our courses inside and out and how we can contribute to the military with said education later on. As Miss Susie said, "you are interviewing for a job, not just university".
On the day of the interview, we were quite nervous but we knew we had prepared to the best of our abilities. It was good that we showed up earlier as some of our interviews lasted only half of the planned duration, which was 30 minutes.
As for the interview board, the identity of the members were disclosed to us the night before so we knew who to expect. Present was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, the RBAF commander, one of our Syndicate Officers and the acting director of administration. To my surprise, they turned out to be warm and welcoming which helped reduce my anxiety. The interview started with usual introductory questions. For me personally, I was asked about my CCA's as it was a big portion of my application.
Moving on to the main part of the interview, there were not as many questions about MinDef itself as we anticipated there to be, though the revision was helpful still. Instead, the panel was more interested in our views on certain topics or even values, such as religion and leadership. Furthermore they wanted assurance that we would be ready for the demands of the scholarship and life in the military, which is crucial as being in the military is less of a job and more of a lifestyle.
From my standpoint, the final interview went amazing. I felt lucky to have been given the opportunity to interact with some of the most brilliant minds. If I were to give a single advice for future interviewees, it would be to be yourself. At the end of the day the board members are interested in getting to know you anyway!
).png)