Imagine that you’re walking into an interview. Most likely, you'll hear the question, “Tell me about yourself.”
Collegiate DECA has been a major part of your college education, but how do you speak clearly and confidently about your experience without sounding awkward?
As we all know, Collegiate DECA provides opportunities to develop leadership, communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Simply telling an interviewer you are a DECA member does not show everything you have accomplished.
Showing Up Prepared
Before your interview, think about your DECA experiences. Have you:
- Competed in a competitive event?
- Held a chapter, state, or international leadership position?
- Planned an event, social, community service project, or fundraiser?
- Created social media content or written a DECA Direct article?
Connect DECA to the Position You’re Applying For
Review the job description and identify the skills the employer values. Then connect those skills to your DECA experience. Here are some examples:
- Marketing: Discuss creating social media content, promoting your chapter or developing a marketing strategy.
- Leadership: Share an experience leading a project, serving as an officer or mentoring.
- Communication: Highlight role-plays, presentations, public speaking or professional writing.
- Teamwork: Explain how you collaborated with members on a case study or chapter initiative.
- Problem-solving: Describe developing a solution to a competitive event scenario.
- Time management: Discuss balancing DECA responsibilities with classes, work and other commitments.
Don't Overlook Competition
Your competitive event experience can provide valuable interview examples, regardless of whether you won or not.
Thinking through a case study, preparing a role-play, and presenting a plan demonstrates critical thinking, decision-making, public speaking and adaptability. You can also discuss challenges, feedback and how you improved between competitions throughout your experience in Collegiate DECA. Employers want to understand how you learn, respond to feedback and apply your skills in new situations.
Make DECA Part of Your Story
Before your interview, think through a few experiences you can use to answer common questions. Consider preparing examples about:
- A time you demonstrated leadership.
- A challenge you overcame.
- A time you worked with a team or solved a problem.
- Feedback you received and applied.
- An accomplishment you are proud of.
- An experience that pushed you outside your comfort zone.
Specific personal examples are more memorable than general statements. When discussing your DECA experience, explain the situation, what you did, why it matters to you and what you learned. Your story allows the interviewer to know you, your abilities, how you approach challenges, and your accomplishments.
Your DECA experience is more than a line on your résumé. It helps tell the story of who you are as a student, leader and future professional. DECA is not only an organization you're a part of, but also something you have invested your time in. This shows the interviewer(s) a little bit about your personal interests.
