Gone Tomorrow - Interview Prep

So, my first (of two) interviews for the Nottinghamshire Roosevelt Travelling Scholarship is tomorrow morning.  I'm one of those annoying people that actually quite likes interviews.  That said, I'm still nervous about it - it's only 20 minutes so want to make sure that I'm able to get over all the points that I want to in that time.

There's a fair amount of info on the website about what the Trustees are looking for in a potential Scholar and I've seen sent some additional prompts too, but it's still tricky to know what to talk about and what to leave out, particularly when you don't know who the interviewers will be.

My current thinking is that my main points will be;

• Passionate About Nottingham
• I'm passionate about Nottingham as my adoptive home.  I find myself defending the city against its detractors and talking up the things I love about the city at every opportunity.  It's the first city that I've ever really felt like I could call it 'home'.  It's where I've settled down, grown-up and set out on my professional career.  What's not to love about a City with a two Michelin starred restaurant, two pubs considered among the most historic in the UK, two football clubs, a world-class cricket ground, some of the best shopping in the country, the home of an international pharmacy retail chain, green spaces like Wollaton Park, Woodthorpe Grange and Victoria Embankment, a brilliant transport system, building by architects as diverse as Watson Fothergill and Caruso St John, live music venues like Rock City and The Social, the Playhouse ..........  I could go on (and I do).  I intend to use my time abroad to spread the great word about Nottingham and its attractions as far and wide as possible. 
• Distinctive and Relevant Topic 
•  My proposed study topic of Company Towns is distinctive and timely for the challenges facing my city in the here and now.  I genuinely hope to gather experiences, ideas and opportunities that can benefit the city and its business community.  Cities are at the centre of the opportunities we need to seize to get the UK's economy back on track and I want to play my own small part in helping to make this happen.  And there will undoubtedly be ways that I can share the great things that Nottingham does more widely. 
• Foot in Both Camps
• Finally, I am uniquely placed to understand both the business and local government challenges facing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.  As both a senior leader at Boots and as an elected Councillor at Nottingham City Council I am able to see both sides of the opportunities and problems that the city is facing.  I'm excited about being able to build relationships with host families and the employees of large organisations, plus engaging with leaders of local municipalities in all the cities I plan to visit.

I also hope that the interview is a genuine two-way process as I'd be interested to hear feedback from the Trustees what they think of my application so far - so that I can refine and tweak in advance of any possible second interview.

Wish me luck!