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Besides the NFTE competition, some of us submitted our business plans to another competition called 'world series of entrepreneurship', and were selected to go and present our projects at the Merchandize market downtown.

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When writing my business plan I learned that they are extremely important. They provide information about financials, target market, promotional strategies, and even your future plans. It helps you manage your business with more organization. The business plan is the backbone/foundation of your business, with out an excellent business plan, how will you have a successful business?

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Being interviewed can be a very scary and intimidating thing...if your not prepared.
- To prepare for an interview it is best to research the company so you can get an idea of what they are looking for in an employee.
- It's important to have an "elevator pitch' about yourself, so that you don't fumble on words when asked to describe yourself
- Having an organized and grammatically correct resume is KEY. It shows the interviewer that you took time and effort on your resume
-Lastly, for etiquette. It is important that you dress appropriately and that you carry your self well with confidence.

(Here is a link to some common interview questions that you can practice, before an interview)

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Interview prep 101 dictates that you should have your elevator pitch ready, a few stories polished (for the behavioral interview questions you'll probably be asked), and a good sense of what you have to offer. So, how do you get there? Lots of practice, ideally aloud.

To help you better prepare for your next interview, here are 30 behavioral interview questions sorted by topic (in addition to over 40 common interview questions that you should be more than familiar with).

Behavioral interview questions require candidates to share examples of specific situations they've been in where they had to use certain skills. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the answers "should provide verifiable, concrete evidence as to how a candidate has dealt with issues in the past." In short, it's a way to let your past work performance prove what you're capable of doing in the future for this potential employer.

Not sure how to answer these questions from your interviewer? Here's a quick guide on how to craft job-landing responses using the STAR interview method.

For questions like these, you want a story that illustrates your ability to work with others under challenging circumstances. Think team conflict, difficult project constraints, or clashing personalities.

1. Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.

2. Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?

3. Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with someone important. How did you eventually overcome that?

4. We all make mistakes we wish we could take back. Tell me about a time you wish you'd handled a situation differently with a colleague.

5. Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn't very responsive. What did you do?

If the role you're interviewing for works with clients, definitely be ready for one of these. Find an example of a time where you successfully represented your company or team and delivered exceptional customer service.

Times of turmoil are finally good for something! Think of a recent work crisis you successfully navigated. Even if your navigation didn't feel successful at the time, find a lesson or silver lining you took from the situation.

In other words, get ready to talk about a time you juggled multiple responsibilities, organized it all (perfectly), and completed everything before the deadline.

You probably won't have any trouble thinking of a story for communication questions, since it's not only part of most jobs; it's part of everyday life. However, the thing to remember here is to also talk about your thought process or preparation.

A lot of seemingly random interview questions are actually attempts to learn more about what motivates you. Your response would ideally address this directly even if the question wasn't explicit about it.

Getting ready? Fill out this interview worksheet and take it with you!

Lily Zhang is a career counselor at the MIT Media Lab, where she works with a range of students from AI experts to interaction designers on crafting their own unique career paths. When she's not indulging in a new book or video game, she's thinking about, talking about, or writing about careers. You can find her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and her website.

More from Lily Zhang

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30 Behavioral Interview Questions to Prep For

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Interview prep 101 dictates that you should have your elevator pitch ready, a few stories polished (for the behavioral interview questions you'll probably be asked), and a good sense of what you have to offer. So, how do you get there? Lots of practice, ideally aloud.

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I really enjoyed the dining etiquette, I thought it was kinda cool to have 3 women come to us and teach us how to properly eat. There were a lot of table placement rules i didn't know about, and it was good to learn them before guardians

The lego activity was fun because we got to build a toy from legos, and actually have to calculate the price for the toy based on the certain lego colors we used. It taught me a lot about variable costs.

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I LOVED guardians, and was extremely grateful I got the chance to go. When we first got there everything was already setup, and the view from the glass windows out to the lake, was breath taking. When people started to come in, that's when we all had to get down to business. It was really fun walking around selling raffle tickets, and getting to talk to the donors of the school. My partner Anastasia and I worked really well together, and sold a lot of tickets. When it got to dinner time, it was really cool to see all the videos the school had been working on, and it was also great to see Mr. Bopp on stage.

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Something that I was constantly told at all the competitions this year was that everyone gets nervous when speaking infront of an audience, even people who have been doing public speaking for a long time.

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In Class we did mock interviews, and for the interviews we had to prepare a resume for the interview as well. I learned how to make a resume, and how to properly interview for a job

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Creating a business is not easy, but it's worth it

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Creating a business is not easy, but it's worth it

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I definitely had my ups and downs with my business, and got very frustrated at times when making the business plan. But with perseverance and the confidence to do anything, I got through it. It was extremely satisfying being able to move on in competition because of the hard work, and dedication I put into my business plan.
(me explaining ETHNOLock to entrepreneurs)

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I got the opportunity this summer to have an internship with RSG. This will give me the experience of working in an office, and doing actual work that contributes to a company

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NFTE helped me a lot with public speaking, and how to prepare for it. I had to present my business to judges four times, and each time it got better. I became less nervous, and now I am way more comfortable with talking to people I don't know.

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NFTE opened my eyes to the world of business, and has actually made me considered possibly going into business. Meeting people from different companies, and getting to learn what they do  got me more interested in having business career in my future.

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I was chosen to compete at the NFTE Chicago Finals with 4 of my other classmates. I was in a room with really great ideas like a gun detector bracelet and a shoe detailing business