Do you regularly use mock interview questions and answers as a tool to improve your interview effectiveness? One of my clients used to use her pet to practice with. Ridiculous! You need a living, breathing, person to help you practice successfully. If you are not utilizing this as part of your job interview preparation, now is a great time to start!
Working with mock interview questions and answers is a form of role playing and is the most realistic job interview preparation you can do. The point is for another person to ask you a series of questions that you expect to hear during the interview, and then for you to answer them. Skipping the answering part will make the entire mock interview questions and answers useless. Whereas, if you take the time to say your answers out loud, you’ll become more comfortable in how you sound and what points you want to emphasize. This kind of job interview preparation! is priceless, as it allows you to craft your response to be concise and thoughtful.
Generally, there are a series of pretty standard interview question. Some of these include;
- Tell me about yourself.
- What is it about my company that has you interested?
- What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?
More and more interviewees are asked behavioral questions to test their critical thinking skills. These questions can prove challenging! For example;
- Please describe a situation where…
- Tell me about a time…
- What was your specific approach to…
By Using a mock interview questions and answers technique with someone such as a friend, loved one, neighbor, peer, human resource professional, etc., you will be able to calm your nerves, convey that you are a confident person and a candidate that will understand and perform well in the intended position.
You have invested quite a bit of time in your sales tools to help you earn the interview. Now, invest the time to help you advance through the process by practicing mock interview questions and answers with some one who can give you honest feedback. You might ask them to listen specifically to see if you addressed any employment gaps you may have. Or, if you were clear in why and how you are looking to make a significant career change. Just like you need from a sports coach, feedback is an important part of the job interview preparation.
As an example, one of my clients was involuntarily discharged from his last position. This is still a sore spot for him, yet one that he has to be able to overcome because past work history will be discussed during future interviews. During mock interview questions and answers I helped him structure his responses to include what he enjoyed most about this position and what he learned from the situation to help him in his future. By doing all three components (questions, answer, feedback) of the job interview preparation he is more prepared and able to perform at a higher level.
I wish you the best of success in your next interview!
