Step 1: Thinking About the Questions
Regardless of the career field you ultimately select, the interview questions will be very similar. Interviewers want to gain a picture of your experience, skills, and strengths and weaknesses no matter what job you are interviewing for.
Take a look at this list of common interview questions and choose five that you will focus on for this activity. Then, provide these five questions to the friend or family member who will be interviewing you in Step 2.
For each of your chosen questions, write down the question and an ideal answer using a word processing program. Then practice answering the questions in front of a mirror until you feel confident. Remember, you want to sound natural, so keep in mind the basics of your ideal answer but don't memorize it word-for-word.
Review the unit for additional tips and tricks to prepare yourself for your mock interview. You want to appear confident and well-prepared.
Step 2: Answering the Questions
Set up a video camera or cell phone with video recording capabilities to capture the mock interview and ensure that your “interviewer” has a copy of the five interview questions that you selected.
Just as in a true interview, the interviewer should ask you one question at a time and you should answer. If your interviewer feels that they need to ask a follow-up or clarifying question, they can do so.
Step 3: Reflecting on the Experience
After your mock interview, use the same word processing file where you noted your interview questions to reflect on the interview process by answering these questions:
What went well during the mock interview?
What could have gone better? How can you apply these lessons to a future interview?
Was your preparation for the interview sufficient or would you prepare more intensely in the future? Explain your answer.
Submit a copy of the word processing document with your writing from Step 1 and 3 as well as the video recording of the mock interview to the dropbox.
