The Benefits of Mock Interviews

Every month our staffing consultants meet with candidates from Jobcare to take them through mock-interviews before they meet prospective employers. It’s just one of the ways in which we try to lend our support to Jobcare, who have been our chosen charity partner for the last 4 years. Like them, we believe that Working Matters.

Mock interviews are a strong preparation tool for any job seeker and we highly recommend that you use them in your own career progression plan. Whether you have been out of work for a number of years, or have been in the same role/company for a year or more, your interview skills are probably rusty at best.

Job interviews can be daunting, intimidating and sometimes terrifying depending on your confidence level. A mock interview a day or two before can calm your nerves and boost your confidence. Partaking in a successful interview is a skill which can be improved through practice.

At Wallace Myers International, we believe that mock interviews can help you to:

Warm up and get excited about what you have to offer.

You wouldn't run a race without stretching first so don't go to an interview without limbering up either. As with the real thing, in a mock interview, you will be asked about yourself, your strengths and your experience. Use this opportunity to give yourself a mental pat on the back as you hear your answers out loud and are reminded of your own brilliance. Be proud of your achievements and qualities.

Identify tics and spoonerisms that could distract the Interviewer from your answers.

We all have them in some form or at some point and often they are brought on by nerves. Some of us repeat phrases at the end of answers, like 'you know?' or fill pauses with 'um'. Maybe you fidget with your shirt cuff or hair. Whatever the habit, in a mock interview the consultant or friend acting as the interviewer can gently bring your attention to it so you can fix it.

Settle nerves and build your confidence.

A practice run before the big day takes away the mystery of what to expect and this takes away (or lessens at least) the fear of the unknown.

Focus.

Once the nerves are settled and the warm-up is done, there's little else to distract you from your goal of giving a great interview. In fact, run through the mock interview twice. The first run through will get the nerves out of the way and the second time will give you an opportunity to really hear the questions and focus on your answers.

Fine Tune your answers.

It’s important to get your relevant skills and experience across in an interview but equally important to ensure that you answer the actual questions being asked. Sounds easy, right? However, it’s surprisingly easy to go off on a tangent and start babbling during an interview. Running through typical questions and hearing your answers out loud for the first time will help you to identify which answers you need to work on. It will also help you identify any opportunities to slip in relevant information about your experience.

What next? 

If you have an interview coming up ask a friend or family member to act as the interviewer and take you through some of the possible questions that might come up. Ask them to note down any observations and feedback then take those notes away and work them into your interview skillset. If you have the time ask an objective contact from your network, preferably someone with managerial experience, to take you through a second mock-interview.  This will help you check if you have improved on the feedback from your first practice round.