Why Mock Interviews Matter

You should never, ever go into an interview without having practiced the interview. What do I mean by that?

When you come to an interview, you are not only being asked questions to present information. Your appearance, personality, behavior, and essentially the “vibes” you give off all matter. The person assessing your performance is not only determining whether you qualify for the job or position, but whether you are someone that will fit well into their community. Will you be the colleague that helps a co-worker or will you take advantage of their kindness? Will you be the student that always answers in class or will you be curious to hear others’ responses, as well? These are all important components to consider when walking into an interview.

The most important thing for preparing for interviews is knowing yourself well and how to convey your story. Our brains latch onto narratives and having a cohesive story about who you are, where you come from, and why you’re here all matter. Doing mock interviews gives you multiple opportunities to understand yourself and why you did choose to apply to certain positions. It also gives you insight into why a program, company, or school wants to interview you for the job. Practicing the interview allows your responses to become automatic to the extent that nerves and surprise questions don’t startle you. You’re ready for whatever comes, and that’s someone anyone would want to work with - smooth and grounded under pressure.

So, how to go about mock interviews to make them effective and worth it? Firstly, take them seriously. If you’re practicing with a friend, you must imagine they are the dean, boss, program director, whoever it is that you will be interviewing with. If there are red flags on your application, rather than avoid them, strategize ways to address them that make you sound strong and show you learn from mistakes. Don’t let them catch you off guard. Prepare your responses to potential questions and keep practicing them not only with yourself, but with other humans. It’s helpful to get feedback about how you present to others. Make sure you take into account who is assessing you in your mock interviews and whether their background helps you become the exceptional interviewee you want to become.

The more you practice, the less stressed interviews get. Your calm and confidence will show and will help you maintain steadiness throughout grueling interviews. Trust me, this works.