Some of us may be new to the field of jobs and work routines. While some of us are already employed and are a part of the day to day transactions of the economy.
This article is for those of us, who are in search of a job, applying may be for the first time or trying to find a challenging role outside of your already existing firm.
The first step that one must and should take is to find job openings in and around your area of interest.
You would also think of submitting your resumes at strategic locations so as to obtain that opportunity which you have been looking for, in your area of expertise.
After the initial stages have been successfully performed, you will reach the next level of finding a job.
Next step would be to schedule your interviews. Speaking of which, when was the last time you attended an interview?
And for my fresher friends this would be the first time. This is a reminder that you may want to practice a few critical things that helps you win your spot.
It means that you should perform a few dry runs before you actually appear for an interview. For that mock job interview would be the perfect choice.
Definition of Mock Interview:
Now let us look at mock interview meaning. It is when you setup an environment and scenario that resembles a typical interview.
You prepare yourself with the right body language, the professional etiquette and practice answering the tricky questions.
So basically it is a set up where you perform just the way you would in an interview. This is done to ensure that your confidence levels are not bogged down by the stress and pressure of finding a job.
To set this event up, you could take help from those people who are generally unbiased in giving their opinion.
Advantages of Mock Job Interviews:
1. Help reduce stress and anxiety:
By personal experience, I could say this, attending an interview is so stressful and makes you feel anxious.
This happens because you need a job badly and you are not aware if you stand a chance. That’s when all the anxiety and pressure sets in.
But when you perform a mock interview at home, may be by yourself or with the help of your mentor, it makes you feel ready for the challenge and helps you overcome anxiety. Yes, that’s what we could call it, a challenge.
2. Help boost your confidence:
This is interrelated to the previous point mentioned. So basically, when you learn to overcome your anxiety, you tend to gain a little confidence.
When you gain confidence, you could stand a chance not to forget the skills and experience you have obtained over the years.
So that’s why you need confidence when you attend an interview. These mock interviews provide all of us a wonderful opportunity to ‘test drive’ our answers.
3. You could get constructive feedback:
We all must agree that none of us are perfect for an interview. So mock interviews help us clarify responses to certain questions and help us work on areas that we are prone to be weak in.
In a real interview it doesn’t always happen that you are given feedback on your performance, or in the journey through the interview.
To assess and find out more about your interviewing abilities it is always best to conduct a mock interview for yourself and make the coming interview a perfect opportunity to perform your best.
4. Preparing for behavioral based interview questions:
Many firms and corporations seem to use this behavioral based type of questions. So if some of us are not familiar with this type of interviewing then this is where mock interviews come handy.
So what is behavioral interview?
It is assumed that a person’s past performance that is based on a particular job is the best predictor of the candidates’ future performance.
5. Practice makes perfect:
This expression may very well be true when it comes to interviewing skills. One should master the art of taking advantage of a mock interview so as to make you near perfect when it comes to holding yourself together in an interview.
Even if you think your skill sets are at a very high level still, you should think upon it as characteristics that can all be improved when it comes to making a great impression on a prospective employer.
6. Nervousness:
Many of us feel nervous and upset just before a scheduled interview. It is not surprise or secret that these events can be nerve-wrecking.
Even if you have had an experience of attending many interviews, it’s still something that all of us feel.
So with practice and mock ups, many have expressed that there has been a slight increase in their confidence.
7. Body Language:
Mock Interviews help you prepare well in terms of body language and professional etiquette. That is you will gain inputs on the way you greet in an interview and the way you depart from an interview.
All this adds to the positive points that you collect through the journey of your interview.
8. General Knowledge:
When mock ups are performed, you automatically learn about general knowledge and common interview questions.
Common interview questions would include –
- Give an introduction to yourself.
- How have you disposed your leadership skills?
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
- Summarize your resume.
9. Familiarizing with the situation:
Mock ups aid in familiarizing yourself with the situation. That is, what is the intensity of your interview going to be?
Familiarity with the outside economy in terms of understanding where you stand in the market that is based on your expertise.
10. Feedback implementation:
Once you have performed the mock up, next step is to implement the feedback you have received.
Make sure you learn to accept the feedback in a constructive manner so as to nail your interviews in a better way.
Conclusion:
Here are a few things you need to remember while going through a mock up or trying to practice for a better output.
Working with experienced personnel is like getting feedback from a sports coach to learn how to improve your game. By doing so you learn where your strength lies and where you are weak.
Time spent wisely, will track you on the correct path and assist you greatly in all situations. In today’s world being in a composite form helps you take on the competitive challenges in top shape.
Finally, the interview match is one game that you definitely need to win. So make sure you prepare well.
All of us who have been through this article have learnt more things than we expected to. Friends who have more to share and express should feel free to do so. All the best to one and all. Good luck with the interviews. Hope you come out with flying colors.
