If you have never had a job interview before and would like to get some practice, you may wish to take part in a mock interview. This is when a person will pretend to be an employer who is interviewing you for a job. However, this will be conducted like a real interview i.e in an office, meeting room or other private setting and they will ask you questions that you are likely to be asked at a real interview.
Some schools or colleges/universities will offer mock interviews as part of their careers advice. You can also check with local employers as they may also offer some mock interviews to local students especially if they offer a school leavers programme. Another option is to ask a family member or friend to take part in a mock interview with you. They will ask you questions and you will answer them as you would do in a real job interview.
At a mock interview, the ‘job’ you are interviewing for should be predetermined so you can tailor your answers to suit this. You could select a job that has been advertised already and use this for your mock interview. If you have already applied for a job you should use this for the interview.
It may be a good idea to research the type of questions that the company is known to ask. You can find this information on the company website or on career websites such as Glassdoor.
Mock interviews are a great way to practice answering interview questions and become used to the format of an interview. The interviewer will offer you feedback about your performance including your answers, body language and how well you performed overall. If the mock interview is filmed or audio recorded you will be able to review your performance and note areas of strength and any room for improvement.
Remember, you should take mock interviews just as seriously as you would a real job interview.
