Interview Rehearsals

Unless you have attended an interview workshop, then only experience that you'll probably have of interviews is during the event itself. This means that there is no room for experimentation and any mistakes can have serious consequences. One way to avoid this is by asking a colleague or friend to help you to carry out an interview rehearsal; this is an excellent way to practise your interview technique without any risks.

Ask someone whose opinion you value and trust to act as the interviewer and give them information about the job description and the types of questions you expect to be asked. You should also encourage them to put forward their own questions so that you can practise answering unexpected queries. If possible, video the interview so that you can study your performance in more detail.

There a number of aspects of your interview technique that you will need to pay particular attention. These include:

1. Your Entrance

Ask the person playing the role of interviewer to meet you and invite you to sit down. Even though it's just a rehearsal, you will still probably feel quite nervous; however, the more you practise, the less nervous you will become. After the interview is over, check to see what their initial perceptions of you were. Confident? Nervous? What image did you create?

2. Your Voice

Try to make sure that your voice does not become monotonous; pay attention to its rhythm. Do you sound convincing? Can your 'interviewer' hear you clearly or do you have a tendency to mumble? Do you sound enthusiastic and interesting?

3. Body Language

Make sure that you project a confident and attentive image in your body language; sit upright in a comfortable position, breathe deeply and relax. This is your chance to find out whether you have any nervous and distracting mannerisms that you may need to change.

4. Answering Questions

Consider experimenting with the time you take to answer the questions. See how varying the length of time between the questions and your responses can affect the impact you make. Are your replies clear and specific or do you wander from the point? Watch out for annoying habits such as saying "Er ..." when you are thinking about your next phrase or sentence.

5. Asking Questions

Practise asking your list of prepared questions. Are they clear and thoughtful? Are they relevant to the company or job?

Once the interview is over, make sure that you have plenty of time to discuss how the interview went. Listen carefully to any suggestions or criticisms that your interviewer might have and make a list of the things that you can improve. If possible, repeat the exercise, either with the same interviewer or with another colleague or friend.