Getting invited to interview for a job means you are much closer to getting offered the job.
Of course there’s still a lot to do to make that a reality.
One of the tasks I encourage people I work with to do is practice answering questions ahead of the job interview.
Writing down or typing up answers is good.
It is however nowhere as good as practising your answers.
There are three ways you might do this.
- Audio recording yourself answering potential questions.
- Video recording yourself answering potential questions.
- Doing a mock interview.
Each of these offers value in different ways.
The audio recording is great for checking the pace at which you are speaking at. You can also use it to time how long it is taking to answer questions.
The video recording is great for getting you use to speaking to camera (especially if you are having to interview remotely). You can also use it to observe your body language and posture.
The mock interview is great as you do it for real. You also get the help to make your answers sharper or more targeted.
Why is it so important to practise your answers ahead of a job interview?
Firstly it builds confidence. By practising you get better and better. This improvement yields benefits on the day of the interview.
Secondly we don’t do job interviews regularly enough to become really good at them. We never reach the stage where we are unconsciously competent (as we would with something like driving a car).
Thirdly you don’t fall into the trap of just viewing the job interview as another meeting. Instead you are stepping into the job interview realising that this is a big decision and investment for you and the hiring manager.
Converting job interviews to job offers is harder than it seems. Practising answering likely questions ahead of the job interview can really give you the edge.Learn How To Ace The Job Interview
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