Four Ways to Practice for an Interview

A job interview can make or break your career. Instead of going into an interview unrehearsed and unprepared, spend time practicing. While practice sessions may feel silly, they can help you communicate clearly and maintain a professional demeanor throughout the interview.

Talk About Your Accomplishments

In normal conversation, it's common to speak about past jobs in generalities. During a job interview, specificity and storytelling are key. Spend time thinking about your past accomplishments and challenges. What accomplishments demonstrate your abilities and show how you'll be an asset to the company? Identify key situations and frame them as engaging stories. If you're having trouble thinking of situations, find a list of common and unusual interview questions and find anecdotes that you can use in the answers. Write them down, focusing on creating a clear structure. Keep each story brief and powerful.

Speak Out Loud

During a job interview, anticipation and nerves can make it difficult to communicate clearly. Through the nervous haze, you might find yourself stammering or struggling to find the right words to answer the simplest of questions. Although it's impossible to prevent a degree of nervousness, interview practice can make it easier to speak clearly. Practice your interview answers and anecdotes out loud, first to yourself, and then to another person. Repeat the process until you feel comfortable; like any other physical pursuit, the words will become a part of your muscle memory. At the interview, it will be easier to speak clearly and adapt to changes in the conversation.

Mock Interview

A job interview is an unpredictable beast, often taking unexpected turns and twists. To help add an element of unpredictability into your interview practice, ask a colleague or friend to help. Give them a list of questions and suggest that they include their own to surprise you as the conversation progresses. If possible, sit down with a mentor or friend in your industry who will be able to ask more relevant questions. Alternatively, visit a local college or university career center; many offer practice interviews as part of their services. A mock interview gives you the chance to practice thinking on your feet and reacting professionally to difficult questions.

Video Interview

When you are practicing for a job interview, it can be difficult to gauge your own performance and appearance. Without realizing it, you may be using filler words, adopting nervous physical tics or using unprofessional body language. One of the easiest ways to understand how you come off during an interview is to record yourself on video. Set up your phone, tablet or computer during a mock interview and review the footage later. Pay attention to the verbal and nonverbal cues that you are sending. Are you slumping or leaning too far forward? Is your speech clear and articulate? Are you nervously brushing your hair back, licking your lips or playing with a pen? Although it can be uncomfortable to watch yourself, video is a powerful way to develop an awareness of your behavior and make changes before an interview.

Even two or three practice sessions can help you improve your performance during a job interview. By taking the time to think through the process and rehearse your answers, you can come out ahead of other candidates and increase your chances of getting the job.

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