Rehearsing the Interview

Unless you have had the good fortune of attending an interview workshop, the only experience that most candidates 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 combat this is by asking a friend or colleague 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 trust or value to act as the interviewer and give them information about the job description and the kinds 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 or tape record the interview so that you can study your performance in more detail.

The old saying "Practise makes perfect" applies to many things -  interviews are no exception.

There a number of aspects 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. Despite being a rehearsal, you will 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. 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 distracting and nervous mannerisms that you may need to change.

3. Your Voice

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

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 "Erm ..." when you are thinking about your next sentence or phrase.

5. Asking Questions

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

Once the interview is over, make sure that you have plenty of time to discuss how the interview went. Listen carefully to any criticisms or suggestions 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.

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