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Everything You Need to Know About a Mock Interview

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Do you have an upcoming interview that’s making you stressed and anxious?

You’re not alone! No matter how skilled you are, interviews tend to overwhelm many people.

Luckily, there’s a way to practice interviews and boost your confidence. Mock interviews can stimulate the same job interview experience, allowing you to practice your answers and overcome your fears.

So, how can you do a mock interview? And what are its benefits?

Look no further for the answers! In today’s article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about mock interviews.

What Is a Mock Interview?

A mock interview is a simulation of real interviews that allows the interviewees to work on their responses.

It can help you practice your verbal and nonverbal communication skills. It can also help you familiarize yourself with the interviewing process and acknowledge your weak points.

Anyone can conduct a mock interview, as it only requires a mock interviewer and a set of related questions.

Choosing a mock interviewer with experience in the same field can be helpful.

Having a professional career counselor as an interviewer is the best option.

What Is a Mock Interview for Students?

Mock interviews for students is a practice to familiarize them with real-life job interviews in a constructive, familiar space.

In most cases, the teacher is the interviewer, and the mock interview is held in class.

Holding a mock interview in a familiar place, like the class, can make the process less stressful for students.

In a student mock interview, the questions mainly focus on soft skills rather than hard skills or experience.

Why Is It Called a Mock Interview?

It’s called that because it emulates a real job interview. In other words, you’ll be pretending you’re in a real job interview, and that’s why it’s called a “mock” interview.

What Are the Benefits of Participating in a Mock Interview?

There are tons of benefits to participating in a mock interview. Here are some of them:

1. Get Some Practice

When it comes to interviews, practice does wonders. With mock interviews, you can figure out your weak points and work on them.

Similar to how athletes practice with professional trainers before big games, you can practice with a professional career consultant before your interview. Mock interviews are an essential part of preparing for an interview.

Practicing is important, especially for fresh graduates starting their job hunt. It can help them familiarize themselves with how interviews work.

Without practicing, interviews can feel overwhelming and scary. However, once you go through some mock interviews, you’ll feel less nervous, which can help you perform better.

The more you practice your answers, the better you’ll be in a real interview.

2. Work on Your Nerves

Interviews can be stressful for many people. However, you can think of the interview process as an ability that you can learn and develop.

The more you practice it, the less anxious you’ll be. Doing a mock interview helps to calm nerves before an interview.

In a mock interview, you’ll learn about common interview questions and techniques. In turn, you’ll feel less stressed about the real thing.

Further, you’ll be able to work on other aspects, like your body language and eye contact.

3. You Get Feedback Afterward

In a real interview process, you don’t usually get feedback afterward. If you have certain weak points during an interview, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll know about them.

That’s where mock interviews come in handy. A professional mock interviewer can give detailed feedback on your strong and weak points.

In turn, you’ll be able to work on your weaknesses before the real thing. Then, you’ll have better chances of landing your dream job.

4. Boost Your Confidence

Mock interviews can help you learn about common interview techniques and methods, like the behavioral interview method.

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer will ask you about your work experiences. Your answer should reflect your skills, behaviors, abilities, and knowledge.

Practicing your answers in mock interviews can boost your confidence when facing a real interviewer.

5. Feel Prepared Going into a Real Interview

Learning about common methods and questions will prepare you for the real interview. There are many common questions that are asked in interviews.

Learning these questions can be helpful on its own. However, practicing them in a mock interview lets you practice your answers and feel more prepared.

Mock interviewing gives you a realistic experience, which can help you figure out your weak points. You can also learn about common answering methods, like the STAR technique.

How Long Is a Mock Interview?

In most cases, a mock interview lasts for around an hour. The first half hour will be a dress rehearsal of an interview.

The interviewer won’t give you feedback during the first half hour. It’ll be a similar experience to a real interview.

After that, your interviewer will give you feedback and point out the points you need to work on.

Feel free to ask the interviewer any questions regarding how the interview process works.

How Can You Make a Mock Interview?

Conducting a mock interview isn’t a complicated process. Finding the right interviewer is the most important part of a mock interview.

  • Ask a Mentor to Conduct One: You can ask a professional career counselor or hiring coach to do the mock interview with you. You can also find someone with experience in your field or industry.
  • Sign Up for One Online: Finding a mentor to conduct a mock interview with you can be hard. Luckily, many online mock interview services can provide you with great coaching. Most of the mock interviews are done using video calls or phone calls. Some mock interview services have a face-to-face option too.

What Do You Do in a Mock Call Interview?

You should prepare for a mock call interview as you’d prepare for a real one.

How Do You Introduce Yourself in a Mock Interview?

Similar to a real interview, in a mock one, you’ll be asked to introduce yourself. First impressions matter in any interview, so practicing this answer is essential.

Keep your answers professional, short, and to the point. Start by stating your name in a positive tone.

Here’s an example of what you can say:

“Hello, this is John Doe. I’ve been looking forward to speaking with you, Mr./Ms. (interviewer name).”

How Do You Start a Mock Interview?

You should start a mock interview by introducing yourself. Then, greet your interviewer and express your gratitude for the opportunity.

After that, the interviewer will start asking you questions. It’d be helpful if you wrote down any questions you have in mind so that you can discuss them with the coach after the interview.

Mock Interview Questions and Answers

The interviewer will usually start with general employer interview questions that reflect soft skills. Then, they’ll proceed with more technical questions and ask about your experiences.

Here are some mock interview questions and answers:

1. Tell Me About Yourself

Here’s how you can introduce yourself:

“Hello. My name is John Doe, and I’m a marketing manager at (company name). I’ve been working in the marketing industry for the past five years, and I’m looking to make more progress in my career.

I have experience in other related fields, such as (work experience). That, along with my skill set, can help me excel at this position.”

2. Why Do You Want to Work at Our Company?

You can say something along the lines of the following:

“I believe that my skills are particularly well-suited to this position, and I can see myself succeeding in this position.”

3. What Do You Bring to the Table?

Here’s a possible answer:

“I believe my experience and skills align perfectly with your requirements. I’m passionate about my career and I think I can make big progress with your company.”

4. What is Your Greatest Strength?

Here’s an example of an answer you can say:

“I’d say my problem-solving skills are one of my biggest strength points. Additionally, I have great communication skills that make me a great team player.”

5. How Do You End a Mock Interview?

End the mock interview by expressing your appreciation for your interviewer. Feel free to ask your coach anything.

There are some essential questions to ask at the end of an interview that you can also practice with your mock interviewer. Finally, thank your mock interviewer for their time and coaching.

Best Mock Interview Sites

If you can’t find a mentor to help you with the mock interview, there are a lot of interview sites that can help you ace the interview.

These services can provide you with a realistic interview experience and give you feedback afterward. Here are some of the best mock interview websites that can help you as a candidate:

1. Pramp

Pramp is one of the best interview prep sites for tech industry professionals. The website offers highly technical questions in data structure and algorithms.

Pramp connects you with a partner of a similar background. Then, you can get to be both the interviewer and the interviewee.

The users of the website are all engineers, so you can rest assured that you’ll get any support you need from your peers.

2. InterviewBuddy

InterviewBuddy provides mock interview sessions conducted by a handful of industry experts. Most of their interviewers have an average experience of more than nine years.

After the interview, you’ll receive a detailed scorecard with performance-based metrics. You’ll also get feedback on your strengths and weaknesses.

InterviewBuddy offers playback of your interview, so you can play it anytime and work on your mistakes.

3. PrePlaced

Not only can PrePlaced help you with your interview, but it connects you with top recruiters and professionals for personalized mentoring sessions.

You can customize your experience on the website as well. For example, if you’re interviewing for a job at Google, PrePlaced will provide you with the most common questions asked by Google recruiters.

PrePlaced can connect you with a mentor that works at the same company.

4. Gainlo

Gainlo provides a great mock interview service. The service can match you with interviewers from Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and many big tech companies.

Within 24 hours, a professional will give you detailed feedback and help you improve your weak points. You’ll also receive your score via email after the interview.

One of the best things about Gainlo is that you can reschedule or cancel your mock interview for free. However, you have to do it at least three days before your interview.

5. Interviewing

    Interviewing has a handful of engineering professionals that work at top companies. That includes Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Stripe, Uber, Netflix, Slack, and LinkedIn.

    The interviews are mainly technical. They focus on data structures, algorithms, CS fundamentals, and systems design.

    Interviewing offers a full refund if you’re not happy with the results.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do you still have a question in mind? Here are some frequently asked ones:

    How Many Stages Are There in a Mock Interview?

    There are four stages in a mock interview: introduction, general questions, position-related questions, and conclusion.

    They’re the same as the stages of an actual interview since a mock interview prepares you for the real thing.

    Can I Skip a Mock Interview?

    You shouldn’t skip a mock interview unless you’re incredibly confident in yourself. If you skip a mock interview, you might have low self-esteem during the real thing.

    Mock interviews are essential to help you practice your answers and avoid common interview mistakes.

    Wrapping Up

    A mock interview is the best way to prepare yourself for an interview, especially if you’re a fresh graduate starting your job-hunting journey.

    It’ll allow you to practice your answers in a realistic environment. You’ll also be able to work on your nerves and feel more prepared for the real thing.

    After the interview, you’ll receive feedback from your interviewer to help you improve your weak points.

    You can find a professional mentor to do the mock interview with you, or you can sign up for an online interviewing service.

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