Boo! It’s an interview!

Sweaty palms. Racing heart. Interviews are a nightmare.

This month, I took part in a simulated interview with my peers where I was able to analyze my skills in interview-taking. I learned that interviews are largely about placing the candidate well within their team. However, it is essential to still possess the skills that are required for the job, especially in the film industry. Experience will boost your chances of obtaining the job. Using Gibb’s Reflective Cycle, I reflect on the experience of the simulated interview to better prepare myself for a job interview in the future.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, designed in 1988 by Graham Gibbs, ‘offers a framework for examining experiences,…allowing you to learn and plan from things that either went well or didn’t go well.’

[3] The University of Edinburgh

The simulated interview commenced with my three peers asking me questions about my technical skills in editing. I have an abundance of experience in editing softwares, such Adobe Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve, so I was confident in my answers about my technical skills. In addition, the job listing mentioned Adobe After Effects as a requirement. I replied to their questions by mentioning how I employed the software in creating films, such as short videos for YouTube. Furthermore, I was asked about working in a team. I mentioned my experience collaborating with others in filmmaking and in my jobs. After the interview, my peers filled out a final report and commented on my well-researched responses. Yet, they criticized the repetition of a few of my answers. Nevertheless, I still succeeded, by the standards of the interviewers, in ‘securing’ the position.

However, the interview was far from perfect. Before the interview, I sat outside contemplating how to act. I desired to prove through the interview that I was the right candidate for the job. The only issue was the nerves that always wash over me before an interview. I had to remember that the point of the interview is to exhibit confidence in my skills, so I took a deep breath and commenced the interview with this mindset. Now, a week after my interview, I realize that worrying over an interview will not help your chances. Also, it is not the end of the world if you do not obtain this job.

Before I interviewed, I was one of the interviewers, so I mentally prepared myself for being interviewed in the same context as the others. I noticed their mistakes while interviewing so I made sure to refrain from distracting behavior, such as fidgeting and excess movement of the hands. Noticing how my hands and body moved, it improved my behavior during my own interview.

Nevertheless, my interview still could have gone better if I had prepared a variety of ways to answer technical-skilled-based questions. The repetitive answers lowered my rating in my feedback, so in the future, repetitive answers could keep me from obtaining the job that I desire. If I had used the STAR method, I would have more thoroughly answered the questions. The STAR method demonstrates the method of referencing experiences. It is always essential to initially listen to the question; however, then, one must provide background of, the challenges faced during, and the solution formed from the experience. Finally, the results of how the experience impacted the interviewer ends the STAR method. I answered the questions without the STAR method in mind, and my answers were less thought out. In the future, it is important for me to utilize the STAR method.

I have significantly improved my understanding of the interview. Nerves may be present in your interview but preparation and possessing the skills necessary for the job will prevent the nerves from overwhelming you. It is essential to realize this fact before every interview and develop my skills of improvising. Usually, one can expect the interview questions to be similar every time, but there are a few select times when improvisation is necessary to answer an unexpected question. Because I froze for a moment during the interview, I must now deal with thinking on my feet while in an interview. In addition, I have gained the knowledge that behavior dictates the success of your interview. One should refrain from fidgeting and moving their hands excessively; this distracts the interviewer. However, the most important part of the interview is to be oneself because the interviewer is searching for a person that fits the team already built in the company. One can undergo training in the job, but they cannot change their personality. As along as one shows confidence, their personality will drive them towards the road of success.

In the future, I would do a few things differently. I will push my nerves down inside me and feign confidence, even when I have no answers in my mind. I will take a deep breath and provide myself a moment to improvise and muster up an adequate answer. Additionally, as a next step, I will develop my skills of filmmaking by collaborating with others on projects. This will provide me with more experience to mention in interviews.

Bibliography

[1] babington. (2022) S.T.A.R Interview Techniques. [online] Available at: https://babington.co.uk/insights/help-guidance/star-interview-techniques/ (Accessed 20 February 2023).

[2] Crowe Associates. (2022) Gibbs Reflective cycle. [online] Available at: https://www.crowe-associates.co.uk/coaching-tools/gibbs-reflective-cycle/ (Accessed 20 February 2023).

[3] The University of Edinburgh. (2020) Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle. [online] Available at: https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/reflectors-toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/gibbs-reflective-cycle (Accessed 20 February 2023).