Utilising the ERA cycle, I will now self-assess the simulated interviews and my situational awareness when I was employer and employee. “Reflective practice takes its starting point from our experiences and assumes that we can learn from them for our future”, “The first place that we need to start in terms of our own reflective practice is by understanding ourselves” (Jasper, 2013). Jasper’s statement provides reason as to why I am giving the context of our group dynamics below.

Group Dynamic:

Within our group, there were four students including myself, working together to develop interview questions a week before the interviews took place. We made a group chat online, in order to keep each other up to date about questions and to confirm the Job Positions we had uploaded. Since some members of the group were not aware of certain jobs in the music industry, this made sense, it allowed for everyone to begin on the right foot. On reflection, I believe a heavier utilisation of this group chat may have made the interview feel smoother, not all job positions were prepared efficiently by the date needed, which meant we had some workarounds on the day. As Hardavella states, “The employer expects you to have knowledge about the organisation and the department you have applied for.” (Hardavella, 2016) Not only would I prepare answers for simple questions expected in any interview, but I would also study the Job Descriptions requirements and desirables to include in my cover letter. I would create theoretical questions that could be asked during the interview. This action would create a more relaxed environment for the employee, as I would be aware of questions that could be asked. I would write these down in a word document, then highlight the questions of most importance, ensuring they fit into the time slot allotted for the interview. Taking inspiration from published interviews, related to the jobs the group were looking for, would help give a preconceived idea of what to ask and say, as well as how to react when in the interview.

Employer Role:

Employer role was a position I had never been placed in before, this was nerve-racking and before the interview, I was painstakingly going over my questions to ensure I pronounced them right and achieved clarity. Obviously, no one is perfect so there were natural stutters and pauses in theinterview, but I kept a professional façade for the majority of the three interviews and intended to listen thoroughly. The first person was about to be interviewed, and at this point there was only two of us in the group since the others had yet to arrive, we decided to continue anyway since we would only need one interviewer and employee. My nerves started to come back, I patted them down and fixated on my intent of the question and efficiency of the answer. As the interview continued, I eased up, finding more comfortable and colloquial ways to ask and infer, as opposed to sticking to what was on the screen in front of me. “A common perception surrounding job interviews is that the content of the interviewee’s answers is the most important determinant for success. However, empirical studies show that nonverbal behavior is as important as the verbal response in job interviews.” (Naim, 2015) All interviewees were confident in their demeanour. Questions were answered clearly, and candidates seemed enthused with the task, the passion for their craft was genuine. The downside to everyone’s performance during this interview (including myself) were disfluencies in speech. Disfluencies are “phenomena that interrupt the flow of speech and do not add propositional content to an utterance” (Tree, 1995), “They include pauses, fillers, interruptions, repetitions, repairs, or hesitations.” (Brosy, 29) These are natural entities that occur during spontaneous speech, they are almost unavoidable. However, when I was sat with a bullet pointed script in front of me, it seemed less excusable. Upon reflection, I believe as the employer, I should have given more time to ground myself in the reality of the situation. The interview works both ways, the Employer wants to find a suitable employee, yet the employee is also looking to ensure they are joining a company that is capable of meeting their needs. When stuttering as an interviewer, it can affect how the candidate views themselves in that moment, leading to worry and confusion. This is not an accurate depiction of them, thanks to the nerves of the employer. If I did startle anybody in a situation like this, I would try to alleviate the stress of the situation, similar to what I did in the moment, with entering a more colloquial setting but ensuring the interviewed feels comfortable in their surroundings and confident to continue answering the questions to the best of their ability.

Employee Role:

Before I entered back into the room for my interview, I prepped myself making sure I looked smart and presentable. I was wearing corduroy trousers, a shirt, and a jumper over that. This is something semi-smart, that I would normally wear. I believe this comforting notion was why I was stronger as an employee rather than employer, after all it was mentioned in my review, I was dressed appropriately and looked relaxed within the environment. It was also said that I maintained good eye contact and a confident demeanour. In this situation, I was trying to be wary of any nervous tics or disfluencies I may encounter, and I did so with a lot more ease than in the employer role. Upon reflection, I may have over emphasized this though, as I believe I became a tad too robotic in places. If I were to act on this again, then I would take Feiler’s point on board, “interviewees should focus less on their nervous tics and more on the broader impressions that they convey.” (Feiler, 2015) This way I would be able to come across accurately and confidently without sounding unlike a human.

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