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My Experience with Simulated Interviews
The job interview. A nerve-wracking ordeal that many of us face at some point in our lives. The sweaty palms, racing heart, and nagging doubts about our performance can make it one of the most dreaded experiences. Being a good interviewee is a skill that takes practice. Not everyone is comfortable being interviewed. You are being put in the hot seat and trying to convince a stranger you are the right person for the job. And it’s not just about qualifications. Who you are as a person, your work ethic, your attitude, and how you fit into the office dynamic are also part of the equation. So, as part of preparing for the real world, I recently participated in simulated interviews as part of an assignment. Still, little did I know that this exercise would not only prepare me for the professional world but also serve as a journey of self-discovery. In this blog post, I will share my experience and insights gained from this valuable exercise, using Boud’s reflective model as a guide for a deep reflection on my experience.
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My chosen job was as a Development
and Production Assistant at FIFTH SEASON, an award-winning production company
in London. This job stood out to me because it combines my passion for both the
creative process of the development stage in television productions as well as organisation
skills, which will allow me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire
film and television-making process.
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Experience
As SpongeBob SquarePants once famously exclaimed, “I’m Ready, Promotion!”—a sentiment that echoed in my mind as I prepared for my simulated interview. Much like SpongeBob, I approached this opportunity with enthusiasm, eager to showcase my skills and readiness for a promotion in my career journey (well, in this case, the ‘promotion’ was securing a job I was not actually applying for). While I was feeling adequately prepared for my interview, I still could not hide my feelings of stress and anxiety. As I was waiting for my name to be called out, all my enthusiasm and readiness for the interview left my body, leaving me in a state of anxiety. But even though I was feeling anxious, I felt it was better to enter my interview with a positive attitude. However, doubts about my performance were running through my head Why am I feeling like this? I was feeling so prepared a minute ago!
As the initial stages of my simulated interview were filled with nerves, my responses to questions and ability to form structured answers became almost non-existent. My mind was filled with doubts about my performance and my words stumbled, resulting in unfortunately short responses to the panel’s questions.
Based on my feelings and behaviour during the experience of my simulated interview, one important idea I realised was the importance of preparation and practice. While I practised interview questions, I did not encounter preparing for my nerves.
Reflection
After the interview, I revisited the experience, dissecting each moment with a critical eye. Even though I thought I had prepared enough for my interview, the panel presented challenging questions and scenarios that mirrored the intensity of a real interview for my chosen job. I was convinced that I had performed poorly after returning to the experience. However, the positive feedback from my peers provided a glimmer of hope in my self-doubt. Their reassurance and constructive criticism helped me see the situation from a different, more positive perspective that I can adapt to the interview setting.
I found that the pressure to perform well made it challenging to present myself confidently. In seeking guidance, I stumbled upon Ros Jay’s advice on managing interview nerves. Jay suggests, “If you can find opportunities to smile as you begin to respond to a question it will relax you” (Jay, chapter 4). I decided to implement Jay’s advice by smiling and attempting to adopt a “fake-it-til-you-make-it” approach, forcing a smile even when my nerves threatened to overwhelm me. As I smiled through my responses, I noticed a gradual shift in my body language and appearance.
As the interview progressed and I found myself becoming more comfortable in my skin, I began to embrace the STAR technique, providing personal experiences and examples in my responses.
However, the lingering effects of my initial apprehension were evident in the brevity of my responses during the early stages of the interview. The fear of stumbling over my words led me to provide concise answers, unintentionally cutting my interview short.
As mentioned previously, my
nerves made it difficult for me to develop full, well-rounded answers to the
panel’s questions. Looking back, I now realise that I should have used the STAR
method throughout the entire interview to “provide a clear, concise and
concrete description that allows you to match your skills to job qualifications
and show how you put them into practice, making you have a potential advantage
over other candidates.” (Han, 1). If I had successfully used the STAR method,
my answers would be more ‘fleshed out’ according to my peer review and I would have had more confidence in myself leaving the interview.
Learning
Being part of the interview panel has provided me with a whole new perspective and attitude towards the interviewing process. In the past, I may have misinterpreted the intentions behind the panel’s questions, assuming they aimed to induce fear and anxiety, or to ‘catch-out’ to the candidates. However, through this experience, I now realise that the panel’s primary objective is to find the most suited candidate for the job, someone who is qualified and possesses the right skills, responsibilities and work ethic for the role. Brown notes, “As the interviewer, you’re sitting listening to strangers talk about their job experience. Everyone wants something, or you both wouldn’t be here” (Brown, chapter 5) This statement reassured me as it highlights the mutual interest shared by both the interviewer and interviewee, with the panel seeking an enthusiastic and qualified person to join their company and the interviewee seeking the perfect candidate for this great opportunity, rather than posing an interrogation.
With this newfound perspective of the panel’s intentions, I am committed to approaching future interviews with a sense of confidence and assurance. Rather than viewing them as daunting challenges, I see them as opportunities for growth and self-improvement. I am determined to utilise the feedback received from my simulated interview to further refine my interview skills.
Based on the feedback provided by my peers and my own personal reflection, in future interviews, I will diligently apply the STAR method to ensure that my answers are well-structured and detailed. I now feel more comfortable with using the STAR technique and will try my best to integrate it seamlessly into my interview preparation routine, from beginning to end. By doing so, I am confident that I will form better answers than I did during my simulated interview, basing future interview answers on previous experiences and highlighting my skills with clarity and confidence, ultimately increasing my chances of interview success.
In conclusion, my experience with the simulated interviews can be summed up as nerve-wracking, exciting and positive. I initially entered my interview with a positive attitude which did not last long, I acted on my nerves and anxiety which resulted in me realising the importance of proper research for interviews. Through reflection, I realised that I was doubting myself too much. While my interview was short due to my limited answers, my body language appeared to be confident. I now realise the importance of providing longer answers at an interview by using the STAR method. The simulated interview experience enabled me to realise that the interview panel didn’t intend to stress the candidates out but rather was hoping they find the best-suited person for the role. I will now enter interviews with confidence and implement the STAR technique.
Works Cited
Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (1985) Promoting Reflection in Learning: A Model. Reflection: Turning Reflection into Learning. London: Routledge.
Brown, Jen. Think on Your Feet. 1st edition. McGraw-Hill, 2019. Print.
Gurden, Dean. “Prepare for Interview: Practice Makes Perfect and Being Prepared before an Interview Can Often Give You That Extra Edge. Here, We Offer Some Tips and Ideas of Homework to Do Beforehand.” Nursing Standard (2016): 63–63.
Jay, Ros. How to Succeed in Any Interview. Rejacketed edition. Harlow, England: Pearson, 2015. Print.
Zhu, Chenchen, and Luze Han. “CV chatbot based on “STAR” method.” 2021.