Despite completing several simulated and real interviews across my educational background and work life, the simulated interviews conducted within this module offered a singular diversity that made it stand out against the previous experiences; a chance to sit on the  interview panel. On the drama pathway for the course, alongside others using the placement as a part of a drama module, the main three groups consisted of those wishing to interview for teaching professions, those wishing for industry jobs as well as a combined group of the two professions. The group in which I took part was those interviewing for industry positions, four others who were interviewing across a multitude of different jobs within the creative industries. In reflection of this experience, I will be using Schön’s reflective model as the framework of analysing both being interviewed and the preparation required for it,  as well as being the interviewer. This model was chosen as it aims to separate aspects of the action as to explore fully how one feels about what is occurring at each stage. This emotion lead reflective model was chosen as this aspect of the module, as opposed to the placement itself, relied greatly on a great deal of emotional connection to the subject as well as aims to extract elements of this task as an acting exercise. This reflective model is described within the book The Reflective Practitioner : How Professionals Think in Action (Schön, 1991) in which they describe the use of the reflection-in-action model and the epistemology of the framework. This framework will be further developed using Borton’s reflective model described in Beginning reflective practice (Jasper, 2013) as to contextualise the events being described as well as to analyse further the outcome for the tasks.

Schön’s model of reflection, 1991

Borton’s reflective model (1970)

Being the interview-ee

Knowledge in Action

I went into the simulated interviews having chosen a job advertisement and having knowledge of the role and location of the show I was interviewing to take part in as to answer any potential questions which may have arisen. I had chosen my job advertising which was both idyllic and realistic at this point in time, as to make the most of the simulated interview, as to be interviewed for the role I would aim for in the future. The job being a dresser for a show on the West End in London, ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’. This job posting was realistic, as it is a role I would in theory be qualified for in the near future, as well as is within my field and aligned with some of my previous experience working within the costume department in the pre-production of shows. But this advertisement was also idyllic, as at current, I do not yet have all desired and essential experience for dressing on a large scale production and have intermediate experience in repairing as opposed to the professional experience required on the listing. The task itself required the answering of 4 questions devised by peers, based upon the role chosen thus based upon the listing being short, preparing for a range of different question types was essential prior to the main interview. 

Having information was helpful, for the way in which the interview would be conducted. In deriving the questions for others, I was able to predict the types of questions which would be presented to me. Knowing that the set up of the interview consisted of one person taking the lead of the interview and each of the 4 people on the panel asking a question, and that upon the completion of the 10 minute interview we would all be completing an in-depth questionnaire about the experience of the interview from both perspectives, all aided in the understanding and reassurance to how the session would go.

Reflection IN action

The four questions which were asked regarded; what drew me to the listing; where I saw myself in five years; an example of communication between other departments during a production; as well as an example in working under pressure in the arts industry. I felt very nervous in answering these questions, as they brought into question some of my limited experience at the time, but calm as it allowed me to express my love in the costume industry as well as how I would work within the setting to the hypothetical employers before me. 

As expressed before, this was not my first interview or simulated interview, thus completing what ‘drew me to the job’ as well as ‘where I see myself in five years’ allowed a straightforward communication of previous answers to similar questions to the panel before me. Answering with enthusiasm how I wished to aid in the creation of a stage show and how much the London and overall theatre scene was a very big wish of mine upon the beginning of exploring the field. The question of myself in five years was a difficult and nerve wrecking question to complete as it was something to which I have deliberated throughout my degree, but as this was within an acting exercise, I answered how I wished to someday work within the costume department of a major show. 

In answering the question regarding communication with other departments, I was able to express knowledge I had gained through doing my placement within the Lyric Theatre Belfast. The placement in which I partook allowed me to understand how professional environments communicated with one another in contrast to how small productions require the overlap in roles and departments, both required communication in vastly different ways. The Lyric worked collaboratively within their fields and as a student shadowing the department I witnessed first hand how in meetings everything overlapped, from the director wishing changes to costumes which required both stage management to work with the costume department, or how I would have to bring elements of the costumes or aid making things for the stage management teams and stage design department. Working under pressure in an arts department was explanatory to communicate for the acting exercise. The arts industry always requires the pressure to complete tasks by a set deadline in the hopes of bringing together a production. The placement required a perfect example for working under pressure, as I was brought onto the team to aid to alleviate some of this pressure for the two shows about to take place for the Christmas season. As the department, consisting of three full time members, was working on two shows simultaneously, the completion of time consuming sewing and ‘odd-jobs’ such as sewing on styrofoam garlic cloves to a harness or the tacking of the flaps of a deer hunting hat to the top so that it did not move for the actor, was essential in making sure that costumes where ready for the deadlines. 

Reflection ON action

The overall consensus of my interview from my peers after the completion of the interview, was that I was enthusiastic but clearly nervous, that I was expressive in my love of theatre and was convincing in my yearning to work hard and to learn from others to complete tasks to the best of my ability. On the downside of this, I was told that I was rather quick to answer questions which resulted in my interview being only five/six minutes as opposed to the ten allotted. This thus allowed me to understand that I had the time to completely answer the question and would have benefited further by imbuing some hands on knowledge in regards to my experience. 

Now what?

In the future this simulated interview has given me the knowledge that I should take each question and ensure that I both answer it fully but also bring in my experience in both service industries as well as creative industries to bring the evidence to my answers, but to ensure that I always bring passion into my interviews as it allows my personality to shine through. 

Being the interviewer

I was the panellist on four other interviews, taking the lead in the initial interview, which was very nerve-racking as it showed the degree to which professionalism requires the preparation of understanding the role advertised as well as how one conducts interviews for different personality types to ensure that they give the best interview possible. 

The four job listings consisted of theatre-in-education, an animation role in Disney, a crew member on a short film as well as administrative role for an arts company. These varied significantly, thus the questions in which were asked both were specific to the role, to aid each person individually to ensure they could get the most from the simulation, but also consisted in some broad questions to ensure that the interview-ee was comfortable.

I felt excited for each person as they expressed their love for their chosen role, yet due to knowing the others within my group throughout my degree, I was disheartened when they did not use the full opportunity of the question posed to them. Such as with the interview for the crew member position on a short film, in which I knew of the experience that they had, yet this was not conveyed under the pressure of the interview. 

What I was able to take the most from being on the panel position is that sensitivity and the wish for everyone to be comfortable and confident in answering their question to the best of their ability was essential and required great empathy. This aided my understanding of the industry to which I was going into, that the questions asked are very important to ensure that the candidates are offered the best chance to express their skills and experience that qualifies them for the position they are applying for.

Bibliography

Jasper, M. (2013). Beginning reflective practice. Second edition, p. 102.VLE. [Online] Available at: https://www.vlebooks.com/Vleweb/Product/Index/496302?page=0  (Accessed: 7th March 2024).

Schon, D.A. (1991) The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. Aldershot, U.K.: Ashgate.