Mock Interviews and Self-Review

Practising deliberately

Reading answers silently is not practice. Say them out loud, ideally to another person who can ask follow-ups: a friend, colleague, mentor, peer from a study group or a mock interview service. Ask your partner to probe ('What did you specifically do?', 'What would you do differently?') and to give feedback on clarity, length and whether your role was clear. Recording yourself and reviewing it is also useful. Practise with randomly chosen questions so you get used to picking a story quickly. Several focused sessions spread over days usually help more than one long session the night before.

Mock interview feedback form

Give this to your practice partner.

Question asked: _______________________   Story used: ______________

Structure     Clear S/T/A/R?                      1  2  3  4  5
Ownership     Was my personal role clear?         1  2  3  4  5
Specificity   Concrete details and decisions?     1  2  3  4  5
Result        Clear, honest outcome?              1  2  3  4  5
Reflection    Learning stated and credible?       1  2  3  4  5
Length        too short / about right / too long

Best moment: ____________________________________________
One thing to change: ____________________________________
Follow-up I struggled with: _____________________________

Review your real interviews too

After each interview, write down the questions you were asked and how each answer went. Those notes are excellent material for the next round.

Quick check: What makes a mock interview most useful?

• Memorising word-for-word scripts
• Reading answers silently
• A partner who asks follow-up questions and gives specific feedback
• Only practising the night before