Mock Interview Reflection...

Last week I had a mock interview with Angie (who pretended to be from the Admissions office of Covenant Theological Seminary). I was interviewing for admissions to their Master of Arts in Counseling program. This interview was perfectly timed because I had the real interview just two days later! The mock interview really helped me to be less anxious going into the real interview.

What did I learn from the mock interview?
I learned that you do not have to be scared going into an interview. If you are interviewing for something you really care about or want to do, then you will not have trouble talking to your interviewer about it.

What did I already know?
I have only had a few real interviews before, and only one that was truly serious. I knew from those exeriences that I would probably be asked retrospective questions. I also knew that I would be given the opportunity to ask questions of my own. I knew to dress professionally, not chew gum, and try not to fidget nervously.

What would I have done differently?
Two things come to mind. First, I struggle with holding eye contact (or even pseudo-eye contact, like looking at someone's forehead) while answering questions. This is something I need to work on. The reason I don't like to maintain contact is that I feel distracted and like I cannot think well enough to answer the question if I am making continual eye contact. However, the consequences of looking around while answering may be that I come off as dishonest, uninterested, or scattered, none of which are impressions I want to give during an interview.
Second, even though I know that I will be given the opportunity to ask questions, I never have many (if any) to ask. I think it makes a better impression on the interviewer if a person has something intelligent to ask, showing that they are thoughtfully considering the position for which they are applying. If I could do it again, I would force myself to think of at least one good, intelligent question to ask.

Overall the mock interview was a good experience. I feel that it helped prepare me for real interviews, specifically the one I had last week. As they say, practice makes perfect.

On a seperate note, below is the link for my team blog. We are the Habitat Helpers! Feel free to visit this blog and catch up on what we are doing for our project.
http://habittathelpers.blogspot.com/