4. Practice Makes Progress: Interview & Reflect
This activity aims to have students complete a mock interview and reflect.
Note to Instructors: Students can have their notes from the Interview Questions Practice Sheet. Continue to support students to answer as independently as possible and eventually without notes if possible.
Discuss
The plan is to practice the mock interview. You will want to treat this as the “real deal”, so you want to make sure that you look sharp, answer the questions clearly and confidently, and to be professional. During the mock interview, I will be taking notes to be able to share with you how you did afterwards. After the mock interview you will have an opportunity to score yourself too, reflect on your experience, and identify areas of strength and areas of development.
Resource
Here are tools to help provide feedback and praise.
- Mock Interview Rubric – rubric for instructors to use to use for scoring the mock student’s mock interview.
- Self-Reflection Mock Interview Performance Rubric – tool for students to use to score their own mock interview.
Reflect
Let’s take a moment to reflect on your mock interview experience. Think about what went well and what was challenging. What strategies helped you feel more confident, and what areas do you want to improve before your next real interview? Interviews can feel nerve-wracking, but with practice, they become easier. The goal is to learn from each experience and continue building your confidence. Keep in mind that every interview is an opportunity to showcase your strengths, grow your skills, and move one step closer to your career goals.
Interactive Opportunity
As students gain confidence, bring an employer, human resources staff, or other type of administrator to conduct the mock interviews and share their feedback and praise. What suggestion do they have for the group? What should the students continue to do for future interviews? Another opportunity may be a local job fair where students can practice skills with potential employers.