Mock Interview Journal

A couple of days ago, I got the chance to interview one of my dad’s friends, Nate, about his experiences with interviews. Currently a Nurse Practitioner, he has had over ten different jobs in his lifetime, ranging from a managerial position at KFC to an emergency room nurse. Just like his past jobs, the types of interviews that he has been in have been wildly different. He has even conducted a few interviews himself. Soon I will be participating in important, career-defining, interviews and it is important that I understand the ropes of an interview. I asked him only a couple of questions, but I got detailed answers and invaluable insights from the mind of both a successful interviewee and

For the purpose of this interview, I interviewed Mrs. Ann Clare- School Psychologist and Mrs. Scott Nelson- School Principal.

I am currently enrolled in ELED 4803 Methods of Instruction with Dr. Morrison. One of our activities for class was a mock interview with Dr. Stout. We were told at the beginning of the course that he would be coming sometime to participate in the interview process with us. Dr. Stout came in on Monday August 24th 2015. We were given instruction ahead of time to dress professionally and be prepared for at least one question directly from Dr. Stout. He would direct a question to each individual and the entire class would be able to hear his response and feedback, allowing us all to learn from each question.

S is a 59 year old African-American female born and raised in Anson County who has attended several institutes of higher learning. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Secretarial Administration from Barber-Scotia College, she later received special education teaching licensure from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Because of her love for learning, S has also taken online classes through the University of Phoenix. She has been a secondary special education teacher for three years and currently works with 8th graders at Anson Middle School.

At our previous class period, we had to go through a practice interview. I am happy and thankful that I did go through some interviews before in my life so I thought it was going to be a breeze, but I was mistakened. What I did noticed was this, “You will never know what you're going to be expecting at an interview.”

The mock interview assignment was a great experience for me and I felt well-prepared to complete the interviewing process to the best of my ability. There were times I felt anxious through the Skype interviewing process, because I do struggle with anxiety. However, I felt comfortable enough with Ms. Burton to share my weaknesses. My mock interview was focused toward graduate school and I could discuss my specific challenges with test anxiety. I remained upfront and honest with Ms. Burton about my test anxiety, but gave her vital solutions that I am using to help manage this issue.

To have a productive interview and be the perfect interviewer you must have certain qualities and understand the roles you must play. The role as an interviewer is simple; have an agenda, know your purpose, Have a limit on how much you actually speak and practice key listening skills. As an interviewer you may also want to watch some of the nonverbal keys the interviewee may be giving you so you can gain a full grasp on how the interviewee may truly feel on a subject. In the video by

how the questions are answered. Your goal in choosing an interviewee is to simulate the interaction

3. SMILE A smile is a great way to exhibit happiness and appreciation. You want the interviewer to feel comfortable and see a glimpse of your personality. 4. HANDSHAKE: In addition to your smile, your handshake can set the tone for the rest of the interview. Wait for the interviewer to initiate and then shake their hand firmly and warmly. Nothing’s more awkward than an over-long handshake. 5. EYE CONTACT: Maintain eye contact in a natural way. Just don’t stare fixedly at your interviewer. That can seem creepy or robotic. Listen carefully and smile and nod as appropriate. 6. YOUR POSTURE: When you take your seat, be sure to sit up straight and avoid slouching. You can lean forward a little to show your interest. The goal here is to appear natural, confident, and enthusiastic. Avoid any body language that could be construed as showing disinterest or desperation. Don’t lean back (you’ll look too relaxed or lethargic). 7. RESPECT THE PERSONAL SPACE Respect the ‘personal space’ of the recruiter. You don’t need to convince the recruiter by leaning as close as possible against him or her. Make sure you are not sitting or standing closer than 1 m and not more than 3 meters away from your recruiter.

I’ve been in many different job interviews. Including the Georgina Leisure Pool. Where I applied for a Lifeguard, and Swim instructor position. I’ve also had an interview with Swiss Chalet where I applied for a waitressing position. Going into the interviews I was a bit nervous I’ve never been good at interviews, and pool interview was my first job ever. When I came to the interview at Swiss Chalet I was more hesitant then the pool interview because it was a new experience from me working in the food and beverage industry. I wasn’t sure of the questions that were going to be asked, and how I would respond to them.

During my interview for the You and Eye company on March 1st and I was asked questions to tell about myself. When walking into an interview that is performed by your classmates is very nerve racking. I tried to smile and be calm when facing them. As soon as I said down I was asked which position I was applying for. I was applying for the receptionist position, to better my customer service skills. Each person asked me a question, when answering them I tried to give the best answer possible. When answering some of the questions it seemed like a joke and nobody was taking it serious. I tried to be professional and as honest as I could be. Sometimes I laughed to try and relieve some of the nervousness. Some of the question where very hard to understand,

In beginning of class when I learned that we would be doing interviews I was dreading it. I have done interviews before and it felt the same as giving a presentation in front of the entire class. I had no real knowledge of what the proper way to hold an interview was let alone as a social worker. I know I wasn’t going to be given real interviews and I would be doing the interviews along with my group made up of fellow classmates but they felt as real as they could get. But gradually over the sessions it became easier and I felt more confident about how to conduct the interview. Having the practice even mock interviews became a great way for me to learn how to have an interview and make sure I know what I am doing. Which is a

The interviewer was very friendly and first asked me some personal questions to break the ice. The first few questions were: “Where are you from?, Where did you go to school?, “What do you do for fun?” Next she moved onto harder questions that caught me off guard. One question I struggled with

've been interviewed a couple of time before and let me tell you; it is hard! I'm the kind of person who HATES being spontaneous. I like to methodically organize and plan every single thing that comes beforehand. "I'll just wing it" is a phrase that will never come out of my mouth.

I do not want to be stumbling over my words or losing eye contact. Nor do I want to be the crazy person that stares in to their soul. I was also able to see how I was sitting in the mock interview. I was position like a dinosaur. That is not how I want to be sitting up during the interview. I need to be confident but relaxed at the same time.