Mock Interviews, they're not as scary as you think!

This past week, I participated in a Mock Interview with the Virginia Department of Labor & Industry. Initially, I was very nervous and not sure how to prepare for it. After talking to different people at the Career & Academic Planning Office and reviewing tips on the jmu.edu/cap website, I was feeling more confident.

The night before, I looked up some information about the Department on the Internet, gathered some work samples to show them, prepared a few questions to ask at the end of the interview, and rehearsed answers to typical questions like, "What is your greatest strength/weakness?" in the mirror!

On the day of the interview, I arrived 15 minutes early. When it was finally time for my interview, we sat down and the interviewer gave me a brief overview of the process, I asked a few questions and then we got started!

The interview ran very smoothly; all that preparation definitely helped the night before and as soon as we started, my nerves ran right out the door!

The questions, as I suspected, were based on behaviors and past experiences, so I felt very comfortable answering them.

At the end of the interview, I was given very insightful and constructive feedback about how I did, ways to improve for future interviews, and questions to ask future interviewers.

The overall process was very helpful and I would highly recommend that every student completes at least one Mock Interview before graduation. It gave me a chance to get out all my nerves before an interview that counts! I felt extremely comfortable after the process and was able to ask any questions that I wanted and make any mistakes without any repercussions.

For more information and to sign-up for a Mock Interview, log in to Recruit-A-Duke and complete the online tutorial to access On-Campus Recruiting and Mock Interviews.

By Desirae Vivian Stevens
Contact: desiraevivian@gmail.com