Should You Record a Mock Interview?

Absolutely.  A mock interview is a practice session allowing a job seeker to improve their interview skills.  Most job seekers cannot imagine how they are perceived by an interviewer.  They know their background inside and out, and their answers make sense.  Unfortunately, the interviewer does not have the back story behind all the answers.  Details that seem self-evident to the job seeker may be critical to understanding an answer, and the omission of these details can cause an answer to fail dismally.

Listening to a recording will help the job seeker gain the perspective of the interviewer.  One of the most common reactions when listening is to think of additional things that should have been said.  This is valuable, and it will help the job seeker to craft better and more complete answers in the future.

Another benefit of recording a mock interview is the job seeker can begin to see how their energy and enthusiasm waxes and wanes during the interview.  Job seekers tend to focus so much on their answers that they cannot perceive their delivery.  Some will drift into a monotone speaking devoid of all enthusiasm.  This leaves a terrible impression.  If a job seeker can’t get excited about themselves, the job seeker is not going to inspire enthusiasm in the hiring manager.

The recording can also help a job seeker build confidence.  Many job seekers are very nervous during an interview.  This causes them to perceive time differently.  A short pause of a second or two can feel like an eternity.  Job seekers experience this most when they are asked a question that surprises them and must stop and think about how to answer.  The time spent thinking seems to go on forever, and the job seeker will often assume the interviewer perceives time the same.  The result is a job seeker who feels that they bombed the question due to the long pause, even before they have said the first word.

When listening to the answer, job seekers realize the long pause was actually very short.  They learn that they can take their time when answering questions.  This improves their answers and improves their confidence.

Recording mock interviews is so valuable, I offer to record every mock interview I do at Palladian.  It is a fundamental component of my interview coaching.