In helping people prepare for the real thing, the mock (practice) job interview is the recommended tool.
The trick is to do the mock interview, though, with someone who will give you pointed and specific feedback and perspective.
I’ve done a lot of these with musicians looking for academic and administrative positions. We become actors: I assume the role of the search committee chair and the job candidate makes as though we’ve never met. I’ve done these over Skype, face to face, or in some cases, back to back (so we can pretend we’re on the phone (if it’s to be a phone screening).
In advance, I ask candidates to send me the questions they think they’ll be asked and to indicate which ones give them the most concern.
I often end up asking a version of these:
Why are you interested in working at this institution?
What is your greatest strength / weakness?
Why should we hire you?
Tell us about . . [a situational question]
How would you handle . . [hypothetical question]
And specifically for teaching jobs:
How would you recruit?
Describe your teaching philosophy
Typically, even very well-qualified candidates reveal a marked lack of confidence and of self-awareness, and a lack of understanding of the prospective employer’s needs. This happens with both people new to the job market as well as veterans.
I’ve found it helps to repeatedly hit the pause button in the middle of the practice interview and ask the candidate “How was that last answer you gave?” to hear how they are self-assessing and to discuss what I picked up on the receiving end. Everyone needs a reality check about the length of their answers, the organization of their points, the degree of specificity, and the impression they are conveying through their choice of words, tone of voice, and body language.
It’s not easy to really know how we are coming across to others – whether you’re on a date, on stage, on the job, or in an interview.
Best to video your mock interview and then talk it through with a coach or mentor – someone who’ll be honest and direct with you and who’ll offer alternative approaches you can try out immediately!
