P is for...Practice

“When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you come up against that someone he/she will win”

Why is it that we practice certain skills in so many areas of our life? We practice our driving technique before we take a test, actors practice their lines before the actual take, expectant mothers practice childbirth before labour and Tennis Players practice their shots before a game.

And yet for some reason job seekers spend no time at all practicing for an interview?

I often hear from people that they didn’t have the time to practice for their all important job interview and if successful will enable them to work in a better role that will lead to a higher income and therefore a life with more choices and job satisfaction.

Unless a serial job hopper then you can assume that a majority of people haven’t interviewed for a while, sometimes 2 or 3 years or even more than 10 Years. Think back to when you were at school or university how much time did you spend practicing the answers for your exams? Did you receive the results you had hoped for or can you now own up after all these years and acknowledge that perhaps you didn’t practice enough?

Preparation = Practice and Practice = Preparation

Preparing for an interview is different from practicing for an interview however when time has been taken to do both they equal the same and enhance the interviewees chances of success.

“It takes a skill to interview and it takes practice to build a skill”

Taking the time to practice for an interview is essential for all job seekers. Below I have listed 5 different ways in which you can practice your interview skills:

1) STAR - Practice your stories by using the STAR technique, Situation or Task, Action and Result.

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Take a sheet of A4 paper and divide it into 4 boxes. At the top of the page write a question for example “Tell me about a time when you have changed someone’s mind” in each of the 4 boxes place an S, T, A, R – each box will tell part of your story

What was the Situation or Task, be brief, two sentences will be acceptable
What Action(s) did you take and why did you take them
What were the Results for you and those around you and remember win/win

2) Record Yourself - Practice your interview answers by recording yourself until you feel confident with the answer you hear.

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It may seem strange however try reciting a nursery rhyme at first for example Mary had a little lamb…and notice the difference in the way you project your voice after the third attempt

3) Mirror - Observe your body language and expressions by saying your answers out loud in front of a mirror

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Even better use a webcam if you have one, you can buy one for less than £10!

4) Role Play – By role playing an interview situation it allows you to practice being your worst over and over again

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Ask a friend / colleague to help you role play the interview and ask that person to listen, be honest and provide you with constructive feedback. Remember not to take feedback personally as others will hide their true thoughts

5) Telephone – arrange to call a friend / colleague the day before your interview, give them a list of 5-8 questions and ask them to give you a quick practice session

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Practicing your answers to questions the day before an interview will help you to refresh your mind and can make a huge difference on the interview day

REMEMBER The interviewer will be preparing questions for you, do yourself justice and practice the answers!

Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.