Mock Interviews = S U C C E S S

You've heard it since you started playing the piano or t-ball when you were 5 years old.

"Practice makes perfect." 

This principle really does ring true for success at different sports, musical performances, and lots of other activities, including interviews. As the fall recruiting season starts up, you may find yourself preparing for more than one interview. What can help?

A mock interview.

Consider Jenna (true story but changed her name): A couple of years ago, Jenna had to do a mock interview in Career Services as part of a class assignment. Lucky for her, this practice took place prior to a real interview for a co-op position. Jenna aced her co-op interview and got the job. And, the success didn't stop there. This fall, Jenna started her senior year with a full-time offer in hand from her co-op employer.

Build your confidence.

And then there's David (true story but changed his name): David took the same class that Jenna did and had a tough time in his mock interview. Why? His GPA wasn't as high as he would like it to be, and he just couldn't get past it. His low GPA made him really down on himself. You can't be like that in an interview...there is no one in the room to sell the employer on what you bring and how you add value, except you. David took time to do some self-exploration with a career advisor and worked at thinking and speaking about himself in a more positive light. As a result, David interviewed successfully to land a summer internship this past summer.

We can tell lots more success stories that center around our Mock Interview Program in Career Services. If you want to work to achieve success in your next interview, call 540-231-6241 to set up an interview that fits your schedule. We allow an hour for these interviews where we spend 15 - 20 minutes asking you typical questions used in initial interviews. Then, we spend the rest of the hour discussing your performance and providing tips to improve. Equipped with video cameras, we are able to tape your session where you can watch yourself later as much as you want.

And, if you can't make it for an in-person mock interview, no worries. You can practice sitting right in front of your computer with Interview Stream. This resource provides prerecorded interviewers asking the questions and tapes your replies. When complete, you can send the video file to a friend, a family member, or a professor to review. Or, you can set up a time to meet with one of our Career Advisors to critique this interview.

What are you waiting for? Experience the success that Jenna and David did by adding a mock interview to your fall schedule. What's the equation for interview success? Score a job offer with a mock interview before your next interview! Forget algebra. Here's an easy equation for you to remember - when it comes to interviews,

Mock Interviews  =  S  U  C  C  E  S  S