The 5 best job interview tips from NWNY’s mock interview session
Written by Sophia Zhang
Photo by Sophia Zhang
On June 6, New Women New Yorkers hosted a mock interview session at the Centre For Social Innovation for new graduates of the LEAD program. The session gave participants a chance to practice their job interview skills and meet with a group of 15 talented professionals in their fields of interest. The professionals within the group represented various industries and companies such as Royal Bank Canada, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, L&R Distributors, NYC Office of the Mayor, , and Sarankco, among others.
The mock interview program was designed to help LEAD graduates familiarize themselves with the US interview process and build confidence for real-life interviews. At the end of the session, all participants shared what they had learned.
“This is actually my first interview in the US, and completely in English, too,” LEAD program participant Silvia said. She moved from Rome, Italy, four months prior to the session and had been searching for a job as a digital project manager in e-commerce. “I felt scared at first, but then everything went smoothly. I was so happy to use what I learned in the LEAD program to highlight my technical and soft skills,” she said.
Photo by Sophia Zhang
Here are five of the key takeaways from the mock interview session.
1. Prepare, prepare, and prepare.
Good preparation can bring you halfway to success in an interview. Start by researching the industry, and then study the company where you are interviewing, the position you are applying for, and the interviewer. LinkedIn and glassdoor.com are both good resources for your research. Next, prepare for some common interview questions such as, ‘tell me about yourself’ and ‘walk me through your resume’, by scripting your answers in advance. You can also search online for a list of common behavioral interview questions. Lastly, think about questions that you’d like to ask the interviewer. Good questions demonstrate that you’ve done your homework on the company and the position.
2. Be an active listener.
Many of the mock interviewers emphasized the importance of active listening. There are some simple ways to do this during your interview. First, be curious; curiosity is the best form of active listening. Besides asking about the position, be curious about the interviewer’s background and what s/he has learned during her/his career. Try not to talk over the interviewer – even when you get excited and want to express yourself. It’s important to let the interviewer talk, and try to follow her/his train of thought. Rather than interrupting immediately when interesting topics come up, take notes so you’ll be reminded to ask questions later. Just be sure to keep good eye contact with the interviewer during the entire conversation.
Photo by Sophia Zhang
3. Brand yourself with three of your strengths.
Think about the most commonly sought traits or personal strengths in your field, such as analytical skills, communication skills, business knowledge, and problem-solving skills. Then, try to identify three strengths of yours that are most relevant to the position you applied for. Prepare one or two specific examples of how each strength has helped you accomplish something.
When asked about your weaknesses in an interview, take it as an opportunity to demonstrate your strengths, such as flexibility and adaptability. For example, if you are new to US culture and lack US work experience, you can highlight your efforts to adapt to a new environment, such as participation in new classes and relevant volunteer activities.
4. Be positive and confident.
When you’re faced with difficult questions or have a hard time explaining something, it is important to stay positive and guide yourself through with confidence. There may be times when you can’t come up with a good response right away. When this happens, don’t be afraid to ask for time to think for a moment. You can be honest and ask the interviewer to come back to a particular question later.
Photo by Sophia Zhang
5. Learn from the mock interviewer’s feedback.
One of the advantages of mock interviews is that you can ask for clarification and feedback from the interviewer and work on your skills. If you are not clear on the feedback offered, do not be afraid to ask the mock interviewer for a specific example to clarify the issue. Be open to suggestions; when you are not confident with your answer, ask the interviewer what s/he would say in a similar situation and try to learn from that.
Young immigrant women interested in learning more about the LEAD program and registering should sign up for one of our upcoming Info Sessions.
