Don't Let Your Hands do the Talking

The mock interviews were a valuable experience that allowed me to practice in an "unofficial" formal setting. I learned a lot about the interview process: what to do, not to do, and what makes you stand out as a good job candidate. Until the other day, I had never participated in a mock interview. I have interviewed for a couple of jobs which gave me some practice but I never realized how helpful practice interviews really were. It was beneficial to not only be interviewed myself but also to see other people interviewed as well. As I watched other people be interviewed, I was able to learn from them and apply those newly learned skills in my own interview. Then when it was my turn to practice interviewing, I felt better prepared. I learned a couple of things from this experience. The first thing I learned is that I often talk with my hands and it can be distracting so I need to minimize my hand movements. Hands can be useful in explaining some things but they can also be distracting when they are overused. Thus, I need to be more cautious of how I use my hands. Another thing that I learned is the importance of being sincere but truly interested and interactive in the interview. The right body language combined with sincere thorough responses can help communicate the right message and sell yourself as the perfect candidate for the job.