Just Chill.

Provo, U.t. – While mock interviewing earlier today, I learned that translating writing to speaking removes sincerity and authenticity from my answers to common interview questions.

I attempted to recite my written answers instead of naturally let myself respond to the questions. This exercise taught me that reciting is not as effective as simply answering, but that preparation for common interview questions, whether that be writing the answers or verbalizing them beforehand, is important and helpful with the overall interview process.

I did not express what I wanted to say concisely. I have a terrible habit of using words and phrases such as “like,” “um,” and “you know what I mean?” which makes me sound like a Valley girl. I could majorly improve on my vocabulary and practicing answering questions without pausing with using words like the ones listed above.

On the flip side, I think I did well with feeling relaxed and confident and I felt good with amount of eye contact I made with the interviewer. I took the suggestions of improvement from my peers very seriously and applied them to the question I redid. I found the critiquing aspect of this exercise very helpful and insightful.

I think the most important advice anyone could give when it comes to interviewing is to relax...just chill. The more calm and comfortable you seem will be felt by the interviewer, which in turn will help them feel more calm and comfortable. It’s also totally acceptable to take a few seconds to think about a question before answering. Speaking just to fill the empty space will come off as arrogant.

Overall, I found this to be a very beneficial exercise, and I am grateful for the feedback I received from the people in my group.

(Ps. Sorry for the weird format. I am working on my news writing skills.)