Why should I practice job interview skills?

Practicing job interview skills is a very important step in any job search, especially if you have not been in the market for a while. You should practice your job interview skills because your CV and cover letter will only get you so far. Remember: your CV is merely a ticket that leads to an interview. Securing the interview itself does not mean you will get the job. Hence, you have a job to do! You need to do the rest, and you need to do it at interviews. And we all know that practice makes perfect – so roll up your sleeves!

We understand – looking for a job can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience. You are sending CVs left and right, hoping you get that job interview invitation. Therefore, once that invite does come in, make sure your interview skills are the best they can be.

Indeed, many wonder why they should practice their job interview skills. Well, keep reading to find out!

You only get one chance to impress the interviewer

If it helps, maybe you should think of job interviews like dates – you only get one chance to impress the other person. Remember, there is no do-over when it comes to first impressions. Because this is very important, you should practice the way you reply to questions and learn how to formulate your thoughts so they make sense to everyone.

So, what does this mean? It means a lot of self-talk, basically. Stand in front of a mirror or video record yourself and start talking. To loosen up, maybe start with talking about yourself, and then check out what are the most commonly asked questions and practice your answers.

Soft skills are valuable!

As we already said, your CV and cover letter will only get you to a certain point. And that point is precisely a job interview. At any job interview, the person who is interviewing you wants to get to know you. So, they ask you about your background and they listen carefully. They want someone who not only can do the job but also a person who fits into their teams. So, make sure to emphasize your adaptability, communication skills, time management, problem-solving, and other soft skills. Here you can find a nice article about it.

Self-awareness

You need to practice your interview skills so you understand how you present yourself to others and so you can amend what is needed. You might think something is a good idea to share, but if you keep sharing the story at job interviews and you are not getting callbacks – should you be sharing that? This is just one example of how people are not always self-aware. Mind your tone, give the other person enough time to digest your words and thoughts, and give yourself enough time to come up with solid answers.

There you have it; those would be our top 3 reasons why we would recommend people practice their interview skills. If you want to learn more about the job search, job interview preparation, or career development, please check our Blog page.

It’s ok to ask for help!

Not only is it ok to ask for help, but sometimes, it’s badly needed. We humans oftentimes can’t be objective so others can help us.

There are plenty of resources out there and you can do it on your own. However, it always helps to have real-life support. That is where we come in – book your interview coaching session today by choosing it from the dropdown menu on this page. We look forward to hearing from you.

If, however, you’re struggling to get interviews, take a look at your CV and see what you can change. There’s plenty of free advice on our blog page, but if you want something straightforward and super easy to follow, get our step-by-step CV writing guide right here.

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