What are the best practices for conducting mock interviews with clients?

To prepare for a mock interview with my clients, I have a list of general interview questions, "Tell me about yourself," "Tell me what you know about this company," etc. Then I use the ChatGPT prompt: Based on this job description, list of questions likely to be asked during an interview for this job. I copy/paste the job description into the prompt. This is extremely helpful because my clients are applying for vastly different roles. Before the mock interview, I email my client the list of questions and info on how to answer questions using the STAR method. Allowing my clients to prepare their answers beforehand gives us time to work through challenging questions during the mock interview.

In a mock interview, it's crucial to ask a range of common interview questions to help your client prepare effectively. Here are some common questions to consider: 1)Tell me about yourself 2)Why do you want this job? 3)What are your strengths and weaknesses? 4)Can you describe a challenging situation you've faced at work and how you handled it? 5)Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 6)Why should we hire you? 7)How do you handle stress or pressure? 8)What do you know about our company? 9)Tell me about a time when you worked in a team. 10)Do you have any questions for us? These questions cover a range of competencies and give your client a well-rounded preparation for their interview.

I base the mock interview with clients on a real life job interview they have coming up. This gives them a sense of anticipation and nervousness the closer you get to the interview. It also gives them the opportunity to make mistakes and get feedback on areas for improvement before the real thing. The most important lesson I tell all my clients is the importance of a great first impression. It’s not about you, but how you can help a company with their problems, so tailor your intro accordingly. Human nature suggests we are more forgiving with people we like who make mistakes later in an interview. And less forgiving of people we don’t like so will find evidence in the interview to back up our assumptions.